They boarded three buses for their tour, beginning with the Washington Monument, where they were later served lunch by Subway in a tent set up on the grounds. “I bet I hugged a hundred women,” Kistler said. When they arrived at Dulles International Airport in D.C., they were greeted by thousands of men, women and children lined up to shake their hands or give a hug to a veteran. for departure and arriving back there after 10 p.m.

It was an emotional, long and rewarding day, beginning at the Toledo airport at 6 a.m. “He was young enough to be my son, but he shepherded me like I was his son,” he said.īoth Kistler and Ross are in good physical shape, but each vet must have an escort. Ross had a 51-year-old banker from Ottawa, Mike Ebbesketie. Kistler’s escort was a 19-year-old fellow from Ottawa. Each vet was accompanied by an escort, who paid their own way. Each vet was presented an orange honor flight T-shirt and ball cap to wear and a dog tag with personal information to wear around their necks. Two women who served during World War II were on the flight. The flight carried 70 veterans, 70 escorts, plus a doctor and medical personnel. On the flight were veterans from the Vietnam and Korean wars and World War II, who had never been in Washington, D.C. “It was the greatest thing I ever did in my whole life,” Kistler said. Wednesday’s 35th Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio to Washington, D.C., had two Clyde men on board, Glenn Kistler and Gene Ross, the two youngest on the flight.

The Fog Within by Nick Shamhart