Two Lodi vets take a Honor Flight
Local vets Frank Summersville and Stanley V. Williams fly off to Washington, D. C. on April 8 to visit the war memorials dedicated to men and women who have served our country. Both are excited about this experience dedicated to providing veterans with honor and closure.
Frank and Stan went to school together and have remained friends. They both were in the Army in Korea. Their families felt this was an excellent opportunity for them to bond once more and donated money.
Frank had been invited to go last year but wanted to wait for his good friend Stan to join him. They travel to San Francisco on Saturday to stay in an airport hotel. Then they will be ready for the 6 a.m. flight to Reagan International Airport on Sunday with a breakfast provided by the American Red Cross. It will be a busy three-day adventure.
Arriving in the late afternoon on Sunday, they will be escorted to the Hilton Capitol City for dinner and (hopefully) a good night’s sleep. Each of them is accompanied by a guardian who attends to their every need during the excursion. Wheelchairs will have been provided for them in San Francisco to make the tour easier. Monday is a full day starting with breakfast between 6 and 8 a.m. Then it’s onto a bus with a professional photographer on board to capture all events. First stop at 8:30 a.m. is the World War II Memorial. Then it’s back on the bus for a trip to the Navy Yards where lunch is provided. At 2 p.m. they will be in Arlington National Cemetery, and at 3 p.m. will view the changing of the guard.
Tuesday after breakfast they visit the Korea, Vietnam and Air Force memorials, then go on a Caisson tour. Following that they head for the Reagan Airport for the return home.
While this is a whirlwind tour, they are accompanied every step of the way with a leader and a nurse plus their individual guardians. Twenty five veterans are going on this trip with their 25 guardians. Last year Roger Gearhart was fortunate enough to go on the trip. He said it was a fabulous experience.
On May 6 these veterans and their guardians will have a reunion in Santa Clara to see the photos taken and talk about all they saw and experienced.
Honor Flight flew 18,202 veterans in 2016. Their mission is to transport America’s Veterans to Washington, D. C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends. It is a nonprofit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport these military heroes to Washington to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to senior veterans — World War II survivors along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.
The final comment on the Honor Flight web page is that “of all the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation — and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.” See the Honor Flight website for more information.
Congratulations to Jill Knoll for winning the award for Best Financial Advisor in Lodi 2018. She works at the Bank of Stockton. I can understand why she won this award. When I returned to Lodi from Valley Springs, I opened a Bank of Stockton account and visited the bank to arrange my safe deposit box.
I heard someone say, “Hello, Durlynn,” and looked around to see Jill at her desk. Amazed at her memory, I went back to visit with her. The last time she had seen me was at Stockton Savings (or whatever it became) years previously when I was with my second husband, Vern. She also remembered my first husband, Chuck.
Obviously, Jill has a heart for people. Between her ready smile and competence, she deserves this award.
The Galt churches had a busy Good Friday service with an overflowing crowd at Galt Methodist Church, which was the host. It was an impressive service from the impassioned words of pastors from five churches to the soft and lovely guitar music and songs. The final triumph was the inspired singing of “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” by Mattie Shepard. Truly a faithful way to contemplate Good Friday. Have a great week. Enjoy the sunshine and even the possible rain. After all, doesn’t rain make us appreciate the sun?