By: Leslie Conway, Well•Spring
Navy Veteran B.E. Vaughn of High Point helped bring history alive to a class of students at the Navy Museum.
Leslie Conway served as guardian for Greensboro’s Wilfrid (Bill) Urban, veteran of four battles in the War in the Pacific.
On April 16, I, along with Well•Spring staff members Barbara Adams, Allison Munroe-Lyles and Alan Mallard, had the privilege of serving as guardians on the Triad Flight of Honor, which honors World War II Veterans for their service and sacrifice. A service project of Rotary District 7690, the Triad Flight of Honor involves flying 100 veterans to Washington D.C. on a US Airways chartered flight at no cost to the veterans for a one-day tour of the World War II Memorial as well as other sites, including the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials.
Well•Spring, a continuing care retirement community in Greensboro, sponsored the April Triad Flight of Honor. Steve Fleming, Well•Spring CEO and President, says, “Well•Spring’s sponsorship of the Triad Flight of Honor was a means for our organization to publicly recognize those who sacrificed their youth, and for many, their lives, for the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Although the weather did not cooperate and the itinerary was altered due to rain, it was a meaningful day for all of us. From the send-off at the airport, including the “Water Arch Salute” by the Fire Department, to the patriotic welcome at the Reagan International Airport, the veterans on this flight were treated like the VIPs they are.
One of the moments that I will always remember was at the Navy Museum where B.E. Vaughn was explaining the replica of his gun station and describing an attack on the battleship destroyer USS O’Brien on which he served. A group of school children touring the museum at the same time quickly surrounded him. It was no longer just a trip to the museum for them, history was brought to life.
Throughout the day I was reminded of the valor and sacrifice of these men. I have a very deep gratitude for all they did for our country and the assurance of freedom they provided. Bill Urban, for whom I proudly served as a guardian, shared his written memoirs with me during our flight. What he went through in the Pacific Theatre is unimaginable. (Urban is one of the veterans featured in this issue.) He is truly a hero as are all of the men and women who served our country.
Will Rogers said, “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.” The Flight of Honor makes sure that there are many people standing on the curb applauding and showing their appreciation. It is truly an awesome experience and one that I will never forget.
For more information regarding the Triad Flight of Honor, please visit www.wxii12.com/triadflightofhonor. If you would like to help send a veteran on the Flight of Honor, tax-deductible donations may be made at any Triad area Bank of America location or checks may be mailed to TFOH, PO Box 4613, Greensboro, NC 27404. It takes $500 to sponsor one veteran for a flight, and the goal is to make sure that every veteran that would like to go on a Flight of Honor has the opportunity.