Winsted veteran joins Washington honor flight

WINSTED — In 2004, the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated to the 16 million living veterans and 400,000 Americans who lost their lives in the deadliest war in history.

Last month, George Poole of Winsted, along with 99 other WWII veterans from Connecticut, laid eyes on the monument for the first time in an all-expenses paid day trip to Washington. This was the second Honor Flight from Connecticut sponsored by the American Warrior project.

Poole served from 1943 to 1945 as a radar man in the Navy aboard the USS Minneapolis CA-36. Poole said the trip was emotional and at times overwhelming.

"Anything you wanted, you just had to ask," said Poole, who said he was amazed at having the opportunity to see the memorial.

The trip began on a flight out of Bradley Airport at 9:45 a.m. on May 31. Landing at Reagan International Airport shortly after 10 a.m., 100 veterans, along with guardians and a medical team, were greeted with a hero’s welcome. More than 200 people cheered as the veterans exited the plane. A band played music and water was sprayed from fire trucks on either side of the airplane in a criss-cross pattern.

In addition to visiting the World War II memorial and having lunch, participants visited the Vietnam, Korean and Lincoln memorials, as well as the Marine, Navy and Iwo Jima memorials. They also were taken on a bus tour of the city and visited the JFK Auditorium.

The group departed Reagan International around 6 p.m. and arrived back in Hartford to another hero’s welcome at 7:30 p.m.

American Warrior, a charitable organization, brought the first group of 100 veterans to the World War II memorial on Sept. 15, 2007. The group was started by Christopher Coutu, a Connecticut Air National Guardsman, and "seeks to motivate Americans to act patriotically by honoring our veterans."

"American Warrior believes that everything good that we have is directly related to the result of your sacrifice during World War II," wrote Coutu in a letter to Poole announcing his selection for the trip. "May 31st is your day to reflect on a lifetime of freedom and sacrifice...This is your day to take in the magnificence of the WWII Memorial that was built in your honor."

According to statistics from American Warrior, 1,200 to 1,500 World War II veterans die each day in the country. "Each minute in America, a World War II veteran dies, and each hour in Connecticut we lose another veteran," explained Coutu, whose goal is to send 1,000 World War II veterans to the memorial by 2010. To date, 200 have attended. The third trip is expected to be scheduled by September.

The cost to send one veteran to Washington, D.C., is $250 in donations. Veterans do not have to pay for anything. Guardians, who are charged $300, are responsible for two to three veterans during the trip. A full medical team is available the entire day should an emergency arise.

In addition to the flight, all meals are provided for the day. A T-shirt and hat are given as souvenirs and bus fare is paid through American Warrior as a way to give back to the veterans and provide a hassle-free, enjoyable day.

While American Warrior is only planning trips for WWII veterans at this time, future trips will include Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraq veterans.

For more information on attending the monument as a veteran or volunteer, visit americanwarrior.org. Donations can be made to American Warrior, PO Box 337, 35 Main St., Versailles, CT 06383.