Rob Marchese (left) and Bill Kobacek
Every year, millions of people visit Washington, D.C. to tour the war memorials throughout the National Mall. For many of those visitors, it’s a chance to pay tribute to soldiers they never knew. On Tuesday, June 13, Vietnam War veterans from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan flew to our nation’s capital to visit those memorials and pay tribute to their fallen comrades.
Four times a year, the Flag City Honor flight takes veterans from World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War to visit the memorials for the wars in which they served. These veterans are not alone, they are each accompanied by a guardian, including Rob Marchese, a Tool and Die student at Owens Community College.
Marchese is also a veteran, having served in the Army from 1983-1995. “I got an email from Daphne Kinkade in (Owens) Veterans Services about needing guardians for the upcoming Honor Flight,” said Marchese. “I looked more into it and thought it was a great opportunity.” Along with his wife, Marchese signed up for the trip. The Owens Community College Foundation sponsored his trip.
When the day of the Honor Flight arrived, Marchese and his wife arrived at a hangar at Toledo Express Airport to meet their veterans. Marchese accompanied a Vietnam veteran named Bill.
The day started with breakfast and getting to know who they would spend their day with for this experience. The veterans and guardians then boarded the plane and flew to Baltimore. After arrival, they boarded a bus and headed to see the memorials. “We started at the World War II memorial and got a group picture, then we walked up the Reflecting Pool to the Vietnam Memorial,” said Marchese.
He said the mood then turned somber. “Bill and my wife’s veteran both knew people killed in action,” he said, adding that they used a book with the names of all the fallen soldiers on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to find where they were located. The four then grabbed paper and pencils, found the names and etched the names of those lost. “It was a very humbling moment for our veterans when they saw the names,” Marchese said. “It was gratifying they could look up someone they were close to during their time in the military and the war and pay their respects.”
After lunch, the veterans proceeded to Arlington National Cemetery to watch a changing of the guard ceremony. “It’s a very humbling ceremony. It’s complete silence when you’re there and a time to honor those who died in battle,” Marchese said.
The time came for the veterans and guardians to return to Baltimore to catch their flight home. “We had such a great day with our veterans and the bonds my wife and I made with those gentlemen are priceless,” Marchese said. On their flight home, they all friended each other on Facebook.
Since the trip, the four have remained in contact. “My wife and I actually are going out to dinner with our veterans and their significant others. It’s been a great connection to have for a lifetime,” said Marchese.
Marchese said he would not trade his experience for the world and added he wants to help more veterans. “Paying it forward is always good because one day I might be doing that and I hope whoever does it for me wants to make it the best possible experience like I tried to make it for them.”
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Published July 2023