SYRACUSE — Eighty local veterans were welcomed home at Hancock Airport Saturday evening following a day-long adventure on Syracuse Honor Flight 17 to the nation’s capital Sept. 24.
After arriving at Reagan National Airport, chartered buses transported the veterans and supporting flight team to the WWII Memorial, the USAF Memorial, and the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. The capstone event was observing the “Changing of the Guard” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
Upon their return to Syracuse, the veterans were greeted by dozens of well-wishers at the gate before heading to the main concourse. Hundreds of family, friends and well-wishers waved signs and cheered the veterans on as they paraded through the concourse on their way to a brief welcome home ceremony.
Most of the veterans aboard Mission 17 were from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras, with more than half having served during the Vietnam War. There were five veterans aboard who served during World War II.
Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 to transport veterans at no cost to Washington, DC to visit their memorials. Honor Flight Syracuse conducted its inaugural mission in October 2012 for 27 veterans and since then, more than 1,200 veterans have traveled from Central and Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley.
Each veteran brings a companion, tabbed a “guardian,“ to help them navigate the flight and tours of the monuments and memorials.
The welcome home celebration was held in the center of the airport, emceed by local radio personality Amy Robbins. As they do for each of the Honor Flight missions, the Tom Dooley Choraliers sang a medley of the anthems for each of the branches of the military.
“Nothing is more important than showing our deep appreciation for the service and sacrifice of the veterans we serve throughout Central New York,” said Kevin Bradley, president of Honor Flight Syracuse. “As we honor our veterans and celebrate our 10th anniversary milestone, we are so thankful for all of our volunteers, sponsors and contributors for making Mission 17 possible, and for helping us continue our mission of flying veterans to Washington, DC to receive the honor and recognition that they so rightfully deserve.”
Nationally, the Honor Flight program will soon have taken more than a quarter million veterans to Washington.
Read on to learn more about the veterans from your neighborhood:
Cazenovia
• Richard H. “Rick” Anderson, who served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1973, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross with three oakleaf clusters for delivering supplies to a besieged special forces unit near the Cambodian border while under intense fire.
• Michael J. Conroy, who served in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1969. Conroy was a sergeant with the 2nd Marines, 11th Battalion and Medium Helicopter Squadron 164. He was wounded in Vietnam and his awards include the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation and Combat Action Ribbon.
• Richard Gara, who served in the Army during the Cold War era from 1957 to 1960 as a Specialist E-4 / Artillery Support.
• Andrew Zenzel, who served in the Navy from 1945 to 1955 as a Seaman 1st Class aboard the attack transport USS Hinsdale. Awards include the Victory Medal and the Pacific and American Theater ribbons.
Eastern suburbs
• Thomas Richards, of Fayetteville, who served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971. Richards was the officer in charge of all aviation and ground fuels and liquid oxygen production at Phu Cat Air Base in Vietnam. Significant additional duty at Phu Cat included establishing and maintaining receipt and storage facility for all aerial spray defoliants (Agents Orange, White and Blue) recalled from sites in about half the country of South Vietnam.
• David Ashworth, of East Syracuse, who served in the Army from 1969 to 1971 as a sergeant, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany.
• Cecil Yvonne “Kitty” Bryant, of Manlius, who served in the Navy from 1953 to 1955 in the Navy disbursing office in Hutchinson, Kansas.
• Frederick Shibel Sr., of Jamesville, who served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 as a Seaman 1st / Gunner’s Mate aboard the landing ship tank LST-935 in the Pacific Theater. Shibel was stationed in Shanghai waiting to be deployed for the invasion of Japan when the World War II ended.
Northern suburbs
• Ronald Amyot, of Cicero, who served in the Army from 1963 to 1966 and was assigned to the 173rd Air Brigade, which was the first major US Army ground combat unit committed to Vietnam. He earned the combat infantryman badge and the Vietnamese Airborne wings.
• Richard “Dick” Nellis, of North Syracuse, who served in the 120th Military Police Battalion in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968.
• Carol Ruby, of Liverpool, who served stateside with the 376th Combat Support Hospital with the Army Reserve in Liverpool.
• Irwin Gray, of Baldwinsville, who served in the Army from 1967 to 1969 and again from 1972 to 1989, serving in Vietnam and retiring as a staff sergeant.
• Paul Kulba, of Baldwinsville, who served in the Cold War era Army from 1964 to 1965 as a cook at the Nike Hercules Missile Site in Moosecreek, Alaska.
• Gary Coufal, who entered the service in Camillus and now lives in Central Square, was among the veterans on the flight. Coufal served as a sergeant with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam and was in the service from 1966 to 1973. He received the combat infantry badge.
