Honor Flight Central Florida sends veterans to Washington, D.C.

One look at it gave Oviedo resident Richard Moffa “on-flight allergies.”
The 72-year-old’s eyes began to well up with tears as he read it: a letter from U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy thanking him for his service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
The memories came rushing back of his cousin Alfred Filippelli and his staff sergeant Johnny Cruz Quenca, who were killed in the rice paddies and jungles on the other side of the globe.
Beneath the Congresswoman’s letter was an American Flag that was flown over the Capitol in his honor.
“I wish to honor you for your service to our country in the Unites State Army,” the letter read. “Given your actions during the Vietnam War, I wish to present you with an American flag that has been flown over the United State Capitol in your honor. I commend your perseverance and unwavering dedication to duty.”
Moffa remembers arriving in San Francisco in October 1967, when his time in the war came to an end — and how he never received a true welcome home.
But on June 3, he received just that.
Moffa was one of 24 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans who was gifted a free trip to Washington, D.C. last month — a token of appreciation from Honor Flight Central Florida, a nonprofit that seeks to honor veterans with such trips.
Another Honor Flight with 24 other veterans flew on May 6, as well.
In Washington, the veterans were given the opportunity to see numerous war memorials and monuments, including those in tribute to World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
“It was fantastic,” said George Reichmuth, 84, a Korean War Navy veteran living in Oviedo. “We saw just about everything that we could in the amount of time that we had.”
The trip for each group began with salutes and roaring applause from the public in the boarding terminals at Orlando International Airport.
It felt wonderful to be thanked for their service, Reichmuth said. He remembers his time from 1951 to 1953 on the USS Capricornus, where he served as an engineer right as the Korean War began.
The applause was very meaningful, Reichmuth said.
“That was really something,” he said. “We weren’t expecting anything like that.”
Veterans watched from their window seats as the plane was doused in water on the runway in a water cannon ceremony before they took flight to the nation’s capital.
The brave veterans were then greeted with more applause from active service members and the public as they made their way through the airport in Baltimore.
Veterans were then given the VIP treatment as they boarded a charter bus with a full police escort and made their way to the monuments and memorials, where they were able to take photos, reflect and be recognized for their service.
Tears were shed — or as Honor Flight Central Florida said, “The vets got a case of on-flight allergies.”
Every veteran was shaking hands with appreciative strangers for most of the day.
But there weren’t just heroes on the battlefield represented in the group of 24. Cecilia Monroe, an Altamonte Springs resident who turns 94 this year, served as a hospital corpsman at Seattle Washington Hospital from 1942 to 1945. Originally from Connecticut, Monroe chose the West Coast because she figured it would be where the most service was needed.
Seeing the memorials, especially the Tomb of the Unknown Solider and the Changing of the Guard, was breathtaking, Monroe said.
“We all felt like we were doing a great service,” she said.
“I spent a lot of the day crying, to tell you the truth.”
It was an emotional return for the veterans as they arrived in Orlando International Airport. More crowds of people cheered and waved American flags for the group as they arrived single-file in their wheelchairs.
“Coming back through the airport, the reception was so outstanding,” Monroe said. “Even children came up to shake your hand. Some blew kisses and some saluted. We got the full treatment.”
Vietnam veterans such as Moffa received something that history had taken away from them — a proper welcome home. When looking through the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on June 3, Moffa was shocked at the number of soldiers he recognized, realizing his name could have been any one of them.
God was with him during that time, Moffa said — and on June 3 at the Orlando International Airport, the American people were with him too.
“It was one of the best days of my life,” Moffa said.
“I finally got the welcome home.”