Local veterans take the trip of a lifetime
- Updated
Jim Brian, center, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, cheers with his guardian, Debbie Perina, of the Village Santo Domingo, as he is recognized after arriving home from Villages Honor Flight Mission 62 on Wednesday at American Legion Post 347.
Joseph Cooke, Daily Sun
Sixty-eight veterans were welcomed home by a sea of cheering friends and family decked out in red, white and blue.
For Stu Robinson, a U.S. Air Force veteran, stepping off the bus to that reception was the highlight of his Villages Honor Flight experience.
“Knowing how we’re supported at home,” said Robinson, of the Village of Bonita. “I just cannot tell you what it means.”
Seeing the turnout and the patriotism of the crowd left the Korean War veteran feeling emotionally overwhelmed, he said.
On Wednesday, Villages Honor Flight took another round of local veterans to Washington, D.C., for its 62nd mission.
The local Honor Flight hub takes veterans to see their respective war memorials and monuments in Washington, D.C., for free.
During the mission, they visit places like Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. Air Force Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and many others.
Getting to experience the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery was a special moment for U.S. Air Force veteran Stuart Lesser.
While at the national cemetery, they met a lot of young students who clapped and thanked them for their service, he said.
“That was pretty emotional,” said Lesser, of the Village of Belle Aire. “It just made me feel so good that they were showing some patriotism.”
It showed the Vietnam War-era veteran the country is in good hands, he said.
It was even more special for Lesser and Robinson to share this moment with more than 60 other local veterans, they said.
Going on this trip and getting welcomed back like that truly renewed his faith in people, Robinson said.
While the crowd gathered at American Legion Post 347 in Lady Lake to welcome back the veterans and guardians, performers like DJ Ralph DiNome, the Wonderland Singers, the Prime Time Twirlers, the Original Belly Dancers and The Villages Cheerleaders kept them entertained.
The Mystic Ice Cream food truck also was on hand, serving ice cream.
The Prime Time Twirlers presented each veteran with a military challenge coin and thanked them for their service.
The veterans also received handmade quilts, Villages Honor Flight hats and a lifetime of memories.
“We love doing it for the vets,” said ground coordinator Karl Buettner, of the Village of Lake Deaton. “It’s all about the vets.”
As the three buses of veterans and guardians arrived back at Post 347 around midnight, they received an escort from the Lady Lake Police Department, Fruitland Park Police Department, Village Vettes Corvette Club, Village Nomads, American Legion Post 347 Riders and A Touch of Glass Corvette Club.
As the buses pulled in, The Villages Public Safety Department fire truck welcomed them with a water hose arch.
“Oh, it was a big surprise and unbelievable,” Robinson said. “The coordination that was involved in putting this thing on was incredible.”
Once they arrived back, co-flight directors Darrel Caswell, of the Village of Bradford, and Sandra Skopaz, of the Village of Pennecamp, described the day for the crowd.
“They all had a great time,” Caswell said.
Among the veterans on the trip, 13 served in the U.S. Air Force, 29 in the U.S. Army, eight in the U.S. Marine Corps, three in the U.S. Coast Guard and 15 in the U.S. Navy.
Veterans on this mission served in various wars and eras, said Duane Roemmich, public relations and media coordinator for Villages Honor Flight.
It cost about $600 to send one veteran on a mission, and the organization raises money all year long, said Roemmich, of the Village of Collier.
Any U.S. veteran who served at least one day in active duty is eligible to go on an Honor Flight mission. Villages Honor Flight serves veterans in Sumter, Lake, Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties.
Since 2012, Villages Honor Flight has taken nearly 2,000 local veterans on missions and another 350 on virtual missions, Caswell said.
The next Villages Honor Flight is flightless mission 63 on Oct. 2.
For more information about Villages Honor Flight or to donate, visit villageshonorflight.org.
Senior Writer Veronica Wernicke can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5307, or veronica.wernicke@thevillagesmedia.com.
