HonorAir Knoxville provided three Loudon County veterans with an opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., as part of an all-expense-paid, one-day trip last month.
Flights take place each spring and fall to honor veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Arnold “Ray” Stringer, who served in the U.S. Air Force, said although he couldn’t necessarily name a favorite part about the trip, he described the tour as a positive experience.
“It was an experience I’ll never forget,” Stringer said. “It was all good. It was a great honor to know that I was selected.”
Ernest Thomas, who served four years in the USAF, traveled with his son, Mark, who worked as a volunteer escort for the group.
“I will tell you, the people who put it together did a wonderful job,” Thomas said about Eddie Mannis, president of Prestige Cleaners and Prestige Tuxedo and founder of HonorAir Knoxville. “When we got to the airport, we thought that it would be a hassle getting through security. All we did was show our ID (identification) and walked right through.
“The people who organized this, Prestige Cleaners and Prestige Tuxedo, they have a wonderful group of people who work with them each time,” Thomas added.
Once veterans boarded the plane, breakfast was waiting at their seats and the group stopped for lunch in Washington.
“Our last stop was at the grave of the unknown soldier at the cemetery,” Thomas said. “We got to see the changing of the guard, which was very impressive. I thought that was most outstanding, I guess, because they had some Marines who were on guard that day. You should see them when they’re inspecting the new guard coming in. I didn’t know if he was going to pass or not, as long as it took for them to decide. That was really impressive and really nice.”
Two attendees came in uniform, including a 96-year-old man who served in the U.S. Navy from 1939-69, while two 100-year-old men participated in the trip.
“I think everyone had a wonderful time,” Thomas said. “The other thing that is very impressive is when we got back is the number of the people who came to the airport to greet us and shake our hands.”
Tellico Village resident John Szymcak, who served two years in the U.S. Army 440th Transportation Company, said three of his golf friends recommended he fill out an online application for the trip.
“It was very well thought out and very professional,” Szymcak said. “The memorials were my favorite part. I hadn’t been to (Washington), D.C., in a while. Not only memorials but the closeness of the memorials. Everything is fairly close. Really, there was no hesitation between memorials. We had a police escort, which was good.
“It really was an honor because I never thought of it,” Szymcak added. “I felt pretty good at the end of the day. Some there were cheering and wanting to shake our hands.”
This year marks the first time another HonorAir trip specifically designated for Vietnam War veterans will take place. That tour is set for June.
A trip in October will be open to all veterans.
Each HonorAir Knoxville trip costs $60,000, with Prestige Cleaners and Prestige Tuxedo providing administrative support so every dollar raised goes toward the cost of the flight.All donations may be mailed to HonorAir Knoxville, 7536 Taggart Lane, Knoxville, TN 37938, or through PayPal at http://www.honorairknoxville.com.
