World War II veteran Edward Melin knew he was coming to Washington to see the national memorial dedicated to his military service.
But the 97-year-old, who was a medic at Normandy, wasn’t expecting what awaited his group of veterans at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Firetrucks made a ceremonial arch of water as their Boeing 737 taxied toward the gate. A crowd of nearly 100 applauded and cheered as the 75 veterans entered the terminal, military anthems playing over loudspeakers.
Some of the men pumped their canes in pride. Others wept.
“The attention we’re getting after all these years … it’s really nice,” said Melin, the eldest in the group.
The three-day, all-expenses-paid trip was sponsored by the Honor Flight Network, America Supports You and American Airlines.
After their landing Wednesday afternoon, the group of Texas Panhandle veterans headed straight for the National World War II Memorial on the Mall.
“It’s a wonderful recognition of [WWII] veterans,” Will Allen, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the war, said of the memorial. “This is a wonderful, lasting tribute.”
Cleatus Lebow also was in the Pacific during the war. He was on the USS Indianapolis before it sank in what became the greatest loss of life in U.S. naval history.
Lebow and his group were at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday morning.
“It brings back memories of my buddies that I lost out at sea,” said Lebow, closing his eyes. “People call us heroes. We’re not heroes; the 880 [men] we lost from that ship are heroes.”
Like most Texas natives who served during the war, much of the group was shipped to the Pacific Theater. Among them was Alfred Haws.
“I thought I was lucky because I was only supposed to have to stay for a year,” Haws said.
He had no idea he would go on to endure the seven-day Bataan Death March and three years in a Japanese prison camp. He came away more than 100 pounds lighter — and minus his right arm.
The Texas chapter of America Supports You raised more than $250,000 to bring Haws and his group to Washington. To Jack Barnes, the chapter president, it’s money well-spent.
Said Barnes: “We owe a debt of gratitude to the veterans of World War II.”
