Veterans Honored At Memorial Visit Homecoming

As they exited the commercial jetliner and walked down the arrival ramp at Bradley International Airport, nearly 100 veterans were met by a glow of lights, a sea of American Flags and the applause from hundreds of people anxious to pay their due respect.

The veterans of World War II and other military conflicts were welcomed home Saturday nigt and honored as heroes on their return from a trip of a whirlwind visit the many war memorials of Washington, D.C., where they had gone to honor their own.

Supported by a color guard and Granby's fife and drum corps, as well as volunteers and guardians from trip organizer AmericanWarrior, the veterans passed through a jubilant corridor of open-armed family, friends and supporters.

East Windsor’s Theodore Carron was on hand with his children and grandchildren, the Gross family of Simsbury. They were waiting for the arrival of Bob Gross, the paternal great-grandfather to Carron's seven grandchildren.

Carron noted with pride that his granddaughter Sarah Gross was one of the trip’s guardians, accompanying Bob Gross.

Gross’s wife, Cynthia, called her 91-year-old husband “young at heart” and a “true patriot.” Gross earned a Purple Heart medal, among other honors, serving as a navigator in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Calling the trip “very memorable,” Gross Sr. was in awe of his experience, both the trip and the homecoming reception.

“I just can’t believe a lot of this,” he said.

Gross Sr. was impressed with the organization of the trip and the respectful treatment the veterans received, both at the memorials and as they went through airport security to chartered U.S. Air flights. He relished the visit to the memorials and said there are fewer veterans alive and able to visit the sites each year.

But the trip wasn’t an easy decision, at least initially.

“I was reluctant to go,” he said. “But I’m glad I did. It was an experience.”

The return to the airport capped a whirlwind day for the veterans, who ranged in age from 83 to 93 years old. An early flight to Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. took the veterans to chartered buses and, from there, to the World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials. Veterans also visited the Air Force, Navy, Seebee, Women’s and Marine memorials.

In addition, the veterans were treated to a "mail call" on the flight back to Connecticut when AmericanWarrior volunteers distributed letters from school children across New England that thanked the veterans for their service.

The trips are free for veterans through the charity efforts of AmericanWarrior. The guardians that guide and aid the veterans on the trip pay $300 per person, either through personal funds or donations to the program.

“Everybody in this organization is a volunteer,” AmericanWarrior organizer Sue Ponder said.

The volunteers, who came from across the state, eagerly voiced a commitment to the project.

Carol Gagliardo of Norwich praised both the care given to the veterans, noting the emergency medical qualifications of the trip’s guardians, and the program itself, saying it does “awesome things” for veterans.

“It gets bigger and better every year,” she said. “[I’ll] do this for the rest of my life.”

Bobby Easton’s Connecticut Rolling Flags group, working with the Patriot Guard program, flanked the terminal entrance with volunteers standing at attention with American flags. Easton said a desire to honor the country’s veterans has driven his involvement in the program, which started in 2006.

Chris Coutu, the founder of AmericanWarrior, called the trip “amazing.”

Starting chants of “USA! USA!” as the veterans entered the terminal, Couto was beaming as family and friends met with the returning veterans.

“Every veteran had a wonderful time,” he said.

To learn more about AmericanWarrior, including volunteer and donation opportunities, visit its Web site.