CARIBOU, Maine — On June 28, Freeman Wright, 92, of Caribou, along with 19 other veterans and their guests, boarded a plane for Washington, D.C., where they visited the Arlington National Cemetery, along with every other military memorial honoring fallen heroes of the Armed Forces in our nation’s capital.
The group of veterans and their family members or guardians were part of the Honor Flight New England, a program that previously joined with the national organization Honor Flight Network in the spring of 2009 and is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all of their sacrifices. Through generous donations we transport our heroes to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials, at no cost to the veterans.
Of all the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation — and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to officials from Honor Flight New England, now, with over 1,000 World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.
The first New England honor flight was on June 13, 2009. Since then, Honor Flight New England has boarded 33 flights to Washington D.C., transporting 1,034 veterans to the country’s capital, where they were able to pay their respects to their fellow veterans, who were not fortunate enough to make it to the impressive age of 92 like Wright.
The trip also gives veterans a chance to meet and mingle with other veterans from all across New England, who they may have never come in contact with otherwise. Twenty veterans, along with their family member or guardians made the trip to Washington, D.C. on June 28, giving Wright the opportunity to meet and interact with 19 other veterans, to whom they could reminisce and share their stories and experiences with.
“There was actually supposed to be another veteran from Mapleton attending the trip, but he passed away the day before we left,” said Wright. “That was too bad. It was a trip I think is very special for veterans, and one I really wanted to take.”
Wright’s first introduction to Honor Flight New England came from a parcel of mail he received approximately a year ago.
“I wrote to Honor Flight New England after receiving some information about it in the mail,” said Wright. “Basically, I was just hoping to be afforded the opportunity to take a trip to Washington, D.C. to view the World War II memorials. About six or seven months later, I received another letter explaining that I had been accepted to be part of the Honor Flight from Portland to Washington, D.C.”
It was an experience that Wright was ready and excited for, but he didn’t want to make the trip by himself. Instead, he decided to take his daughter with him.
“We had to pay for her, but it was well worth it. If you look at some of the pictures from the trip you’ll see there was 20 of us, most of us in wheelchairs and every one of us had an escort, who pushed everyone around all day,” said Wright.
When asked about how his experience turned out and whether or not he enjoyed the trip, Wright was slightly hesitant with his answer.
“During the trip, I was having trouble at the time with my prostate — running to the bathroom all the time and worrying about that a lot. When I came home I was telling my daughter about it, and she explained to me that the other 19 veterans were all making frequent bathroom stops as well, so someone was always looking for a bathroom,” he said with a loud laugh.
Wright’s military career began in 1944, when he boarded the H.S.S. Gordon-Liberty Ship and set sail on Oct. 6. He spent a year fighting the Axis powers, mainly in France and Germany, before the Germans in Italy surrendered on April 30, the Red armies captured Berlin on May 2 and an unconditional surrender was signed on May 7, ultimately ending the fighting for both Wright and his fellow Allied soldiers.
During his time in the military, Staff Sgt. Wright of the 100th Infantry Division, received the Bronze Star Medal for his action in combat prior to V-E Day while serving with the 100th Infantry Division, 398th Infantry Regiment, Seventh Army Headquarters in Germany. According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, the medal was awarded to Wright in recognition of the part he played in the division’s fighting through France and Germany. “During the drive through the Vosges Mountains, Wright helped crack the German’s planned defenses at the Meurthe River and later fought to take the elaborately-fortified town of Bitche on the Maginot Line,” according to the Army’s report.
The trip to Washington, D.C. aboard the Honor Flight New England was one of nostalgia for Wright and the 19 other veterans traveling with him. World War II may not have been the happiest time during veterans like Wright’s lives, but the war provided an opportunity and experience for the men and women of our armed forces to build lasting bonds that still hold true until this very day. With our nation losing WWII veterans at such a dramatic rate, trips like the one Honor Flight New England took on June 28 are noteworthy attempts to honor some of our nation’s most coveted heroes.
