2017 HONOR FLIGHT

As most of you know, two of our classmates -- Jimmie Neal and Joe Campbell -- were fortunate to be included in the Texas South Plains Honor Flight  to Washington D.C. in October of 2017. 

Joe shared the following photos from their journey and provided the captions for each one -- Enjoy!!

 

Waiting to board Southwest Air Charter to Washington DC

 

 

 

Group picture on the steps of the US Capitol Building

 

 

 
Rep. Jody Arrington passing out 
West Texas Veteran Caps
 
 
 
 
Jimmie and I loitering on the way to the Capitol Building

 

A short conference with Rep. Arrington

 

 

 

 

A longer conference with Rep. Arrington

 

 

A welcome to DC . . . no Vietnam protestors like in the '60s

 

 

 
Air and Space Museum . . .
Standing in front of my favorite warbird . . . the F4 Phantom II
 
 

 

Radar Control Set and Radar Antenna/Lock-on Hand  Control . . .
my toys of choice in the F4 rear cockpit
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Saluting the laying of the wreath at the Vietnam Wall
 
 
 
 

 

Jimmie and I at our groups wreath

 

 

 
Jimmie,  Joe and Diane Osborne, our Guardian. A guardian was assigned to watch over 2 Honor Flight Veterans.
Diane was the sweetest, prettiest, kindest, most helpful Guardian on the entire Honor Flight. Man, did we luck out!!
 
 
 
 
 
Finding my buddys' names on the wall
 
 
 
 
 
Randy Pannell, PHS Class of 1964
 
 
 
 
 
 
More names . . . very sad
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monty Montgomery, one of my squadron members and a dear friend
 
 
 
 
 
Vietnam War Memorial Sculpture
 
 
 
 
Vietnam War Nurses Sculpture . . .
sculpted by Lubbock's own Glenna Goodacre
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Gate to the WWII Memorial
 
 
 
 
 
 
Atlantic Gate to the WWII Memorial
 
 
 
 
Plaque explaining the meaning of all the 4000+ stars displayed
on the wall of the WWII Memorial 
 
 
 
 
The field of stars . . . there are over 4000 stars . . .
each star represents 100 battle deaths during WWII
 
 
 

 

Relaxing at the hotel bar with Diane and Jimmie

 

 

Joined at the bar by Christy Hartin, KCBD . . . let the party begin!!

 

 
Next day at the Air Force Memorial
 
 

 


 
 
US Marine Corp Memorial
 
 
 
 
 
More Marine Corp exhibits
 
 
 
More Marine exhibits
 
 
 
 
Jimmie and Joe at the US Navy Memorial
 
 
 
 
 
US Navy Honor Flight members at the 
Washington Navy Yard Museum
 
 
 
 
Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery
 
 
 
 
A view of Arlington . . . 
 
 
 
 
 
The Washington Mall with the Capitol
 
 
 
 
 
The Lincoln Memorial
 
 
 
 
 
Washington Mall with the Washington Monument
 
 
 
Arriving back in Lubbock . . . end of the trip
 
 
 
Shaking hands with a real live sailor . . . PO3 Peyton Oldham, 
who was our military liaison during the trip