More than 65 years after D-Day, Charles Maupin still remembers his first sight of Omaha Beach from aboard a ship bound for the French coast in 1942.
"We landed in the third wave on D-Day-plus-one ... and saw rows of Soldiers lying on the beach covered in ponchos. The troops that landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day had to climb the cliffs despite enemy fire and break through barbed wire fences," Maupin said.
"My eyes fill with tears when I remember those who gave the last full measure of devotion in the cause of freedom," he said.
After 11 months of combat, Maupin, who served as a technical radio operator with the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, during the Normandy invasion and subsequent battles, returned home with a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster for meritorious actions, a Purple Heart and a Combat Infantryman Badge among other awards.
He also returned home with the memories of friends lost or wounded.
Though he knew them only briefly before war took their lives, Maupin still carries the memories of his brothers-in-arms with him today.
On Sept. 22, Maupin will join fellow veterans for his first trip to the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., and see first-hand the field of stars representing the 400,000 lives lost in the struggle for the Allied victory over the Nazis.
The trip is possible because of the West Georgia Honor Flight organization, a local chapter of the national Honor Flight Network. The chapter opened its doors to the West Georgia community in April.
Approximately 100 World War II veterans will join the West Georgia Honor Flight in its inaugural run to the capitol, said Royce Ard, general manager of Knology and a West Georgia Honor Flight board member.
A one-day trip, the veterans will depart from Columbus Metropolitan Airport in the morning and return in the late evening and is free for the veterans.
Many veterans have faced challenges to seeing the monument, which opened in 2005, including medical issues and living on fixed incomes, Ard said.
The chapter began raising the funds needed for the flight, which is free for the veterans, three weeks ago, Ard said. The chapter needs $68,000 and hopes to raise that money, through the help of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, by Independence Day.
Through the generous support of various organizations, groups and a recent telethon on WLTZ, the honor flight fund has raised enough money to send more than half of the veterans so far, he said.
"We really appreciate the support of the community," Ard said. "The youngest WWII veteran, assuming he enlisted at the age of 18, is 82 years old. There will be people on this flight who participated in D-Day, Operation Market Garden and other big battles of World War II. Many of whom have not had the opportunity to see their monument."
"I'm really excited to visit the monument," said MAJ(R) Richard Hecht, who served as a platoon commander in the 73rd Bomb Wing during WWII. "It's a wonderful thing that this organization is doing."
Hecht said he and his men endured 16 air attacks in the 18 months they were stationed in Saipan during the Pacific campaign.
Hecht kept in touch with several friends from the war and even returned to the island with two of them to mark the 50th anniversary of their service there.
"I met six of the best friends I've ever had while serving in Saipan. We kept in touch throughout the years," he said. "But now all six are gone."
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that of the 16 million veterans of WWII, only 2.5 million are alive today and that veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 per day.
"Time is of the essence for these veterans," Ard said.
Betsy Covington, executive director of the Community Foundation of Chattahoochee Valley, said she expects the experience will be a memorable one for not only the veterans but the guardians as well.
Fifty-two guardians will accompany the veterans to Washington, D.C., to help with pushing wheelchairs, airport check-in procedures and anything else the veterans may need assistance with during the trip, said Covington, who volunteered to be a guardian.
Covington said being a guardian is a wonderful opportunity to thank veterans for their sacrifices.
"For the veterans, being in the company of those who shared similar experiences in the war and being reminded that people appreciate what they did, that's going to be a great day for them," Covington said. "These people put their lives on the line and many didn't come back. For those still with us, we want to thank them. You can't argue these veterans changed the world for us," she said.
The cost for guardians is $400, which covers their trip.
Despite the cost, the slots have filled up quickly, with less than fifteen seats still available, Ard said.
"Being a guardian really appeals to people who want to give back to the veterans, to take care of someone who is an American hero. It's not an opportunity that comes every day," Ard said.
The trip is tentatively scheduled to include a visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery to see the changing of the guard or to see other war memorials at the capitol.
"A lot of the vets who fought in the war also fought in Korea or Vietnam. I know they'd like to see other memorials. They want to pay homage to these troops," Ard said.
For many of them, this is it. This is the chance to see these memorials and reflect on the friends they had during the war and those they lost, Ard said.
Ard said there are still plenty of seats available for veterans. The flight is open to all WWII veterans, regardless of whether they live in Georgia, Ard said.
To request a seat on the honor flight as a veteran or guardian, visit www.wgahonorflight.org and fill out an application or call the West Georgia Honor Flight at (706) 507-9944. To donate, visit the Community Foundation of Chattahoochee Valley at www.cfcv.com.
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