Standing before the polished black granite of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Clyo resident Ernest Edwards saw more than just names etched in stone. He saw his past — and himself.
“It was too emotional,” said Edwards, a 22-year Army veteran who served two tours in Vietnam. Overcome with memories, he turned back before reaching the end of the wall. “It brought back too many memories,” he said. “It was an amazing experience to see your reflection in the wall — and all those names.”
Edwards was one of 22 veterans from Georgia and South Carolina — including eight from Effingham County — who traveled to the nation’s capital ahead of Memorial Day with Honor Flight Savannah, a nonprofit dedicated to giving aging and terminally ill veterans the opportunity to visit the memorials built in their honor.
Honor Flight Savannah is part of the national Honor Flight Network, which organizes free trips for veterans to Washington, D.C., in recognition of their service and sacrifice. The program prioritizes World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, offering them a chance to see the monuments and memorials dedicated to their contributions.
The three-day, all-expenses-paid bus trip included stops at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Military Women’s Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and six other sites, according to trip organizer Jerry Maennche of Springfield.
Effingham County was represented by eight veterans on the trip: Edwards; Robert Cary of Rincon; Rex Inman of Guyton; Danny Loper of Rincon; Robert Mays of Rincon; Charles Miller of Guyton; Richard Saxon of Guyton; and Kay Parker of Guyton — the only woman among them.
“It was incredible to see all the memorials and learn and understand the price that was paid for our freedom,” said Parker, 85, a five-year Air Force veteran.
Parker and Loper, 73, a National Guard member for 27 years, said one of the most touching moments during the tour happened at the Military Women’s Memorial, where about 50 school students were visiting at the same time the vets arrived.
“The children formed two columns and shook our hands and thanked us for our service,” Parker said. “I shed a few tears. It was a very touching and humbling moment for me.”
Saxon, 77, a four-year Navy veteran who completed two tours in Vietnam, described the trip as “the most awe-inspiring experience of his life.”
The veterans’ journey began with a spaghetti dinner provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution at Guyton Christian Church. Early the next morning, after a breakfast provided by Roseanne Brandt and the Grit Girls, they departed from the National Guard Armory in Springfield with a police escort from the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and Springfield Police Department. Community members lined Laurel Street and Highway 21, waving flags and cheering as the bus rolled out toward Interstate 95. From there, the Patriot Guard Riders escorted the bus to the South Carolina border.
The American Legion Auxiliary supplied snacks and drinks for the trip.
“All the vets were so well taken care of,” Parker said. “I don’t know if I will ever see them again. But they will always have a special place in my heart.”
