Honor Flight to carry veterans to Washington, D.C.

Nearly 80 veterans will take the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 12.  The seventh mission of the non-profit, Twin Tiers Honor Flight, a part of the national Honor Flight Network, will fly out of Binghamton, N.Y. to Washington, D.C., where veterans and their guardians will be transported around the city to see the war memorials.

Planned stops include the World War II and Korean War Memorials, as well as the Vietnam Wall and Arlington National Cemetery, among others.

The trip, free of charge for the veterans, honors men and women who served in battle or in a support or medical function during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Apalachin resident John Telfer, a Korean War-era veteran, had just turned 19 with a high school diploma in hand when he received a draft notice from the U.S. Army. Telfer instead opted to enlist in the U.S. Air Force, and where he hoped he might learn some new skills.

Telfer spent the majority of his four-year service at Mather Air Force Base in California, where he worked as an engine mechanic repairing B50 and B29 bombers used during the war. Telfer also attended Sacramento Junior College there.

Telfer said he was scheduled to be released from the Air Force in June of 1955, but instead discharged early in February. Ready to return home after being accepted at Broome Community College, Telfer attended one last event, a church function. Call it meant-to-be, it was there he met his wife and they were married four months later.

Telfer explained that while at IBM, where he enjoyed a long career, he once worked on a transistor computer, and chuckled, “It was as big as a Volkswagen standing on end.”

“It’s an honor to go on this trip. I’m excited to see the monuments and be able to do that with all of the other veterans,” Telfer said, and added that his son, Joe, will accompany him as his guardian.

Nichols, N.Y. resident and Korean War-era veteran Norman Westervelt, shared, “I am excited for the Washington, D.C. trip,” adding, “I’m looking forward to seeing Arlington National Cemetery and the Changing of the Guard and also the Korean War Memorial.”

Accompanying Westervelt will be his son, also named Norman, who will fly all the way from Utah to be his father’s guardian on the Honor Flight.

Westervelt married his high school sweetheart in 1950. He explained that he was drafted by the U.S. Marines in 1951 but ended up serving in the U.S. Army, his first stop being Camp Kilmer in New Jersey.

Westervelt said, “I didn’t go across to Korea,” and explained that he was involved in an electronics program that took him to Huntsville, Alabama and elsewhere. The knowledge he gained in radar systems led him to become an instructor for the guided missile program, which featured one of the first missiles of that era, the Nike.

Today, Westervelt keeps active in the community and is known locally as “Mr. Bike Man.” Westervelt collects and refurbishes used bicycles, and in turn donates them to the Tioga County Rural Ministry where they are passed on to children and adults who need them. Norman can often be seen driving his antique tractor at Tioga County events such as the Old Home Day parade in Nichols.

Al Winfield has been a volunteer with the Honor Flight program since its inception, and explained that numerous volunteers give their time and resources to make the experience for veterans fulfilling, if not the best day of their lives. 

Winfield said, “Each Honor Flight is a mountaintop experience where you spend the day with ‘walking history.’”

Winfield added that the value of the program is made clear when they hear back, “Some veterans request to be buried in their Honor Flight tee shirt.”

Winfield encourages others to consider being a Guardian on future missions, and remarked, “It will be a day that you remember and cherish for the rest of your life!”

The public is welcome to gather by 7 p.m. on May 12 in Hangar One at the Greater Binghamton Airport to give a “Hero’s Welcome Home” to the veterans. Guests are encouraged to wear patriotic clothing, bring American flags to wave and homemade signs to show at the celebration.  

In order to receive free parking, visitors should inform the gate attendant that they attended the Homecoming.

Twin Tiers Honor Flight is also asking the public to bring gently worn or unused shoes to the airport for their Shoe Drive fundraiser.

For additional information, find the Twin Tiers Honor Flight on Facebook or visit twintiershonorflight.org.