33rd Central Valley Honor Flight returns home

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The 33rd Central Valley Honor Flight may be over, but the memories from this trip will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Sunshine, smiles, and the spires of the Air Force Memorial marked the beginning of Central Valley veterans’ last day in the nation’s Capitol.

Every Air Force veteran and a few different branches got in line to take a picture with the spires overhead. Those smiles later turned to tears at Arlington National Cemetery, as veterans watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Before the ceremony, two members of the Honor Flight were enlisted on a special side mission.

Navy veteran Rich Tolladay placed a penny on the grave of Admiral Hyman Rickover. It’s a sign of respect as one veteran honors another.

The two never met, but Tolladay says if it weren’t for Rickover, he would never have served six years on a Navy submarine.

“He means a lot to me. He was an amazing man, and I quite literally owe my life to him. Every submariner does—zero accidents because of him, “said Tolladay.

Sixteen-year-old Saleah Neal serves as one of the social media coordinators for the Honor Flight.
For the first time, she visited her great-grandfather’s grave, who died in combat during World War II.

“He has an amazing legacy. He’s very respected and honored in my family. He had 20 fighter pilot kills… he was a quadruple ace by the time he passed,” Neal explained.

Even though neither of them ever met their heroes, their respect and love are clearly shown.

The last stop before heading home was the Korean and Vietnam memorials.

Korean War Veteran Bud Deck declined to join the Honor Flight two times before finally saying yes. His only regret? Not coming sooner.

“Nobody even knew I came home, or that it would be great to come over here. I didn’t realize the magnitude of Arlington and all of the construction of these monuments,” said Deck.

At the Vietnam Memorial, veterans like Mike Dillman searched for the names of fallen friends.
While some veterans looked for just a few names, Dillman searched for 18 — the men he comforted as he watched them die while serving as an assistant chaplain in the Army.

“We were there with them. We prayed with them. You have to understand; these are precious men. They lived and died for us. They gave up their right to be dads, husbands, brothers, and grandparents. They gave up their right to be revered old men like me,” said Dillman.

After saying goodbye, it was time to head home. At the airport, a seemingly endless crowd of cheering fans waited, giving all 67 veterans the welcome they deserved.