Local Group Honoring Vets With A Trip To D.C.
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
And so does Dave Terflinger, public relations officer for American Legion Post 286, North Manchester, and Post 286.
To help kick off a fundraiser for Honor Flight, Terflinger, HFNE President Bob Myer and five World War II veterans gathered at Post 286 Friday afternoon to talk about the war and their own Honor Flights.
Terflinger said his own grandfather died before it was even thought of to build a monument to WWII veterans. He saw an article about the Honor Flights and applied to be a Guardian. Guardians accompany veterans on the trip.
On May 22, surrounded by 70 WWII veterans, Terflinger made the trip to the Capitol. It was the seventh Honor Flight for HFNE.
“It left a mark on me,” Terflinger said.
Since then, he’s been spreading the word about the Honor Flights and trying to help raise money for them.
Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices by flying them to Washington, D.C., to reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to WWII survivors along with other veterans who are terminally ill, according to Myer.
The veterans do not pay for their trip, Terflinger said, but the Guardians do pay to assist the veterans. Myer said the average cost of each Honor Flight is $45,000.
The next Honor Flight, the eighth for HFNE, is Oct. 17. Terflinger said they are putting collection cans out all around North Manchester and surrounding towns’ American Legion Posts to help send veterans to Washington. He said they are asking for $5 donations.
“Time is up for these guys,” Terflinger said. “Every day you get past 80 years old is a blessing.”
Myer said the average age of a veteran on an Honor Flight is 89. Legion Posts have been the Honor Flight’s biggest supporters, he said.
“As soon as we get World War II veterans completed,” Myer said. “we start with Korean veterans.”
Any veteran post, business or organization wanting a collection can call 260-982-8114, Terflinger said. The Post will drop the can off.
“If we get 100 people to do it, we can send one veteran. If we can get 1,000 people to do it, we can send 10 veterans,” Terflinger said.
U.S. Navy seaman Charlie Craig went into the Navy in 1945, the tail end of the war.
“We were kids,” Craig said. “I see these kids in high school today, 17, 18 years old, and I think, ‘holy mackerel.’ We were young.”
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which got America into the war, Craig said the enlistment lines were long.
Craig got sent to Guam to an ammunitions depot.
He went on his Honor Flight June 21, 2011.
“That was fantastic,” he said. “The people who put it together - it was a smooth run. We had beautiful weather until we got home. We had a good flight. I can’t say enough about the people who put it together.”
On seeing the WWII monument, Craig said, “It just overwhelms you. It’s beautiful.”
Charles Conrad enlisted in the Navy in 1944. After the war, he stayed in the Reserves, went back in for the Korean War, serving a total of 18-1/2 years.
During WWII, Conrad said he stayed on the same ship the whole time.
“We just chased submarines,” Conrad said. “We sank the last submarine sunk in World War II in Europe, the 881.”
There were no survivors on the submarine, but one of the Germans on the submarine also was a Conrad, he said.
Conrad’s ship rescued the survivors of the Fisk destroyer ship, he said. They stayed in the Atlantic Ocean until the war in Germany ended, then was sent to Puerto Rico for a change in tactics.
When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Conrad, who turns 85 next month, said they knew the war was over.
His older brother was injured twice during the war, including in the Battle of the Bulge. His brother died at 72.
Conrad’s father was in World War I, and his wife served in the Navy.
He said he regrets not staying active in the service.
“I don’t know why you have to get so old before you get some brains,” he joked.
For years, Conrad said he didn’t think people cared about WWII veterans.
“I got to a point where I didn’t think people gave a damn,” he said.
But the morning of his Honor Flight on May 22, seeing all those people there to support and send off the veterans, he decided maybe people did care afterall.
He described the WWII monument as just beautiful. I went around the whole thing and had my picture taken. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. I think it’s absolutely amazing.”
Conrad suggested, “I wish they had an Honor Flight to go to Hawaii. I want to pay my respects to the Arizona. I will go one way or another.”
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was bombed. She exploded and sank, killing more than 1,100 officers and crewmen.
In October 1942, Bill Bellinger enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served for four years, and then the Reserves. “I’m still in,” he said.
He was never stationed in one spot during the war. He went to officers training, eventually becoming a lieutenant commander.
He served on the USS Denver, but sailed on many other ships in the Reserves.
About three years ago, Bellinger went on an Honor Flight.
“I’m still amazed at how well it got organized without seeing everyone working at it,” he said.
He said an article about the Honor Flight in the newspaper and wanted to try it.
“I got to be one of the first ones out of Fort Wayne,” he said.
“I’m amazed at the largeness of it and the people who made it go,” he said. “It’s one of those things that seems impossible.”
As for the monument, Bellinger said, “It was very impressive. It was great. I don’t know anything I’ve enjoyed seeing more. All of America should see it.”
Originally from Boston, Mass., Bart Corricelli enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 1942. He served for three years, starting at Paris Island boot camp, then to Camp LeJeune, transferring to Camp Pendleton.
“One morning we crawled out of bed at 5 a.m. and they volunteered me for Tank Battalion. I was a driver and assistant driver,” Corricelli said.
“We made landings on four islands. Roi-Namur, then to Maui. We regrouped and retrained, then to Saipan. It turned out to be a bloody battle for 30 days. We took Tinian, that was the place planes left and dropped the bombs on Japan. Then (we went) back to Maui for a couple of months. We regrouped and then to Iwo Jima. It turned out to be the bloodiest battle of all time in warfare. We lost 6,700 men in three weeks and 17,000 were wounded,” Corricelli said.
He missed seeing the American flag raised on the mountain by just moments.
“It was the second raising of the flag on Iwo Jima,” Corricelli said.
During the war, Corricelli had two tanks blown up on him. He survived both.
“We had to evacuate the tank. We were running for cover and the Japanese were flying at us shooting at us. I was fortunate to have made it,” he said.
Corricelli took his Honor Flight in 2010. What he remembers is the line of people waving U.S. flags as the veterans went to the plane. He never got so many hugs and kisses.
“They made me feel like I won the war all by myself,” he said.
Though he said the monument is a beautiful thing, for Corricelli it still feels like an afterthought. It took about 60 years for WWII veterans to get a monument built for them, a lot longer than the other wars, he said.
John Gaerte was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1944, getting out in August 1946. He took basics in Tyler, Texas, went overseas to the Philippines and served in the Army occupation in Tokyo.
He held many jobs, from rifleman to jeep driver, system supply sergeant and typist. He drove the general around in the jeep.
Gaerte took his Honor Flight June 21.
“I felt special. I thought they were really doing something to show their appreciation for guys in the service,” he said.
He really appreciated his Guardian, Haley Ahrendt, of Fort Wayne. Ahrendt took photos of the trip and gave Gaerte a photo album of them.
“I thought it was kind of awesome to see that big thing,” he said of the monument.
Without the Honor Flight, Gaerte said he probably never would have seen the WWII Memorial.[[In-content Ad]]
And so does Dave Terflinger, public relations officer for American Legion Post 286, North Manchester, and Post 286.
To help kick off a fundraiser for Honor Flight, Terflinger, HFNE President Bob Myer and five World War II veterans gathered at Post 286 Friday afternoon to talk about the war and their own Honor Flights.
Terflinger said his own grandfather died before it was even thought of to build a monument to WWII veterans. He saw an article about the Honor Flights and applied to be a Guardian. Guardians accompany veterans on the trip.
On May 22, surrounded by 70 WWII veterans, Terflinger made the trip to the Capitol. It was the seventh Honor Flight for HFNE.
“It left a mark on me,” Terflinger said.
Since then, he’s been spreading the word about the Honor Flights and trying to help raise money for them.
Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices by flying them to Washington, D.C., to reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to WWII survivors along with other veterans who are terminally ill, according to Myer.
The veterans do not pay for their trip, Terflinger said, but the Guardians do pay to assist the veterans. Myer said the average cost of each Honor Flight is $45,000.
The next Honor Flight, the eighth for HFNE, is Oct. 17. Terflinger said they are putting collection cans out all around North Manchester and surrounding towns’ American Legion Posts to help send veterans to Washington. He said they are asking for $5 donations.
“Time is up for these guys,” Terflinger said. “Every day you get past 80 years old is a blessing.”
Myer said the average age of a veteran on an Honor Flight is 89. Legion Posts have been the Honor Flight’s biggest supporters, he said.
“As soon as we get World War II veterans completed,” Myer said. “we start with Korean veterans.”
Any veteran post, business or organization wanting a collection can call 260-982-8114, Terflinger said. The Post will drop the can off.
“If we get 100 people to do it, we can send one veteran. If we can get 1,000 people to do it, we can send 10 veterans,” Terflinger said.
U.S. Navy seaman Charlie Craig went into the Navy in 1945, the tail end of the war.
“We were kids,” Craig said. “I see these kids in high school today, 17, 18 years old, and I think, ‘holy mackerel.’ We were young.”
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which got America into the war, Craig said the enlistment lines were long.
Craig got sent to Guam to an ammunitions depot.
He went on his Honor Flight June 21, 2011.
“That was fantastic,” he said. “The people who put it together - it was a smooth run. We had beautiful weather until we got home. We had a good flight. I can’t say enough about the people who put it together.”
On seeing the WWII monument, Craig said, “It just overwhelms you. It’s beautiful.”
Charles Conrad enlisted in the Navy in 1944. After the war, he stayed in the Reserves, went back in for the Korean War, serving a total of 18-1/2 years.
During WWII, Conrad said he stayed on the same ship the whole time.
“We just chased submarines,” Conrad said. “We sank the last submarine sunk in World War II in Europe, the 881.”
There were no survivors on the submarine, but one of the Germans on the submarine also was a Conrad, he said.
Conrad’s ship rescued the survivors of the Fisk destroyer ship, he said. They stayed in the Atlantic Ocean until the war in Germany ended, then was sent to Puerto Rico for a change in tactics.
When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Conrad, who turns 85 next month, said they knew the war was over.
His older brother was injured twice during the war, including in the Battle of the Bulge. His brother died at 72.
Conrad’s father was in World War I, and his wife served in the Navy.
He said he regrets not staying active in the service.
“I don’t know why you have to get so old before you get some brains,” he joked.
For years, Conrad said he didn’t think people cared about WWII veterans.
“I got to a point where I didn’t think people gave a damn,” he said.
But the morning of his Honor Flight on May 22, seeing all those people there to support and send off the veterans, he decided maybe people did care afterall.
He described the WWII monument as just beautiful. I went around the whole thing and had my picture taken. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. I think it’s absolutely amazing.”
Conrad suggested, “I wish they had an Honor Flight to go to Hawaii. I want to pay my respects to the Arizona. I will go one way or another.”
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was bombed. She exploded and sank, killing more than 1,100 officers and crewmen.
In October 1942, Bill Bellinger enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served for four years, and then the Reserves. “I’m still in,” he said.
He was never stationed in one spot during the war. He went to officers training, eventually becoming a lieutenant commander.
He served on the USS Denver, but sailed on many other ships in the Reserves.
About three years ago, Bellinger went on an Honor Flight.
“I’m still amazed at how well it got organized without seeing everyone working at it,” he said.
He said an article about the Honor Flight in the newspaper and wanted to try it.
“I got to be one of the first ones out of Fort Wayne,” he said.
“I’m amazed at the largeness of it and the people who made it go,” he said. “It’s one of those things that seems impossible.”
As for the monument, Bellinger said, “It was very impressive. It was great. I don’t know anything I’ve enjoyed seeing more. All of America should see it.”
Originally from Boston, Mass., Bart Corricelli enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 1942. He served for three years, starting at Paris Island boot camp, then to Camp LeJeune, transferring to Camp Pendleton.
“One morning we crawled out of bed at 5 a.m. and they volunteered me for Tank Battalion. I was a driver and assistant driver,” Corricelli said.
“We made landings on four islands. Roi-Namur, then to Maui. We regrouped and retrained, then to Saipan. It turned out to be a bloody battle for 30 days. We took Tinian, that was the place planes left and dropped the bombs on Japan. Then (we went) back to Maui for a couple of months. We regrouped and then to Iwo Jima. It turned out to be the bloodiest battle of all time in warfare. We lost 6,700 men in three weeks and 17,000 were wounded,” Corricelli said.
He missed seeing the American flag raised on the mountain by just moments.
“It was the second raising of the flag on Iwo Jima,” Corricelli said.
During the war, Corricelli had two tanks blown up on him. He survived both.
“We had to evacuate the tank. We were running for cover and the Japanese were flying at us shooting at us. I was fortunate to have made it,” he said.
Corricelli took his Honor Flight in 2010. What he remembers is the line of people waving U.S. flags as the veterans went to the plane. He never got so many hugs and kisses.
“They made me feel like I won the war all by myself,” he said.
Though he said the monument is a beautiful thing, for Corricelli it still feels like an afterthought. It took about 60 years for WWII veterans to get a monument built for them, a lot longer than the other wars, he said.
John Gaerte was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1944, getting out in August 1946. He took basics in Tyler, Texas, went overseas to the Philippines and served in the Army occupation in Tokyo.
He held many jobs, from rifleman to jeep driver, system supply sergeant and typist. He drove the general around in the jeep.
Gaerte took his Honor Flight June 21.
“I felt special. I thought they were really doing something to show their appreciation for guys in the service,” he said.
He really appreciated his Guardian, Haley Ahrendt, of Fort Wayne. Ahrendt took photos of the trip and gave Gaerte a photo album of them.
“I thought it was kind of awesome to see that big thing,” he said of the monument.
Without the Honor Flight, Gaerte said he probably never would have seen the WWII Memorial.[[In-content Ad]]
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