[ back ]
Honor Flight program touches Russell veteran
(by Joan Demirjian - July 06, 2011)
Honor Flight program touches Russell veteran
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Veteran Donald Schutt, of Russell, was among the 25 veterans who recently made a visit to war memorials in Washington, D.C. The trip June 29 was sponsored by Honor Flight Network.
Honor Flight has provided the trip for World War II veterans for several years. Although not a veteran of World War II itself, Mr. Schutt served in the U.S. Marine Corps. from 1948 to 1952 during the Cold War and the start of the Korean War.
With the number of World War II veterans dwindling, Honor Flight is now focusing on subsequent conflicts, Mr. Schutt said. His application, made more than a year ago, was accepted and he was notified just a week before the flight.
"It was quite an honor," he said of the trip. "Our veterans are slowly passing away and our freedom doesn't come free."
He and the other veterans from the Greater Cleveland area left Cleveland by 6 a.m. on a plane, and were flown to Baltimore, where they were then taken by bus to Washington, D.C. All were pushed in wheelchairs by "guardians," he said. Some of the veterans were close to 90 years old and a few were 93, he said.
They first visited the World War II memorial. "It's very beautiful," Mr. Schutt, 80, said. "So much design and thought has gone into it," he said. "It is so serene."
The next stop was the Korean War memorial, and they passed the Pentagon, with the next stop at the Vietnam Veterans memorial.
Visits included the Air Force memorial and the Abraham Lincoln memorial in the park maintained by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Parks Service. They also visited Arlington Cemetery in Virginia and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Every 24 hours, the wreath is changed at the gravesite, and Mr. Schutt was one of four chosen to place the wreath at the tomb.
"It was very touching and a real honor," Mr. Schutt said. "I had more tears in my eyes than in the last 25 years."
At certain locations, the veterans were greeted by uniformed honor guards, including at the Cleveland Airport and at Baltimore. They were also welcomed back to Cleveland by bagpipers. "A lot of people came over to shake our hands at all points of the trip," Mr. Schutt said.
He served in the Marines from 1948 to 1952, with much of that time in Guam. His father, the late Frank Fred Schutt Sr. served in World War I in the U.S. Army. He was a Chester Township resident. Mr. Schutt's brother, Frank Fred Schutt Jr., served in the Marine Corps in World War II.
Mr. Schutt and his wife Peg are members of the Russell and Chester historical societies.
Veterans are not charged for the trip. Honor Flight Network efforts will focus on Korean and Vietnam veterans and more current wars in the near future as World War II veterans pass away.
The concept of providing World War II veterans with an opportunity to see the memorial built in their honor was conceived by Earl Morse, a physician's assistant and retired U.S. Air Force captain. He wanted to honor the veterans he took care of for 27 years. His idea led to the network across the United States for the flights.
Some 63,000 veterans were flown to the national veterans memorials in 2010.
[ back ]
