Local veteran visits memorials

Gene Allen of Drexel was a recent guest of an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. to visit war memorials in our capital city. The group consisted of thirty-four World War II veterans. Allen was with the 75th Combat Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge. He was a platoon sergeant and after the Battle of the Bulge he was sent to the Colmar Pocket in southern France.
The Honor Flight program is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. The flight Allen accompanied was organized by the Southern Coffee County High Schools at LeRoy and Gridley, KS, managed and supervised by Mike Kastle, Superintendent of Schools. The all expense paid trip for the veterans was made possible by donations of individuals and corporations. The group was made up of thirty-four veterans and fifteen guardians consisting of five teachers and junior and high school seniors, students from SCCHS.
Allen’s trip started on April 21, 2009 at nine in the morning when the flight left KCI for Baltimore. They arrived at Baltimore Washington International Airport at 12:30 p.m., departing BWI via bus to Washington D.C.
Their first stop in D.C. was Arlington National Cemetery. A tour included the grave of the Unknown Soldier, the grave of President Kennedy, rows and rows of white markers and the changing of the guard. They also went to the Iwo Jima Memorial, a very large memorial with the American Flag raised about 30 feet in the air.
The trees of our nation’s capital, Dogwoods, and other flowering trees, put on a terrific show for the visitors.
After the Arlington visit, the veterans got back on the bus and toured Washington D.C. before heading to their home for the evening, the BW’s Hilton in Baltimore.
The next morning they were up early, had breakfast and was ready to depart the motel by nine in the morning, arriving back in D.C. and at the World War II Memorial by 10:00 a.m. where they were greeted by Senator Robert Dole who gave a short welcome to the group. The memorial is impressive with a gold star on the wall for each 100 military persons killed during the war.
The next stop for the group was the....
Read the complete story in the May 14th edition.
PHOTO: Pictured above at the Arlington National Cemetery, Imo Jima Flag Raising Memorial with Honor Flight is, left to right, Francis Pitcher, friend of Gene Allen for 50 plus years having worked together at Ralston Purina and the Cridit Union, John Kraft, guardian for the group and a high school senior at LeRoy High School, and Gene Allen of Drexel. Courtesy photo