Seventy-one local veterans, including three from Siloam Springs, visited Washington D.C. on Wednesday, courtesy of the Oklahoma and Arkansas Honor Flight association.
The O&A Honor Flight is part of the national Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to flying veterans to visit the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials as a way to show honor and provide closure. Last week's flight was the third sponsored by O&A Honor Flight, and the second to leave from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, according to director Rob Hopkins said.
The group that left Wednesday included 12 World War II veterans, as well as many veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Hopkins said. The Siloam Springs veterans on the flight were John Morris, a Purple Heart Veteran of the Korean War, and Bennie Gallant and Bob Sikes Jr., both Vietnam War veterans. Each veteran was escorted on the trip by a guardian, who was either a family member of volunteer.
Their adventure began with a send-off ceremony, held on Tuesday evening in the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs. During the ceremony, each veteran was introduced and veterans exchanged honor coins with their guardians. The veterans spent the night in hotel rooms provided by the casino so they could get an early start.
Veterans left for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport before dawn on Wednesday morning, escorted by local law enforcement and fire department vehicles. Their airplane was given a grand sendoff from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Fire Department. The group spent the day in Washington D.C. visiting the various war memorials before returning to a welcome home ceremony at the regional airport on Wednesday evening.
George Thacker of Darien, Conn., made the trip to Northwest Arkansas to be a guardian on the flight for his father Frank Thacker Jr., who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Frank was born in Little Rock in 1924. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from Little Rock High School in 1942, his son said. During World War II, Frank served in six of the seven battles in France. After the war he attended college in Russellville and continued his military career through the next two conflicts, retiring from the Air Force after 30 years.
George said his father was extremely touched by the send-off ceremony. He added that he was exceptionally thankful for the hard work that Hopkins and Lana Hurt, secretary/treasurer of the organization, performed on behalf of the veterans.
"At 92, my dad has some good days and some not so good days." George said. "Today was a great day for my dad. He smiled and joked with other veterans and guardians. This program made him feel special. He was in one of the best moods I've seen him in many years."
General News on 04/23/2017