Honor Flight Takes WW II Vets to See War Memorial

Written by Bob Dill

May 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Honors Bestowed Was Most Emotional Experience since War for Some Group gathering of Simpsonville Honor Flight members and guardians. “It was a wonderful experience.  For some it was so overwhelming that they broke down and cried,” said Roy Gullick, a World War II veteran in his eighties who joined about 100 fellow veterans of World War II for the Simpsonville Honor Flight to Washington, D. C. to visit the World War II Monument that most had not seen. “A band sent us off and a band met us in Washington,” Gullick recalled. Some of the aging veterans were in wheel chairs and others were walking. All had assistance from “guardians” who accompanied the veterans on the trip. Tammy Bagwell was the guardian for Gullick, Bill Jordan and Ralph Hendricks. Hendricks at 91 held up well on the trip, according to Gullick. The other two, young men when they joined the military during the World War, are racing through their eighties. In addition to the War memorials, the vets visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington National Cemetery where many of their fellow combatants are at rest. It was a one day trip, and when the tired veterans returned to GSP International, they were greeted and cheered by another large crowd. “It was an experience I will never forget,” said Gullick. And he was not alone. To the person, they all thanked Betty Waldrop and the other volunteers who organized the flight and made it a safe and memorable experience.