Korean War Veteran Takes Honor Flight Trip To Washington D.C.

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Local Korean War veteran William Pickett was recently honored to participate in an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., sponsored by Honor Flight Southern Nevada.
Honor Flight is a program that reunites veterans of past wars and treats them to a trip to the nation’s capital where they are able to visit war memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.

Respect and gratitude were the keywords of the trip as the group of seventeen WWII veterans, and twelve Korean War veterans, made their way through airports and the streets of Washington.
“We were received in the airport by hundreds of people lining the exit corridors,” Pickett said. “It was outstanding. Then our bus was preceded by a police escort wherever we went. It was totally unexpected.”

The three-day trip saw the group of veterans checked into a first class hotel on Friday, Apr. 21. Each veteran was assigned their own personal caregiver who helped them travel and provided support for them. Pickett was rather surprised at first when his caregiver, Debbie Parker from North Carolina, produced a wheelchair for him to ride in for Saturday’s sight-seeing tours.
“I had never been in a wheelchair before and didn’t think I needed one,” Pickett said. “But I soon figured out that they put us all in wheelchairs to make us easier to keep track of!”

Pickett was impressed that all of the caregivers who came to serve the veterans for those three days did without reimbursement. “I was humbled to find out that these wonderful people who took such great care of us did so at their own expense, including their travel, hotel rooms, and meals,” Pickett said.

By the end of a long Saturday of touring, however, Pickett was probably grateful for his wheelchair seat. Over the course of one day, the group visited the WWII Veteran’s Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Korean Veteran’s Memorial, the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, and the Navy Memorial. They then traveled to Arlington Cemetery where they laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier and witnessed the changing of the guard.

The veteran’s group then traveled home to McCarran airport on Sunday, Apr. 23.
“The reception we had at McCarran paralleled that given to us in Washington, D.C.,” Pickett said. “Hundreds of people greeted us. You might have thought we were all Medal of Honor winners!”
The veterans were greeted by about 200 people, including several Girl Scout troops, who waved American flags and took the opportunity to shake hands with the veterans and thank them for their service to their country.

Pickett said that the highlight of his trip was in Washington, D.C., when a young 20-something girl appeared at his side. “She kissed me on both cheeks and left beautiful lip imprints,” he said. “Several of the surrounding guys saw that and asked for the same treatment, and the girl obliged!”

Aside from the kisses, Pickett said what he most enjoyed about the trip was the camaraderie he felt among the veterans. “I was able to talk to people that were in the same area as I was, but in different divisions,” he said. “We told each other war stories-true or not!”

The trip is funded by grants and donations. Pickett applied for the trip about three years ago and was thrilled when he was chosen to go.
“It’s a great trip,” he said. “I’d recommend that all eligible veterans apply. You’ll not be disappointed.”

More information about Honor Flight Southern Nevada, as well as instructions on how to apply for the upcoming October honor flight, can be found by visiting honorflightsouthernnevada.org.