Local vet takes part in ‘Honor Flight’ to DC

"It was the most wonderful day I’ve had, besides my wedding day and when my kids were born."

That is how Flavian Weiers described his experience Saturday, Sept. 30, when he was part of an "Honor Flight" of military veterans to visit war memorials in Washington, DC.

Flavian, a lifelong Union Hill resident, is 90 years old. He served in the US Army during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1952. He was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

"We went over there in May of 1951," Flavian recalls. "We were told we’d be home for Christmas. Mc- Carthy was chasing the Chinese pretty bad and they were confident our work would be done quickly."

He spent 18 months in Korea.

Flavian, accompanied by his son Roger, was among approximately 80 veterans who boarded a plan that left the Twin cities at 6 a.m. Saturday bound for Washington. Upon arrival, they boarded buses and had police escorts to take them to various memorials in the nation’s capitol. Each veteran had a guardian with them, and there were wheelchairs for those who needed them during the tour.

"We even had a couple of ‘Rose the Riveters,’" he said, referring to women who worked in factories and shipyards manufacturing munitions and military supplies. "There were also some military nurses."

Arriving in Washington at 9:20 a.m., they boarded buses and visited the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Women’s Memorial and Air Force Memorial, where they enjoyed a box lunch.

In the afternoon, the drove by the Washington Monument and the White House, then visited the World War II Memorial and Korean War Memorial. There was a flag and taps ceremony at each of the stops.

The Korean War Memorial gave Flavian a chance to think about two of his close friends in the army who didn’t make it home from Korea.

After visiting the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials, the last stop was at Arlington National Cemetery, where they visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was there that Flavian said they witnessed the most moving part of the tour.

"They have a single guard, who walks 21 paces one way, pauses for 21 seconds, then switches shoulders with his rifle and walks 21 paces back the other way. We witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony, which is done in total silence," he said.

Flavian noted that the only sound at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the occasional scuffing of the soldier’s boot on the concrete.

"They normally march silently, but when there is a group like ours there, they will sometimes scrape their....

To see more on this story pick up the Ocotber 5, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times. 

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