A walk to remember

WASHINGTON, D.C. Saturday was Alfred Rogers' first trip to Washington, D.C.

"I'll bet it will be my last one too," the 82-year-old said as he sat next to his grandson, John Parker, on a shuttle bus headed to the National World War II Memorial.

Almost 60 veterans from Texas and New Mexico made the trip as part of the Freedom Fighters Flight.

The program is designed to take every single living World War II veteran to see the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Veterans go free by donations provided by various agencies, including the American Legion.

In total the trip cost $70,000, Shirley Rutledge, one of the event organizers, said.

The trip began at Midland International Airport around 5 a.m. Saturday, but it truly kicked off when the group was given a wet greeting shortly after landing. Two fire trucks were set up on either side of the jet and sprayed a ‘water cannon' over the plane.

The passengers smiled and laughed as they looked out the water soaked windows.

"It's wonderful, I'm just amazed," 85-year-old Aline Sims said.

Sims served in the Women's Army Corps and was the only female veteran on the trip. She had started the journey on foot but by the time she made it to the memorial decided she'd better use a wheelchair to get around.

The memorial sits on the National Mall in between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

The Freedom Wall's 4,000 gold stars commemorate the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives in the war.

"It's sad to see the deceased," Sims said. "All those gold stars, (the war) just wiped us out."

Many of the veterans spent much of the afternoon sitting and talking with each other. Tossing back old war stories the men - and woman - strengthened their bond in the present, with memories from the past.

"I was just a young kid ... I was only 18," James Proffit said.

Proffitt served in the Navy during the last year of the war.

Chrystal Fouch's husband, Phil, also served in the war, but unlike Proffitt, he did not make the trip, as he died four years ago.

"My husband wanted to go so bad," Fouch said.

She had decided to make the journey in place of her husband.

Shirley Rutledge said the Patriot Guard, American Legion, and the public helped make the trip a success.

She, along with many other volunteers and donors worked for a year to get the veterans from the Southwest to the East Coast.

Rogers said ‘if it hadn't been for these Freedom Fighters' he wouldn't have ever made it to the memorial.

The veterans

>> James Allen

>> Dick Blair

>> Earl Baumann

>> A.C. Brewer

>> Thomas Carpenter

>> Oreath Cecil

>> Max Clampett

>>Charles Collier

>> Bobby Condra

>> Bill Cooper

>> John Crosby

>> J. B. Dean

>> Ben Dunn

>> J.C. Eads

>> Paul Fisher

>> David Forsythe

>> Sherman Freer

>> Hubert Frie

>> Francisco Gonzales

>> Charlie Green

>> Salvador Guerro

>> Gene Hancock

>> Frank Hawk

>> James Henderson

>> Wayne Hilton

>> L.C. Hobbs

>> Santiago Hinojos

>> Raymond Horton

>> Charlie Hoye

>> Roy Hyson

>> Paul Janssen

>> Marion Lee

>> Doug Lee

>> Robert Lowrance

>> Elmer Macklin

>> Eugene Miller

>> Kenneth Morgan

>> Curtis Murphy

>> James Newton

>> Charles Plotner

>> James Proffitt

>> Alfred Rogers

>> Commador Ryan

>> Curtis Saylor

>> Aline Sims

>> Jack Smith

>> Randy Smith

>> Bert Smith

>> Brady Stout

>> Ray Stout

>> Rex Talley

>> David Tiner

>> Bob Todd

 >> William Wll

>> George Wein

>> John Worley

>> Neel Wright

National WWII Memorial Facts:

>> The memorial opened its doors on April 29, 2004.

>> Was dedicated on May 29, 2004.

>> Located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues in Washington D.C.

>> Memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.