Fort Drum employee helps bring honor, closure to veterans

By Melody Everly, Staff WriterJuly 16, 2015

Honor Flight Syracuse 1
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From left, MEDDAC employee and Carthage American Legion Auxillary President Debbie Atkins; Col. Thomas Macdonald, former 10th Mountain Division (LI) chief of staff; WWII veteran Francis LaDuc; his wife, Joanne LaDuc; son Michael LaDuc, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Honor Flight 2
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Col. Thomas Macdonald and Francis LaDuc
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Thomas Macdonals, former 10th Mountain Division (LI) chief of staff, poses with WWII veteran Francis LaDuc outside the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum museum on July 2. LaDuc belonged to the original 10th Mountain Division, which originated... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
10th Mountain Division WWII veteran Francis LaDuc
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FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- For some veterans, the wars in which they fought are a distant memory. Some have trouble putting the events they experienced during these conflicts into words, while others are too humble to speak of the brave actions they performed to help restore peace, protect the helpless and ensure the freedom of their loved ones back in America.

Debbie Atkins, a program assistant with Fort Drum's Warrior Transition Battalion, is passionate about making sure that every veteran in the local area not only feels appreciated, but that they are given an opportunity to see in person the gratitude the nation feels toward veterans.

"A lot of our veterans -- when they came home from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War -- they didn't really get the kind of wonderful welcome they deserved," she said.

Atkins, who also serves as president of the Carthage American Legion Auxiliary, has been involved with honoring local Soldiers and veterans for years. When she heard an American Legion member speak about his recent trip to Washington, D.C., via the national organization Honor Flight, her interest was piqued.

"We had a WWII veteran whose son applied online to have his dad participate in an Honor Flight," she said. "I was aware of the organization -- I just didn't realize how important it was to the veterans."

Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide veterans with honor and closure by flying them to Washington, D.C., to "visit the memorials built to honor their service to the nation." These trips are completely free for the veterans.

The inaugural Honor Flight took place in May 2005, when six small planes departed Springfield, Ohio, taking 12 WWII veterans to these memorials. Since then, the organization has grown, and it now has more than 130 hubs -- airports that participate in the program -- across the country.

Veterans complete an application packet to participate in an Honor Flight. Top priority for the trips is given to WWII veterans, Korean War veterans and any veteran who is terminally ill.

In October 2012, Syracuse Hancock International Airport became an Honor Flight hub, completing its first "mission."

Veterans are required to bring a guardian with them, to provide emotional support and to ensure that the veteran is being taken care of during the fast-paced and emotional trip. A fee of $300 is charged for each guardian. Randy Flath, president and co-founder of the Syracuse Honor Flight Hub, served as a guardian in 2009 when his father participated in an Honor Flight.

"I was lucky enough to have had the privilege of traveling with my father as his guardian with the Rochester, N.Y., Honor Flight organization," he said. "I saw how much it meant to him as well as to the other WWII veterans who traveled with us, and I felt that we should create a hub here in central New York."

In speaking with the local veteran who had participated in an Honor Flight, Atkins said she was impressed by the positive feedback she heard.

"This man came back with pictures and stories about the trip and the people he met along the way," she said. "He said 'every WWII vet should go.'"

"We (at the American Legion) started talking about it and decided to send our information to our veterans," she said. "The response we got was huge."

Realizing that aiding interested veterans in filling out their applications and arranging to attend an Honor Flight required a great deal of logistical work, Atkins got in touch with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7227, also in Carthage. The leadership at this organization immediately responded that they wanted to help.

"Between our two organizations, we came up with a mission to inform as many WWII and Korean War veterans as possible about the opportunity," Atkins said. "We stress to our local veterans that they don't need to be members of either of our organizations -- we will assist them regardless."

The American Legion and the VFW began holding information sessions, inviting veterans and their Families to attend and learn more about the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight through the Syracuse Hub. They also raise funds to defray the costs for guardians to participate.

Currently, the Syracuse Hub has completed five missions. These flights are scheduled bi-annually in October and April, and approximately 65 veterans are able to attend each mission. The Syracuse Hub pays for these chartered flights through donations and fundraisers.

"Not only do they pay for the flights, they also charter buses to get to Syracuse and to get around Washington, D.C., once (the veterans and guardians) arrive," she said. "They pay for their hotel room the night before their flight, as well as all of their food."

An all-volunteer nursing staff, made up of graduates from LeMoyne College Nursing Program, attends each flight.

"The nursing staff is amazing," Atkins said. "They contact veterans in advance and discuss their specific needs. The staff (at the Syracuse Hub) wants to make sure that they have the right medical staff on board to take care of any situation."

The day before the veterans leave for their flight, the American Legion and VFW staff holds a send-off luncheon, bringing together all of the veterans from the upstate New York area who will be traveling out of Syracuse.

In April, Col. Thomas Macdonald, then 10th Mountain Division (LI) chief of staff, attended the send-off luncheon, where he spoke to the veterans, guardians and Family Members.

"When they were getting ready to attend the Honor Flight, I was able to give them some farewell remarks and wish them the best on their trip," he said. "I was honored to be able to be a part of their send-off."

After the luncheon, veterans and guardians are transported to Syrcause, where they spend the night in a hotel. The plane departs early the next morning, and veterans spend the day touring the many memorials and monuments, often meeting up with veterans from other hubs who plan their visits the same day.

"We've heard stories of veterans who are visiting during the trip and realize that they are speaking to their brothers in arms -- to people they served with," Atkins said. "It's just an amazing experience for them."

Francis LaDuc, a Carthage resident and veteran of WWII, attended an Honor Flight in April. LaDuc enlisted in the Army in February 1943 and served in the 10th Light Division (Alpine), at Camp Hale, Colo., and later at Camp Swift, Texas. On Nov. 6, 1944, the division was re-designated as the 10th Mountain Division.

LaDuc said that he had no qualms about volunteering to enlist in the Army.

"My father had been in WWI, and plenty of my friends were enlisting," he said. "It was just the right thing to do."

LaDuc immediately knew that he wanted to join the ski troopers.

"My whole life I had been an outdoor person," he said. "Skiing, snowshoeing -- that had been a part of my life forever. It was just second nature to me."

From December 1944 until May 1945, LaDuc served overseas in the mountains of Italy, where he and his comrades endured harsh terrain and weather and suffered grievous losses. LaDuc said that it has always been hard for him to talk about what he experienced during the war, except when speaking with other WWII veterans.

For him, the Honor Flight was a chance to pay homage to his fallen comrades. He said that he did not feel he deserved all of the recognition he was afforded.

"(Seeing the monuments) brought back memories of things that happened (and of) people who lost their lives and what they went through," he said. "They deserve these honors."

LaDuc's son Michael, an Army retiree who served as his guardian for the mission, said that it was a positive experience for both him and his father.

"It was nice to have the chance to be able to go through the tour with him," he said. "It's good to see that something is going to be standing there to remind people of what these veterans had been through."

Both Michael and Francis LaDuc were impressed by the warm welcome they received at the Washington, D.C., airport, and again when arriving back in Syracuse. Francis LaDuc said he couldn't believe how many people turned out for each reception.

"I was astounded to say the least," he said. "After all these years, why would anyone bother? It was very gratifying."

On July 2, Macdonald accompanied LaDuc, his Family, Atkins and Debra Swemm, the Carthage American Legion Auxiliary first vice president, on a tour of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Museum.

Macdonald said that he wanted to be with LaDuc as he viewed the exhibits and relived some of his past.

"Our country owes so much to the veterans of (World War II), and they are becoming rare, so the opportunity to interact with them is extra precious," he said. "They are the greatest generation we have. They are absolutely inspirational."

Atkins teared up while listening to LaDuc tell stories as he traveled through the museum. This, she said, is the reason that she is so passionate about helping veterans to attend the Honor Flights.

"I want all our local veterans to be able to go," she said. "To see their faces when they get back -- I just find it amazing.

"They are thanking everyone they see, even though they are the ones who should be thanked. It has nothing to do with us -- it's all about them."