by Diane Lowrey
R-T Editor
Military veterans are a proud lot and those serving during World War II have a special kinship – one that has resulted in establishment of the Central-Missouri Veterans Honor Flight Program, which gives those veterans and others a chance to travel to Washington D.C. and remember those years of serving their country.
Frank Engleman of Galt is one of those individuals who got the chance to take that trip as he, along with 66 other veterans from World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam War, spent July 2 in our nation’s capital. Engleman, who served from April 1944 to February 1946 in the U.S. Navy, began his journey in Columbia, where he met up at midnight with his soon-to-be fellow travelers and some 30-plus “guardians,” who travel with the group to assist with their needs. The guardians are volunteers and include medical personnel and younger soldiers who give of their time for this project.
Engleman and a veteran from the Korean War, Claude Brooks of Stover, shared a guardian, whom the Galt man said took care of any need or request they had.
“They couldn’t have treated us any better,” Engleman said. “They made sure we had whatever it was we needed.”
During the two-hour flight to D.C., a lot of visiting took place and a lot of memories were shared. While the plane was a bit crowded, Engleman said that it didn’t keep the stories from flowing.
“We learned a lot about the people and what they do,” he said. “Most of those veterans are getting to be in their 80’s and they had some stories to tell.”
Engelman’s story included enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944, spending his time on the USS Edmond Randolph, a cargo ship that made three trips, including one to Manilla right before the bomb was dropped on Japan. He returned home in February 1946 after accumulating enough points to be discharged.
The group actually landed in Baltimore, where they boarded a bus and, escorted by the Park Police, headed first to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.
“It’s quite a place,” Engleman said, adding that the group spent a lot of time there and that it was his favorite stop on the trip.
“It was so impressive,” he said. “The memorial has stars on it, with each star representing 100 soldiers who were killed. And there were more than 400,000 who died.”
The group then headed out to other memorials (Korean, Vietnam, Lincoln, Iwo Jima and Air Force) and ended the day at Arlington National Cemetery. And this is where the guardians really were a help to the veterans.
“We had several who were in wheelchairs and needed help getting off and on the bus,” he said. “The guardians were very helpful.”
He noted that nearly everywhere they went, people would come up and shake their hand.
“They wanted to thank us for our service,” Engleman said. “It really was nice.”
After about five and one-half hours, the group found themselves back on the bus and headed to Baltimore, where they boarded the airplane for their trip back to St. Louis.
A special part of the trip back home is “mail call,” where letters are distributed to the veterans much like when they were in the service.
“They would call out our names, then hand us our mail just like they used to,” he said.
Engleman received several letters while on the airplane, many of which came from his home church, the Galt Christian Church. His children and grandchildren also wrote him letters as well.
“I read one from my kids and I felt like crying, I was so thrilled,” he said.
At St. Louis, the group again boarded a bus and headed back to Columbia. They were met along the way by the Patriot Guard motorcycle group, who escorted them back into town and to the hotel in which family and friends were waiting.
“There were people everywhere when we got back,” Engleman said, adding that his granddaughter, Erica, was the first to find him and waited with him until his son, Jerry and wife, Marlene, came to take him home.
“I was really tired,” he said, adding that he got to bed at 2:30 a.m. on July 3, but was up by 11:30 a.m. to get back to business at his business, Engleman’s Service Station.
“I went back to the station as usual that afternoon; I didn’t miss a lick,” he said.
Engleman, who had never been to Washington D.C. until this trip, said he would like to make a return to the Nation’s Capital as there were many other sites he didn’t get the chance to see.
“I could spend a lot of time there,” he said.
As for the honor flight…
“I would recommend it to any veteran if they get the chance,” he said. “It’s well worth the time and with the guardians, there isn’t really an issue in getting around.”
There is no cost to veterans to participate in the program, which is funded through donations and fundraisers. To learn more about the Honor Flight program, including the application process, persons can go to the program’s website, centralmissourihonorflight.com.
Submitted Photo
Galt resident Frank Engleman, left, and his Honor Flight partner Claude Brooks of Stover visit at the World War II Monument during the trip to Washington D.C. The two men were among 66 veterans taking the trip on July 2.
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