PORTLAND — World War II veterans came back to Maine on Sunday morning exuberant, following a whirlwind Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C. — all expenses paid — to see the nation’s monuments.
On Friday, the day President Barack Obama celebrated VE Day and vintage aircraft flew overhead, these Maine warriors arrived — 25 in all — to spend a day treated like the heroes they are.
Outside the Portland International Jetport on Sunday, bagpipers from Guns ‘n’ Hoses warmed up with “Scotland the Brave” and “The Minstrel Boy.” The Freeport Flag Ladies arrived and were greeted by everyone in sight.
Flag Lady Elaine Greene said, “We’re all over the state — we go everywhere we can for our veterans and we do everything we can to show them our support.”
“We’re losing so many of our World War II veterans every day,” Greene said. “However many we can get over there that we can — time’s running out and so these guys — they saw Hell, a lot of them did and they came back home, took their uniform off and went to work and kept America going.”
“They saved us and then they came back and worked and saved us again — we owe them a great debt,” Green said.
On Sunday, well-wishers gathered along the airport corridor, which featured tables, snacks and a greeting area for vets. Among them were several children — many of them from Kennebunk Elementary School.
Kennebunk Elementary School Principal Ryan Quinn was there describing the extraordinary work his students did in sending four of these veterans to Washington.
“Our art teacher came up with the fundraiser — she organized the art that they created,” Quinn said. He said through friends, relatives, veterans groups and the website Square1art.com, they were able to sell the student’s artwork to raise money.
How much did they make? Enough to make a bake sale blush — the kids at Kennebunk Elementary raised over $4,000 for Honor Flight.
After the wheels touched down Sunday and all other passengers had deplaned, it was time for the Honor Flight veterans to be welcomed home. A parade of wheelchairs came down the corridor to bagpipes, several color guards and roaring crowds.
All the vets smiled, some pushed away tears, as the long, emotional journey came to a conclusion. While in flight, each vet received “mail call,” just as they once did in the military. In large envelopes for each vet were secret cards, pictures, letters and drawings submitted to Honor Flight by family members.
Among the returning vets was Lawrence Burleigh of Corinna, who will be 102 in August. Burleigh was flanked by his wife of 73 years, Dot, and his great-granddaughter Emma from Belfast.
“I liked everything — I liked it when they changed the guards — and it was a hot one,” Burleigh said, “82 degrees standing out there — Lord!”
Ralph Sylvester of Waterford had seen the Honor Flight movie at the Emerge Film Festival in Lewiston but the trip exceeded his expectations. Sylvester beamed like a new man coming off the plane and said he would go again in a heartbeat if they let him.
Asked about his trip, Sylvester said, “Oh, it was fantastic — something I’ll never forget.” He pulled out his mail call envelope and said how the Honor Flight crew had hid them until the flight home.
In his envelope were well wishes from friends from Auburn, Waterford and Bates College in Lewiston. “I didn’t realize I could be touched so by it,” the Omaha Beach veteran said. Sylvester said he encourages all the WWII vets from the various forces to go on an Honor Flight.
Another Omaha veteran, Joseph Camillo, now resides in Lewiston but is a transplant from Connecticut. Camillo said after his wife passed, he found himself all alone in the couple’s six-bedroom home before moving in with daughter Joyce Gray.
Camillo said he spent three years in the Army. “I gave the best years of my life to my country, and here I am,” he said. He said he and his three brothers enlisted and went off to fight — and all four made it back.
Camillo said one of his favorite moments from the weekend was the big dinner put on for all the veterans. “Everything was beautiful,” he said.
dmcintire@sunjournal.com
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