U.S. Navy veteran William Cossette (Charlotte Boynton photo)
U.S. Army veteran Bruce Poland (Charlotte Boynton photo)
After a busy weekend in Washington, D.C., the veterans on Honor Flight Maine were given a hero’s welcome at the Portland International Jetport when they arrived home on Sunday, Sept. 7. The returning veterans were honored with a parade and greeted by enthusiastic family members, friends, and strangers who were there to thank them for their service and welcome them home.
The returning veterans Sept. 7 included four local men. Vietnam-era veterans William Cossette, of Wiscasset, and Bruce Poland, of Bremen, were accompanied by Cliff Hendricks and Ralph Eugley as their guardians, respectively.
During a group interview following the trip, the four veterans made it very clear it was a trip of a lifetime for each of them. Cossette and Poland both served during the Vietnam War, which was very unpopular in the United States at the time, and veterans were often not welcomed home.
“This was the welcome home we never got” Cossette said. “There were times during the trip that I had ‘Honor Flight allergies.’”
“Honor Flight allergies” is a phase used by Honor Flight veterans and refers to tears filling their eyes in appreciation for recognition they are being given.
“It was once-in-a-lifetime trip for me,” Poland said. “It is a trip that I will never forget, or one I would never have made, if it were not for Honor Flight Maine. It was emotional, sometimes overwhelming, and it was filled with appreciation with the outpouring of support from so many. We were treated like heroes from the time we arrived in Portland on Friday morning until we arrived home Sunday afternoon.”
Cossette and Poland are members of the Bradford-Sortwell-Wright American Legion Post in Wiscasset. A third member of the Post, U.S. Navy veteran Waldo “Wally” Pitcher was scheduled to go on the same Honor Flight with them but he passed away Aug. 26, 10 days before the flight.
Cassette said he and Pitcher, a longtime friend, signed up together to go on an Honor Flight while attending the American Legion National Convention in June and they were both looking forward to going. Among the items Cossette took with him to Washington was a photo of Pitcher that he carried with him.
Asked what the highlight of the trip was, the veterans said everything was outstanding and wonderful.
Maine Honor Flight recipient William Cossette (left) and his guardian, Cliff Hendricks, await their boarding call to Washington, D.C. at Portland International Jetport on Friday, Sept. 5. (Courtesy photo)
The trip began early Friday, Sept. 5 with a Scottish band send off at the Portland Jetport. Honor Flight Maine flew into the Baltimore/Washington International Airport where three buses – named Red, White, and Blue – were waiting to take them to Fort McHenry with a military escort.
The visit to Fort McHenry was followed by a motorcycle escort to Fort Meade, courtesy of the American Legion Riders. At Fort Meade, the veterans had dinner in the mess hall with the active service members stationed at the base.
According to Cossette and Poland, they were back in their hotel room about 8:30 p.m. Friday.
Saturday, Sept. 6, activities began early. After breakfast, the veterans boarded their assigned buses. Cossette was assigned to bus Blue, and Poland was assigned to bus White. The veterans visited eight stops on Saturday, taking in the Marine Corps War Memorial, Air Force Memorial, Navy Memorial, Military Women’s Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
The veterans also attended the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
According to Cossette, visiting the Vietnam Memorial and the changing of the guard ceremony were emotional moments for him.
“I could not believe the silence at the ceremony with so many people there,” he said. “It is a very special place,” he said.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Ralph Eugley (left) accompanies Honor Flight Maine passenger Bruce Poland during the trip to Washington, D.C. in early September. (Courtesy photo)
Poland agreed the changing of the guard is a very special ceremony, but said the Vietnam Memorial was the most impressive to him.
“You look at the wall, and there are names of those who gave their lives in that war,” he said. “It is not just numbers.”
Guardians Hendricks and Eugley, whose duties included being a constant companion and ensuring the safety and well-being of their charges throughout the trip, said they were inspired by visits to the war memorials and other events provided by Honor Flight Maine.
“The whole changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was most inspirational time for me,” Eugley said. “It was an honor and privilege to accompany Bruce on this trip.”
“It was certainly my honor and I am very thankful for the opportunity to share this rewarding experience with Bill,” Hendricks said.
Cossette served in the U.S. Navy from 1963-1967. Poland served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1971. Eugley served in the U.S. Marines Corps from 1980-1984 and served 16 years in the Maine Air National Guard. Hendricks served in the U.S. Navy from 1984-2007.
Beginning with a private effort that resulted in six small planes transporting 12 World War II veterans from Ohio to Washington, D.C. in May 2005, the Honor Flight program now operates 149 hubs in 44 states. Founded in 2014, Honor Flight Maine has transported more than 1,200 veterans to Washington, D.C.
Honor Flights are funded by donations and are provided at no cost to America’s veterans.
For more information or to sign up for a trip, go to honorflightmaine.org.
