Thursday, October 21, 2010
Honor Flight was 'just awesome' for vets
Thursday, October 21, 2010
They treat you pretty rough when you're in Army training. George Muschinske, Milo
Schieffer and Larry Schott could tell you that.
But the three Rice Lake men were treated quite the contrary of boot camp recruits as they,
along with 100 other World War II veterans, boarded the Never Forgotten Honor Flight to
Washington, D.C., for an honorary tour Oct. 4.
The trip was the second organized by Never Forgotten Honor Flight, a Wausau-based
nonprofit group whose mission is to fly every area veteran who is willing and able to
Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial dedicated to that veteran free of cost.
George Muschinske, far left,
and Milo Schieffer, far right,
both of Rice Lake, took part in "We saw every memorial ever made," said Schott.
latest Honor Flight
It was Schott's first visit to the nation's capital, though he did pass through on his way
overseas during the war.
Schott, 88, trained Army troops in the United States before being sent to Italy as a replacement, where he served until April
1946.
Muschinske and Schieffer had been to Washington, D.C., years ago, but were there attending meetings more than seeing
monuments.
This time, all three finally got their chance to see America's national treasures. Foremost among these was "their" National
World War II Memorial, which opened in 2004.
"Everything was overwhelming," said Schieffer, 84, who served in Oahu, Hawaii, with the Army as a member of the military
police and courtesy officer to Italian prisoners of war in 1945 and 1946.
The three men's journey started Oct. 3 when they drove to Wausau for a pre-flight dinner at a hotel. The next morning they
rose early and traveled to the Central Wisconsin Airport for their 7 a.m. flight.
Upon landing in Virginia, they were greeted by strangers with nothing less than a hero's welcome. "They would shake your
hand and tell you they're proud of you. Some would even hug and kiss you," exclaimed Schieffer.
"The best thing about the trip was the greetings we got," said Muschinske. "Seeing the monuments was nice, but the people
are what made the trip."
Muschinske began serving in February 1943. He sailed to England aboard the famed British ship Queen Elizabeth. From there
he was sent to France and fought in the Battle of Bulge and on through Germany until V-E Day. He was discharged in January
1946.
For several hours the vets were bused around the city, stopping at various points of interest.
On top of Schieffer being able to see the national World War II memorial dedicated to him and so many other soldiers, his
grandson from Colorado and 3-month old great-grandson met him at the memorial and presented him with a souvenir
medallion of the memorial.
Fifty-three volunteer guardians accompanied the vets and kept the trip running smoothly.
"The volunteers were great," said Schott. "They treated us like kings."
But in some ways the men felt like they were in the military again. All were given complementary disposable cameras, other
travel accessories and blue shirts, caps and jackets, making them almost appear as a company of soldiers marching around
the city taking pictures.
"We had roll call every time we got on the bus," said Muschinske.
Best of all, the veterans were treated to an always-exciting event on the flight home- mail call.
"We had mail call every day in the Army. It was something everyone looked forward to," said Schieffer.
Each veteran's name was called and he was handed a stack of letters, cards and even cookies from family, friends and
schoolchildren.
But the men's memorable day didn't end there. Upon arriving back at the Central Wisconsin Airport that night, the veterans
received the ultimate welcome home complete with a band and countless flags.
"Five-hundred people met us when we got back," said Schott. "It was just awesome."
It was a welcome home that they never fully received on their initial return from the war. "We just came back and went to work.
We were just glad we could do our part, glad to be back home," said Schott.
Schieffer remembered having to walk and hitchhike from Eau Claire to Rice Lake when he first returned from the war.
At the end of the day, the men were overcome with emotion and gratitude.
"Very emotional when you stop and think about those that are not with you," Schieffer confided.
The three men had considerable praise for the sponsors that paid for each veteran's travel expenses. They were also grateful
for the volunteers who paid their own way and made sure the trip went smoothly.
"Everything was so well-organized," Schott remarked.
"If they had messed one thing up, they wouldn't have been happy," said Schieffer.
The three men agreed that they couldn't have had a much better trip. Even the weather was perfect, said Schieffer. "When
you're in the Army, you don't take anything for granted," he said.
Muschinske and Schott shared that sentiment.
Muschinske lost a good friend, who, along with about 30 other men, left on the group's last patrol mission to take a bridge.
Only one man walked back the next day. Muschinske never did find out what happened to his friend.
Schott would have likely been sent to Japan after the war in Europe ended, but the atomic bomb was dropped, effectively
ending the war and causing Schott to remain in Italy.
Muschinske's and Schott's military careers did not end after World War II. Muschinske returned later as a chaplain and served
17 more years, including time in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Schott served in the Army Reserve for many years as an
officer.
The three men didn't really know each other before the trip but consider themselves friends now. "We knew of each other but
got closer by doing this," said Schieffer.
According to the Congressional Research Service, more than 16 million Americans served in World War II but only about 2
million remain. "Honorflight.org" estimates that 1,000 are lost every day. More than 400,000 died during the war itself.
Never Forgotten Honor Flight was formed in November 2009 and took its first flight last April. It is part of the Honor Flight
Network, which began taking veterans to Washington, D.C., in 2005.
Never Forgotten Honor Flight is one of 71 Honor Flight hubs in the country and one of five in Wisconsin. The group serves 19
counties in central and northern Wisconsin, ranging from Portage to Douglas.
Sign-up for a flight is first come, first served with priority given to World War II veterans and veterans with terminal illness.
Veterans who require wheelchairs or supplementary oxygen or have other disabilities can be accommodated.
The organization has no paid staff and is supported by veterans organizations and hundreds of commercial and private donors
in the region.
The organization hopes to launch at least one flight per year and has a goal to take two next spring. The organization plans to
serve Korean and Vietnam veterans in a similar way in the future. For more information on signing up, volunteering or
donating, visit "www.neverforgottenhonorflight.com" or call 715-573-8519.
"We'd encourage any World War II veteran to go. It's really something," said Schott.
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