Sean C. Morgan
In all his years, Hal Hennick has never felt so honored as he did visiting Washington, D.C. recently with the South Willamette Valley Oregon Honor Flight.
Hennick and Merv Hanscam of Sweet Home were among World War II veterans flown to Washington, D.C., Oct. 12-14.
The Honor Flight Network was created to honor America’s veterans for their sacrifices and service. They are transported to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials.
Top priority is given to the most senior veterans, those from World War II, along with terminally ill veterans.
Since America felt it was important to build a memorial to the service and sacrifice of its veterans, the Honor Flight Network believes it’s equally important they actually get to visit and experience their memorials.
Hanscam and Hennick traveled in a group of 52 veterans with Hennick’s wife, Juanita, and Hanscam’s niece, Diane Highland-Walker.
They visited every memorial in D.C. in a single day, with a banquet each night, Hennick said. That included memorials for World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Coast Guard, maritime service, the First Division, the Second Division and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with a Screaming Eagles paratroopers exhibition.
“They’re amazing,” Hennick said. “We flew from Portland to Chicago to Washington, D.C. When we got off the plane, we were met with color guards and a standing ovation at every airport. It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.”
In all his years, he has never been honored like he was on this flight, he said. “I just have never seen anything like that as a veteran.”
The World War II memorial is fantastic, Hennick said. One end represents the Pacific Theater and the other represents the European Theater. Each state is a column surrounding water fountains.
“I’m humbled more than anything else, humbled that somebody nowadays still thinks enough to do something like this for us,” he said.
“It was real emotional having all the people there,” Hanscam said. “As far as the World War II memorial, I think it’s fantastic. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
“They say World War II veterans are dying 1,000 a month,” Hennick said. The Honor Flight Network is trying to get them to D.C. to see what has been done in their honor before time to express thanks runs out. The South Willamette Valley, based in Eugene, flew a bunch from Albany and Lebanon along with the two from Sweet Home.
The oldest member of the tour was a 99-year-old nurse, Hennick said.
Honor Flight will get as many World War II veterans to the memorials as it can, he said, and then it will go to work for Vietnam, Korean and Afghanistan veterans.
The program is operated by donation, he said. Shiloh Inn provided rooms. Southwest Airlines provided the flights.
Hennick served with the Navy in the south Pacific as a machinist’s mate aboard the U.S.S. Henderson, a destroyer. He was part of the island campaign and occupation of Japan. He spent six years in the Seabees and was part of the Navy’s South Pole Expedition.
Hanscam served in the Army from 1943 to the end of 1945. He saw combat as a Browning automatic rifleman in Germany. He also served as an MP and was discharged as a staff sergeant.