WASHINGTON, D.C. — The plan was a simple one and should have been easy to execute, after all the 24 men were all veterans of war.
The aim was to gather the men from Wayne and Holmes counties on the steps leading to the Lincoln Memorial and shoot a group photograph. They were there as part of the Shreve American Legion’s inaugural Honor Bus Tour, patterned after the Honor Flight to bring veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the military memorials.
As military strategists know, no plan survives the first shot. In this case, the first shot was a woman who came up and thanked every veteran for their service.
This led to more people coming up and thanking the veterans for serving their country. As the tour guide and other volunteers working with the veterans tried to encourage the …show more content…
“Welcome home, soldiers, welcome home,” Roger Pennell, commander of the Shreve Post, told the veterans on the bus as it traveled through the crowd of well-wishers.
A wave of emotions erupted, tears welled in the eyes of veterans and guardians. This was the welcome home one of the trip’s organizers had hoped for, especially the Vietnam War veterans, who had rocks hurled at them upon returning to the states.
“It feels great,” said Don Huebner, an Army Vietnam War veteran from Millersburg.
“It sure does,” Bobby Angle said, another Army veteran of Vietnam from Millersburg.
The emotions continued just around the bend as members of the Legion, other veterans, more from the Rolling Thunder, the Wooster Veterans of Foreign Wars motorcycle group, family, friends and Congressman Bob Gibbs welcomed them home.
As the veterans disembarked the bus, a row of wheelchairs were assembled, serving as seats of honor for the group. Three of the veterans were three from World War II: Jack Ellsworth, Navy, North Canton; Marvin Frase, Navy, Wooster; and Gene Leyda, Army Big
The aim was to gather the men from Wayne and Holmes counties on the steps leading to the Lincoln Memorial and shoot a group photograph. They were there as part of the Shreve American Legion’s inaugural Honor Bus Tour, patterned after the Honor Flight to bring veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the military memorials.
As military strategists know, no plan survives the first shot. In this case, the first shot was a woman who came up and thanked every veteran for their service.
This led to more people coming up and thanking the veterans for serving their country. As the tour guide and other volunteers working with the veterans tried to encourage the …show more content…
“Welcome home, soldiers, welcome home,” Roger Pennell, commander of the Shreve Post, told the veterans on the bus as it traveled through the crowd of well-wishers.
A wave of emotions erupted, tears welled in the eyes of veterans and guardians. This was the welcome home one of the trip’s organizers had hoped for, especially the Vietnam War veterans, who had rocks hurled at them upon returning to the states.
“It feels great,” said Don Huebner, an Army Vietnam War veteran from Millersburg.
“It sure does,” Bobby Angle said, another Army veteran of Vietnam from Millersburg.
The emotions continued just around the bend as members of the Legion, other veterans, more from the Rolling Thunder, the Wooster Veterans of Foreign Wars motorcycle group, family, friends and Congressman Bob Gibbs welcomed them home.
As the veterans disembarked the bus, a row of wheelchairs were assembled, serving as seats of honor for the group. Three of the veterans were three from World War II: Jack Ellsworth, Navy, North Canton; Marvin Frase, Navy, Wooster; and Gene Leyda, Army Big