Saturday will be a time of remembrance — and a time for thank yous.
That night, there will be a homecoming celebration that has been decades in the making.
Local World War II veterans will return to Columbus from Washington D.C. and get the “welcome home” they never received after the war.
It’s all happening through Honor Flight Columbus.
And time is of the essence — there are more than a 1,000 World War II veterans dying every day.
An Ohio State alumnus is at the heart of an effort to help veterans find a sense of peace in the service they gave so many years ago.
Bill Richards was in awe after hearing a speaker talk about the trips three years ago. The hair stood up on his arms, he said.
He and his wife Bobbi “just looked at each other and said, ‘This is what we’ve got to do,'” Richards said.
They are now co-directors for the Columbus flights.
Both his father and his wife’s father were World War II veterans.
Richards’ father died before he could experience an honor flight, but Bobbi’s father, who is still alive, has been on a flight.
Richards cringes every time he hears about another veteran passing away.
“Losing one of them is like losing my dad again,” he said.
Time seems too short to reach every veteran they would like to tell about the possibility of going on a flight.
Richards and his wife read the obituaries and understand how quickly they have to work to get people who have served to Washington D.C.
“Some days in the Columbus paper, there are six to eight veterans gone,” Richards said.
Richards said he wonders what he and his wife could ever do in the future that would have the impact Honor Flight Columbus has had.
When veterans return, they are often at peace with themselves. They often talk about things that happened during the war that have never been shared — even with family.
“It’s by far the biggest accomplishment of our lives,” Richards said of the Honor Flight program.
They couldn’t do it all without the 300-plus volunteers who help out, Richards said.
“They’re the people we get our energy from,” he said.
Richards teaches history to eighth graders in Upper Arlington. He has taken his students on trips to Washington D.C. and said the experiences with them helped prepare him for the trips with World War II veterans.
They will go on a one-day flight from Columbus to Washington D.C. for free through Honor Flight Columbus. They will also be given the opportunity to visit war memorials and share their experiences with a guardian.
Toward the end of the flight, there will be a mail call.
Something special from OSU will be passed out to them during the call — autographed team photos from the OSU football coaches and team.
The Honor Flight connection with the football team began after three different people contacted coach Jim Tressel’s office about the program.
The autographed cards are one aspect of a military connection that has been established from the top down. Tressel has increased the team’s military relations and plans to do more in the future.
The week after OSU lost to the University of Southern California, the team sat down and each member signed 10 cards — every coach and every player, coach Bob Tucker said. Tucker was the director of football operations but retired and became the military liaison for the team.
Before the Spring Game in April, each coach and player signed four cards. It was one of the first things on the agenda for the day, Tucker said.
Cards were then divided up, and some are going to the honor flights.
Others have gone to members of the National Guard.
“We’re very excited to be involved,” Tucker said.
It’s not just the football team that has helped with the veterans.
“OSU has reached out to touch us in lots of little ways,” Richards said.
The lacrosse team members served as guides and escorts during a recent reunion when a veteran lost his car key. The entire team spread out across the parking area and found the key for him, he said.
Others interested in Honor Flight Columbus can volunteer to help the trips go smoothly.
Ground crew members assist veterans, and others work in the office, bake cookies, make breakfast bags and write letters for mail call.
Honor Flight Columbus takes World War II veterans and terminally ill veterans from other wars on the flights. The veteran must live within a 100-mile radius of Columbus. There is no charge to the veterans, but guardians who would like to participate pay a fee of $200 to go on the trip. There are currently two trips scheduled a month.
For more information, visit
honorflightcolumbus.org/Home_Page.php or call 284-4987.
