Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina trip to DC makes history
By Brad Broders
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (WYFF) — This week, as veterans are honored, we are paying tribute to our many Upstate veterans who proudly wore our nation’s uniform and defended our country across generations.
In September, WYFF News 4 was honored with an invitation to document the Upstate South Carolina Honor Flight.
There, 90 veterans flew to and from Washington, D.C., to visit memorials and monuments where they reflected and remembered those who never made it home.
What made this Honor Flight historic and significant
This year’s Upstate Honor Flight made history: the first time the trip to our nation’s capital included Vietnam veterans, who received the ultimate “thank you.”
That Sept. 16 morning, at 5:30 a.m., the lower-level terminal at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport was abuzz with patriotic pride, as the participating Honor Flight attendees embarked on one of the most memorable — if not the most memorable — flight of their lives.
“It shows that they did care something about me,” Veteran Norris Ham said.
“I’m very appreciative of being honored like that; it means a lot to me,” Vietnam veteran Marjoe Davif added.
The main cabin on a special American Airlines charter flight was adorned with American flags as it departed for Washington.
After the plane landed at Reagan National, strangers waited by gate D38 to give the veterans a hero’s welcome.
Buses then rolled out to start a busy day’s itinerary. The first stop is Arlington National Cemetery and a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard, where sentinels presented an honorary wreath to the Upstate veterans.
“The story you tell about being a Marine, it lives with you, so this is very humbling to me,” U.S. Marines Veteran Victor Coachman said.
“It makes me feel good to see all the memorials here,” Korean War Veteran Charles Laico said.
The trip was especially powerful and memorable for Korean War veteran Charles Laico of Simpsonville, who was greeted and thanked by well-wishers at the Korean War Memorial.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing they are doing things like that. I’m a history buff, and I think this is wonderful because this is all about history,” Laico said.
The Vietnam Memorial was also personal for Coachman, an Honor Flight attendee and Marine veteran.
“It’s very significant. I think that people tend to forget the sacrifices that folks have made, so a moment like this is very solemn,” Coachman said.
Coachman found the name of his second cousin — Gregory Tynes — killed in combat in 1971, just shy of his 22nd birthday.
“Etching the name is one thing; putting your hand on the wall, touching it, it’s such an emotional experience,” Coachman said.
World War II Veteran makes the trip
The Honor Flight also included the only World War II veteran, Greenville native Mortimer Sams. He and other veterans were given a special recognition by sentinels at Arlington National Cemetery.
“I tear up when I think about the honor; that was a great honor,” Sams said. “I just thank God I have a good memory.”
Sams’ son Robert joined him on the Honor Flight.
“It’s just wonderful to have this experience and my son with me,” Sams said. “World War II was such a decisive war.”
Throughout the Honor Flight trip, everyone from South Carolina U.S. Sen. Darline Graham to fellow Upstate veterans paid their respects to Sams’ military service — more than 80 years ago.
“It was amazing. I was so proud to speak to him and shake his hand. It really was, my dad was in the Second World War. I respect what he did,” Vietnam veteran John Zielinski said.
Vietnam Veterans take part for the first time
Upstate Vietnam veterans also reflected on the Honor Flight trip, including Jimmy Greer. WYFF News 4 caught up with him as he found the names at the Vietnam Memorial of his nine friends killed in just nine months in 1968.
“They were good troopers,” Greer said. He also reflected on Basil Hareford, whose name he found on the memorial wall.
“He could change out a coax barrel in stoppage in eight seconds flat, but he got hit July third with an RPG,” Greer said.
It was Greer’s first visit to the Vietnam Memorial, which is nearly 500 feet long, with more than 58,000 names of the fallen.
“Look where it started and look where it ended; this was a costly war,” Greer said.
Greer — and dozens of others — became the first group of Vietnam veterans to take part in the Upstate South Carolina Honor Flight.
“It’s a true honor to be able to come, and I wish some of my buddies could have lived,” Vietnam Veteran Jimmy Martin said.
“For us, it’s really special because of the way we got treated when we came home,” Vietnam veteran Charles Bergandi said.
Bergandi wore a bracelet honoring his two friends who died in Vietnam.
“Guys were my buddies over in ‘Nam; one was my gunner and the other was a good friend of mine. He took me underneath his wing when I first came there,” Bergandi said.
“It means a lot. I served in Vietnam; I wasn’t even 18. I was 17 when I went to Vietnam. I had my parents have to sign for me,” Vietnam veteran Herbert Ervin said.
“I thank the Lord for making it possible for me to be here today. I thank for everybody who put this together; it’s a true blessing,” Martin said.
A hero’s welcome on their return to GSP
The night the Honor Flight attendees returned from Washington, hundreds of family members, friends and other well-wishers surprised the veterans and packed the first floor of GSP to say thank you.
“When you think about the Vietnam veterans not getting the return home, the symbolism of getting a huge return and welcome home today was probably the crown jewel, and you could see it in the veterans’ faces; they were crying, they were smiling, tears kind of running everywhere for their family members too,” said Prisma Health Director of Military and Government Liaison Office Kevin McBride. “The patriotism and how people showed up today kind of gives us hope for the future.”
“It gave me the goosebumps just thinking about these people being here taking their time out of a school week, a school night, showing up on a random Wednesday to welcome these people home,” said Upstate Warrior Solution Community Engagement Director Charlotte Edwardson.
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