PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On Friday, Oct. 27, more than 40 Maine World War II Veterans, each with a “guardian” or companion, departed for the nation’s capital thanks to Honor Flight Maine.
Heber Umphrey of Presque Isle was one of the veterans participating. He was accompanied by his son, Peter, also of Presque Isle, for the journey, which was assisted financially by the Presque Isle Elks, Lodge 1954.
The veterans and their guardians left the Portland Jetport Oct. 27, headed for Washington, D.C. While there, the group was scheduled to tour the World War II memorial, as well as other nearby monuments and memorials.
Umphrey joined the United States Army in 1943 at the age of 17. He volunteered to become a paratrooper and was assigned to the newly-formed 11th Airborne Division, which was deployed to the South Pacific theater.
At the age of 18 years, while in the 11th Airborne, Umphrey was involved in training jumps into the jungles of New Guinea and Manila in the Philippines before jumping into combat in the Philippines. The peace treaty signed with Japan forestalled his jumping in combat in an invasion of Japan, for which the 11th Airborne was being trained.
Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Umphrey embarked upon a varied career involving Aroostook County’s potato and forestry industries. At age 21, he worked as a guide for McNally’s Sporting Camps, where he learned to fly a float plane. He also worked for the Garfield Land Company, a predecessor of the Seven Islands Land Company, for whom he investigated timber thefts, and later worked for PT Farms, Paul Tavilla, and Canada Packers, procuring and selling potatoes.
Before finally retiring, Mr. Umphrey worked for 15 years for the Maine Forest Service, where he was the crew chief of the helicopter assigned to the Forest Service in central Aroostook.
In addition to his son Peter of Presque Isle, Umphrey has four other children: James of North Carolina; Patrick of Wareham, Mass.; Laura Seitz of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Daniel of Reston, Va., who joined his father and brother during their tour of the Washington, D.C., memorials and monuments.
Based in Portland, Honor Flight Maine is a nonprofit group which works to bring veterans, particularly WWII veterans, to tour Washington, D.C., and visit national memorials. For more information visit honorflightmaine.org.
