A quartet of Pratt World War II veterans will always remember a trip of a lifetime to Washington D.C. to see a memorial built to honor them and all World War II veterans.
The four were 83-year-old John Havens, 88-year-old Roy Harris, 86-year-old Thad Hildreth and 84-year-old Ivan Phillips.
The four local veterans joined veterans from the Great Bend area and Abilene area on a bus trip from Salina to Kansas City for a flight to Chicago then Baltimore then a bus to Washington D.C. About 60 veterans made the trip through Central Prairie Honor Flight at no cost to the veterans, Havens said.
American Legion Riders escorted the group from the gathering point at the Salina Airport out to I-70 both leaving on the trip and then returning.
People in the airport terminal in Baltimore gave the group a standing ovation when they arrived.
The trip included a visit to the World War II memorial on the National Mall with a visit from Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Rep. Jerry Moran and Elizabeth Dole who greeted them and thanked them for coming, Havens said.
The group also visited the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Korean Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial plus additional tours of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Holocaust Museum.
Each man brought back special memories of the trip.
The group stood by the Kansas column at the memorial for pictures. The sculptured eagles, wreathes and state columns were impressive.
“I guess all I can say is it was awesome,” Havens said. “It was a very moving experience.”
The group wore special red shirts with Central Prairie Honor Flight and the World War II memorial on the front and on the back was “If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a World War II veteran before it is too late.”
A number of people saw the shirts and came up to the group and thanked them for their service.
At the Korean and Iwo Jima Memorials Havens was reminded that even though he was not there he appreciated their sacrifice. At the Iwo Jima Memorial he met three German college students who were studying in Texas. One asked Havens what uncommon valor meant and he said it was uncommon bravery or uncommon courage and the student was satisfied. Havens wondered what young German people think about Americans and the war.
The group also witnessed the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery and that was a very touching scene.
“I’ll never regret having the opportunity to go,” Havens said.
The World War II Memorial was excellent and so were the Korean and Iwo Jima Memorials, Harris said.
He also enjoyed the changing of the guard at Arlington. On the last day the group visited Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote the words for the National Anthem.
“I enjoyed that very much,” Harris said.
He also got to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and saw many space artifacts and old planes.
Harris was glad to go on the trip and hopes the other 800 Kansas veterans who have signed up to go will get to make the trip.
“I felt very honored to get in on it,” Harris said. “I’m very appreciative of it.”
The trip to Fort McHenry included a flag raising ceremony. Hildreth was honored to participate the flag ceremony as he helped lower the flag, a ceremony he had not done in many years.
“I helped take down the flag. I had forgotten how to fold that thing,” Hildreth said. It was an honor to do that.”
He was impressed the World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials and the sacrifice soldiers made.
“I think they paid more than I ever helped,” said Hildreth who was in the Marine Corps and did guard duty in Guam and China.
He was also impressed with the organizers for Central Prairie Honor Flight.
Phillips enjoyed the camaraderie with the other veterans on the trip. He was a roommate with Havens and he said it was like the old times in the service when soldiers had to lean on one another.
He took a lot of pictures of the World War II memorial and said it was very meaningful to meet Moran, Brownback and Dole.
He also enjoyed the history at Fort McHenry including the cannons.
“I highly recommend any World War II veteran to get in on this next year. It’s very, very Important,” Phillips said.
All the men were grateful to Central Prairie Honor Flight and the people who helped them on the trip including Mike and Connie VanCampen, their son Bryan and LaVeta Miller.
The trip is free to veterans but Honor Flight needs donations to cover the expenses for the veterans. Contact Central Prairie RC&D Honor Flights in Great Bend to make donations.
Honor flyers
• Army Staff Sgt. John Havens served from October 1944 to September 1946. He was stationed on Saipan and took care of officer’s records in the Adjutant General’s section. He was originally dispersed in the medical corps for the invasion of Japan but America dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the invasion never happened. He is 83.
• Air Corps First Lt. Roy Harris served from July 1942 to April 1946. He was state side at the Central Flying Training Command at Altus Air Corp Base in Altus, Okla. He trained pilots to fly advanced twin-engine aircraft primarily the B-26. He is 88.
• Marine Private First Class Thad Hildreth served from March 1945 to October 1946. He was stationed in Guam and China for seven months and served guard duty. He had four brothers also in the service. He is 86.
• Air Corps Sgt. Ivan Phillips served from 1943 to 1946. He was a tail gunner in a B-24 in an aerial photoreconnaissance squadron that flew one plane per mission and took photos at 20,000 feet. He was a first engineer in the latter part of the war and flew 13 combat missions out of Palawn Island in the Philippines. He flew over Borneo and the South China Sea. He is 84.
Pratt, Kan. —
