Not Forgotten

Wherever they went, Kilroy was always there first.

Scratched into one of the monument walls was a phrase they’d seen many times before more than 60 years ago: “Kilroy was here.”

Written on every wall and every mountain in every country during WWII, Kilroy’s presence was like a time warp. Legend has it that the first man to arrive on the war scene would always make his mark as “Kilroy.” So when 40 World War Two veterans visited the Memorial built in their honor on November 12 in Washington D.C., they weren’t surprised to find their old friend.

The old soldiers were brought together this week through Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization created to send WWII veterans to D.C. to visit the Memorial built for them. With 1200 elderly WWII veterans dying each day, the time left for them to see the memorial is dwindling. Over 12 million of the 16 million WWII veterans have passed away. One man signed up for the Hoosier Honor Flight died before the trip.

When Army Reserve Colonel John Tillford heard about the Honor Flight program, he was determined to launch the effort in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. His father, four brothers and his wife’s five uncles served in the war. All have since passed away. It was time to honor them, he said.

Four months ago, Tillford held the first organizational meeting and days later received a $5,000 donation from the CEO of a major local company. The donation-based program encountered only one real problem: finding enough seats for interested participants.


Sam Fritch was one of the first to become interested in the Honor flight Program. He was a B-24 Air Force turret gunner stationed in Fosa, Italy during the war. Prior to this week’s visit, the closest Fritch had come to D.C. was when his Air Force unit flew in formation over the funeral service of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 15th, 1945.

“I went and put my foot right on where he was, “ Fritch told me. The sacred ground where Roosevelt lay beneath Fritch’s plane 63 years ago was his first pit stop in D.C. Because bombers were not often chosen for things like a Presidential funeral, those that flew over Roosevelt that day considered themselves especially privileged.

When the veterans arrived at Dulles International Airport Wednesday morning, a surprise grand welcoming awaited the men as they exited the terminal. A large group of National Honor Flight volunteers gathered, providing an ovation that lasted more than 10 minutes for these American heroes. When I asked the men about their unexpected welcoming, they were speechless and tearful.

“They just wouldn’t stop clapping,” said Army Private Ralph Young. He shook his head, smiled and covered his heart with a trembling hand. They had been waiting for this thank you for years.