Stories and tears were part of the journey when two USF St. Petersburg ROTC cadets escorted WWII veterans on an Honor Flight bound for Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, April 3, the cadets and veterans departed from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport, giving the veterans an opportunity to see the WWII memorial that they bravely earned.
Sophomore Bill Milazzo and freshman Alec Huffman each accompanied a veteran on the flight, listening to their stories and witnessing their first viewing of the WWII memorial. It was Milazzo and Huffman’s first time traveling to Washington, D.C.
The trip was free, sponsored by The Bishop Center for Ethical Leaders, a program affiliated with USFSP that promotes the study and practice of good leadership. There were 75 veterans on the flight, which was specifically for West Central Florida. Huffman said that at orientation they were told this specific area has the highest concentration of WWII veterans in the country.
The first Honor Flight departed to Washington, D.C., in May 2005, taking World War II veterans from Ohio to the memorial, which was completed and dedicated to the veterans in 2004. Honorflight.org says, “Time is of the essence,” and says that according to 2011 statistics, WWII veterans are dying at a rate of 900 per day.
Once Honor Flights can no longer serve WWII veterans they will continue efforts for Korean and Vietnam war veterans, according to the website. Honor Flights are publicly advertised and veterans can send in a letter if they’re interested in taking the trip. They are selected from oldest to youngest, and there is a long waiting list.
The veterans traveling on April 3 experienced Washington, D.C., with clear skies, a gentle breeze and temperatures in the 70s. They were greeted upon landing by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.
“I would have to say my overall favorite part was when we got off and got into Washington, D.C., to see the reception our veterans walked into,” Milazzo said. He described a van full of children, some looking as young as 6 years old, singing patriotic songs. Other volunteers were present for the reception including the VFW and the American Legion.
After landing they visited the Iwo Jima Memorial. They took a bus ride around Washington, D.C., passing the Washington Monument, the White House and the Smithsonian museums. They made their stop at the World War II memorial. Those who were able to walk did, and those who couldn’t took the bus to see the Korean and Vietnam memorials.
Getting off the bus at the WWII memorial, Bob Hamboey, the veteran Millazzo was accompanying, was surprised by his son and his wife, who drove from New Jersey. He left to experience his trip with his son, which gave Milazzo time to seek out his own personal journey.
“I just found out I had a third cousin who passed away in Vietnam, and I found his name on the memorial,” Milazzo said. “When I saw my cousin’s name on the memorial I almost broke out in tears.”
Talking to other people who had family members on the wall moved him, he said.
Both cadets said that they were impacted the most by the stories that the veterans told.
“It made the trip a lot more memorable,” said Huffman, who accompanied veteran Frank Biondi.
“It made me treasure what I have because these men worked so hard for what we have nowadays, for our freedom,” Milazzo said.
“Our two cadets represented the finest in our future leaders and USFSP,” said Major Scott Macksam of USFSP ROTC, who chose Milazzo and Huffman for the trip. “They were both moved in acting as guardians for our WWII vets.”
Image courtesy of Alec Huffman
