Four WWII veterans from Yadkin County will be boarding the Triad Flight of Honor on Sat. morning to fly to Washington D.C. and view the WWII Memorial that opened in 2004. Yadkin County Veterans, Arthur Holcomb of Yadkinville, Donald Hudspeth of Yadkinville, Ray Ireland of Hamptonville and John (JD) Melton of Yadkinville have been chosen for the Oct 3 flight.

Holcomb is a WWII US Army veteran. He served as 1st scout in the rifle company, Battle Division of the 75th Infantry. Holcombe spent two full years overseas, because when the war was over he had no dependants, so he stayed in Europe. “I’m real pleased to be going,” Holcomb said.

Hudspeth, also a WWII US Army veteran served as a Staff Sergeant with the 93rd Bomb group, the 482nd Bomb Group and the 389th Bomb Group where he received a purple heart after a raid over Germany and when their plane was hit and made a crash landing in Sweden. “We’d made two missions that day,” he said. “I was the left waste gunner on the plane. The Swedes kept us for six months and the snuck us out at night.” He returned to the States and was stationed in Ft. Myers, FL until his discharge in 1944. “I think being able to go on this trip is an honor,” Holcomb said. “I want to thank the Rotary and Channel 12. I know probably those kids who donated to this had no idea what it was all about. I’m grateful.”

Ireland served in WWII in the US Army as a Sergeant Technician in the 70th Division, 15th Infantry, 1st Battalion, Headquarters Company. His company was responsible for communications and repairing breaks in the lines. Because he had a new baby boy at home, he wasn’t required to go right away. Ireland spent time in Rhineland and in Central Europe. During his service he earned two Bronze Stars, a combat infantry badge, a good conduct medal, an occupation ribbon and a WWII Victory medal. “I feel very honored and lucky to be going on this trip,” he said. “It’s bad to get old, but it’s worse to die young.”

Melton proudly served as a Corporal in WWII in the US Marines, 23rd Infantry. His tour consisted of raids on the Islands of the North Pacific. He volunteered in 1942 and was discharged, he believes in 1945. “19,788 men went to war in those islands and only 7,637 came home,” he said. “You come back and keep it on your mind all the time, it’s going to drive you crazy. We’re not heroes. We’re the lucky ones. The heroes we left them all behind.”

The Flight of Honor is a “continuation of the vision” of North Carolina businessman and civil leader Jeff Miller who is the founder of HonorAir through Rotary District 7680 which includes Yadkin. Miller’s objective was to send every WWII veteran to visit the memorial with special consideration for those who are terminally ill. The Rotary did this as a service project to honor the lives, the valor and the sacrifice of each of the WWII veterans who live in the eleven county area of North Carolina they serve.

According to event organizers, the Triad Flight of Honor will return Saturday evening. “They’ll finally get the celebration they deserved the first time they came home, said LeeSa Cornileus, Rotary District 7680.