Veterans prepare to take Honor Flight

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Veterans from around WNY gathered Saturday morning for a briefing one week before they take an Honor Flight to Washington, DC.

Honor Guard Buffalo Niagara Executive Director Dennis Priore says the program is in its 10th year. "We started with World War II veterans, and then Korean veterans, and we're mostly now Vietnam veterans, but it we have hearing that has been a wonderful opportunity for them to connect back," says Priore. "The Vietnam Veterans weren't really treated very well when they came back, but we're finding this is a type of a closure for them." Priore says Honor Flight has nurses and our medical director come with them, as well as a mental health professional that is along to help with things that they may experience.

He says it is an action packed two days. "They get to see all the memorials in Washington, and everything is planned ahead of time, from transportation, all their meals are included. And so it's a great opportunity. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for the veterans," says Priore.

One of the is Fred Nussbaum, who served in Vietnam in the Navy. "It's a tremendous honor. It's a lot of my friends have already gone on the flight. They've been telling me about it, and everybody just raves about it. And these just like to talk to these people. It's amazing. These people are outstanding," says Nussbaum.

Nussbaum says he got his share of combat. "I was on a destroyer escort, which typically chases carriers around. But in 1972 when we were there during the Easter offensive, my little ship fired 15,000 rounds of five inch ammunition. We were constantly shooting and getting shot at. You know it was maybe they don't think Navy gets that kind of an experience. We weren't boots on the ground, so my ship did an awful lot of fighting," says Nussbaum. He says he's looking forward to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and seeing some names. "I have them all on my phone. I'm going to be doing that while I'm there," says Nussbaum.

Marine Andre Martinelli says this shows how kind people can be right now to servicemembers. "They finally recognize that the service people do things for the country. They don't just go out to kill people as they out to protect America. That's their big thing. And this thing, it doesn't seem like much, but deep down, you can feel it. And this is something else. It's a great feeling.," says Martinelli.

He says he's looking forward to seeing Arlington National Cemetery and Iwo Jima. "Those are my two main things, because the POWs, the Mia's, people, we don't know what's happened. Their lives are taken, and it's tough, and we got to dedicate our time for them. You know, they did a lot. They lost their lives, some of them, and it's unbelievable," says Martinelli.

He says the way Vietnam vets were treated then differs from now. "We came home and we got the opposite end. But today, they appreciate them, which means a lot. It really does. It's unbelievable the difference. But that's what you got to do. These people, they're giving up their life. You know, you never you don't hear everything that goes on in the service. There's other stuff. They're restricted. They're on duty. They're doing different thing," says Martinelli.

Korean Conflict veteran Russ Casterline is taking the Honor Flight at age 97. During his service, he had more than one brush with death. "I got hit standing next to an artillery trail that was a dud, and that was in 10 feet of me. And then I got on his outpost, I got wounded slightly. Then the second time, I got wounded on another outpost that put me in Mayor Island Naval Hospital for 15 months," recalls Casterline. "The third time that put me out. I had 32 holes blown into it, and I ended up at Maryland Naval Hospital for 15 months. Then I came home, and I ended up at the VA hospital for another two months."

He also helped raise money for memorial monuments in Washington. "I got in touch with a colonel down there. He was in charge of the monument, and I was an agent for him in Niagara Falls, raising money for the Korean monuments. And the people were sending me money, and I had to take it back to them. They had to send it to Washington. I wasn't able to accept the money, you know, yeah. But anyway, I've never been to it, and I helped raise money for it years ago," says Casterline. He says he's looking forward to seeing the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, because that was all donated money by the Marines themselves.

Honor Flight leaves Saturday morning and returns Sunday evening.