Farmersville Times

By Wyndi Veigel

Staff Writer

news@farmersvilletimes.com

It’s not every day that veterans are recognized for their service.

Sure there are holidays, such as Veterans Day and Audie Murphy Day, commemorating their sacrifices, but it’s rare that they are truly honored.

For Waymon Rose, that rare occasion came recently, in the form of an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. where he was given an opportunity to reconnect with his comrades, some living, others’ names now etched in stone.

Until recently, World War II veterans hadn’t had a monument in their honor in Washington, D.C.

However, in 2004, a World War II monument was made, and veterans of all ages, along with their families, flocked to see it.

It was in the same year that Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization, began to help with this mission, though Honor Flight Dallas did not start until 2008.

Their goal: to get as many World War II veterans to see their monument as possible.

According to www.honorflightofdallas.org, around 1,200 World War II veterans are dying each day.

It was because of this organization that Rose got the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. and to revisit the past.

As he arrived at the airport to join 40 other veterans and 39 guardians, he was greeted with the utmost respect and gratitude.

Guardians are those people accompanying the group as volunteers to help with the veterans.

Each guardian pays for all of his own expenses.

“I’ve got to take my hat off to those volunteers ... riding herd on 40 or 50 old guys can’t be easy,” he said.

Respect for the veterans was shown even as the airplane taxied through an arc of water being shot from water cannons.

“None of us knew that any of this was about to happen,” Rose said.

Once aboard the aircraft, each veteran received a custom jacket with his name on the zipper tag, along with an Honor Flight Dallas T-shirt and cap.

After touchdown at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., the group received another greeting with water cannons.

While the group de-planed, about 30 people greeted the veterans and thanked them for their service.

Then, much to the group’s delight and surprise, more than 300 people, along with a band playing military tunes such as “Anchors Away,” greeted them in the lounge area.

“The Honor Flight was very accommodating,” Rose said. “They took care of our every need.”

While in D.C., the group had a very busy schedule, especially since the trip was only overnight.

The veterans visited the World War II memorial, the new Air Force monument, the Korean memorial, the Vietnam Wall and the Iwo Jima monument where the Marines are placing the flag in the ground.

Though Rose had visited D.C. before, he said, he had not seen the World War II monument or the new Air Force memorial.

The group also visited an Army hospital in D.C. where they visited with patients.

“Senator Bob Dole also came out,” Rose said. “We gave out arm bands and just visited patients. There were a lot of amputees from the Gulf War.”

Rose also visited the grave of a familiar name while in Arlington National Cemetery – Audie Murphy.

Rose made sure to take numerous photos while on the trip but none was as special as the one of him wearing his most recent Audie Murphy Day hat, holding a copy of The Farmersville Times and standing next to Audie Murphy’s grave.

The highlight of the trip for Rose occurred on the flight home when he was handed a manila envelope which contained about 70 personalized letters from school-aged children.

They all wrote Rose thanking him for his service and including drawings.

“About three was all I could take,” he said. “It was very touching.”

After arriving back in Farmersville, Rose shared the letters with his wife of 61 years, Ann, and with his three children, Donna Reeves, David Rose and James Waymon Rose Jr.

“I told Ann, get yourself about three boxes of Kleenex and then you can read these,” he said. “We will treasure them for their simplicity and honesty for the rest of our lives.”

Though Rose retired from the Navy after 22 years and served as a Navy fighter pilot and instructor from 1942 until December 1945 during World War II, very few things, he said, compared to his trip and to the Honor Flight organization.

Honor Flight trips are available twice a year – one in October and one in April and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on Honor Flight go to www.honorflightdallas.org or call 972-536-3347

Area students offer thanks: Elementary kids send letters to veterans

By Jennifer Fike and Wyndi Veigel

Staff Writers

news@farmersvilletimes.com

Area schools also got involved with the Honor Flight by writing letters to veterans.

Schools involved included Princeton, Wylie and several others.

Before leaving for the trip, Thomas Osburn of Princeton, had invited some of the students at Lacy Elementary School and Huddleston Intermediate School to write letters to the veterans thanking them for their service.

Together the students wrote approximately 160 letters, Osburn said.

Those were added to other letters written by other area schools.

For the students, it was a wonderful “teachable” moment, Osburn said.

Teachers were able to tie the exercise to history, as well as stress the importance of showing appreciation.

“The kids need to realize how much they have to be grateful for,” Osborn said.

Waymon Rose of Farmersville said reading those letters was the highlight of the trip and he was very moved by the children’s sincerity.

“About three was all I could take,” he said. “It was very touching.”

After arriving back in Farmersville, Rose shared the letters with his wife of 61 years, Ann and with his three children, Donna Reeves, David Rose and James Waymon Rose Jr.

“I told Ann, get yourself about three boxes of Kleenex and then you can read these,” he said. “We will treasure them for their simplicity and honesty for the rest of our lives.”

Rose said receiving the children’s letters was one of the highlights of the trip for him.

Rose served 22 years in the U.S. Navy serving as a Navy fighter pilot and instructor during World War II.

Share This Story: