Dozens of World War II veterans are set to take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the WWII memorial on the 70th anniversary of D-Day next month.
At a press conference Thursday, April 10, at the Albany International Airport, members of the newly reorganized Patriot Flight Inc. announced that 57 veterans are going on the May 10 flight.
The local chapter of Patriot Flight, which is based in Colonie, is an all-volunteer group that gives veterans a free trip to the memorials in Washington, D.C. The organization recently underwent some changes, and in January, Frank DeSorbo took the helm as the new president. He is also president of the D-Day Revisited association.
DeSorbo credited World War II veteran Bill Peek for his vision and mentoring, which helped revitalize the local chapter.
“I met with the initial directors and officers at that meeting, and I told the Patriot Flight members that this was a reorganizational meeting, but I also had already reserved 100 seats for a flight to Washington, D.C., on May 10.” said DeSorbo. “I could not pass up the opportunity to recognize and honor those gallant veterans with the flight theme of D-Day goes to D.C. This is the 70th anniversary of D-Day.”
Patriot Flight raises money to pay for the cost of the plane tickets, a WWII memorial book, food and a T-shirt for the veterans so they can go to D.C to see the World War II memorial, which was completed in 2004 in honor of the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. military and the more than 400,000 who died in the war.
Many veterans who had been on past Patriot Flights said the joy is much more than just going to see a memorial that was built for them; it’s the grand welcome back they receive when they get back to Albany. Many of them were never given a ceremony when they returned.
“When you walk through that entryway down there (in the airport), it is something that you will never forget,” said Art Hamilton, who served three years in the Navy as a motorman on an amphibious assault ship during WWII. The ship ferried personnel and equipment between England and France. “It just about blew me off the planet when we went through there. That was my first welcome home after all these years.”
Hamilton said that when he returned from the war, there was little fanfare.
“Back in the ’40s, there was nothing. When I got out, I took a train to Binghamton, got off and walked as far as I could go, got home, and they said, ‘You made it. Now you can get a job.’ That’s the way it was,” said Hamilton.
Tom Lemme, a Marine who fought in Iwo Jima, and Eugene Calabrese, who served in the Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, are cousins and Purple Heart recipients. They also said that the applause when you get off the plane is one of their favorite parts of the Patriot Flight.
“When you get off the plane and there’s all these people, they are appreciating us for what little we did, you know? But they make you feel real good,” said Calabrese.
Rich Goldenberg, a board member on Patriot Flight, Inc. said not only is it a great experience for the veterans, but it’s a great opportunity for a family member to come as a guardian. The guardians assist disabled veterans on the trip.
“If your grandparent served in WWII and has not gone on a Patriot Flight, sign them up. Join up to be a guardian. You’ll learn more about their WWII experience in that one day than you’ll ever learn at the dinner table,” said Goldenberg. “That’s a common theme amongst our WWII veterans. As a child or a grandchild that’s a great opportunity to ask, ‘Where were you? What did you do? What was it like?’ It’s amazing how many families try to recapture that experience after their veteran is gone.”
Patriot Flight organizers are always looking for more WWII veterans, guardians and money for the plane tickets. A trip currently being planned for the fall still has spaces available. For more information about how to sign up or donate, go to patriotflight.com