Two Jones County Veterans were part of last month’s Middle Georgia’s Honor Flight, during which they were treated like the heroes they are.
Ted Stone is a veteran of the Korean War, and Richard Mathis a veteran of the Vietnam War. The Honor Flight took place April 25, departing from the Macon Regional Airport and landing in Baltimore to begin their adventure.
The day began at the Macon airport at 5:30 a.m.
Stone said he met with his guardian, whose name was Karl Stone, shortly after he arrived. The veteran said the last names were a coincidence, and they are not related.
The flight to BWI Airport in Baltimore took an hour and a half with 15 Middle Georgia veterans on board. The crew also included a nurse and a guardian for each veteran.
Stone said it was a great flight.
“It was well-planned; everyone was pleasant. We felt honored. They treated us like kings,” he said.
Mathis met his guardian, Sgt. Boyd, who is active-duty military in Baltimore.
The veterans said, when they entered the Baltimore airport, they were greeted by Uncle Sam and a choir singing patriotic songs. They went from the plane to a tour bus, and there was a wheelchair for each veteran stowed in the luggage area under the bus.
Ted Stone
Stone turned 89 a little over a week after the flight and was the oldest veteran on the trip. He used his wheelchair once, to get a front-row seat for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The veteran said they had an orientation meeting prior to the trip. When they asked what to bring with them, they were told to bring their IDs and three days of medications.
“We were told everything would be furnished, and it was,” he said.
Stone said their first stop was Arlington Cemetery, which they toured. He said he saw Army Maj. Audie Murphy’s grave and the graves of two five-star generals.
Murphy was a soldier, actor and songwriter. He was a Medal of Honor recipient and widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II.
Stone said watching the changing of the guard was definitely a highlight of the trip. He said those soldiers and their 21 steps were impressive.
“They have to be really dedicated. The guards are out there, no matter what,” he said.
The veteran said it was back on the bus for more memorials, including the US Marine Corps War Memorial, the Military Women’s Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Air Force Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Wall.
“I had been there before, but this time we were with veterans who had friends on the wall,” he said. “It was hard standing there, thinking of all that happened. It touches your heart and makes you wonder why there are wars.”
He said while touring the memorials, they encountered two other Honor Flight groups, one from California and the other from Kansas.
Stone said their last stop was the Navy Museum, and then they toured the city aboard the bus. He said they went down Pennsylvania Avenue, saw the White House and the Old Capitol Grill.
The veterans said an unexpected treat on the way back to the plane was mail call. He said he received 43 pieces of mail from family and friends, thanking him for his service and to welcome him home.
Stone said their meals were box lunches, and they were very good.
“Everything was first class,” he said.
He said his guardian was great, and he really enjoyed spending the day with him. Stone said the trip is free to veterans, but the guardians, who are all volunteers, pay their way.
He said he was the only Korean War-era veteran on the flight, and everyone who is eligible needs to get their name on the list. Stone said he received notice he was selected for the flight about two months after he registered.
The Honor Flight returned to the Macon airport about 9:30 p.m., and the lobby was filled with people welcoming them home. That included another choir and a large group representing the Stone family.
“I had no idea how many people would be there,” he said.
Stone joined the Navy when he was 17 and fell in between the wars in Korea and Vietnam. He served eight years in the reserves. He is a member of the American Legion in Gray. Representatives of the Honor Flight attended a meeting at the Legion, which is when he signed up.
Stone said he totally recommends the Honor Flight, but he admits it was a long day.
“I was one tired sailor.”
Richard Mathis
Mathis said he has lived in Jones County for 12 years, having moved from Bibb County. He retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad with 36.5 years.
Mathis is an Army veteran who served for two years in the 1960s. He said he heard about the Honor Flight at a senior luncheon at Haddock Baptist Church. The veteran said he signed up at the luncheon and was on the waiting list for two to three years before he was called.
“They call the oldest first,” he commented.
The veteran said Sgt. Boyd was a very nice young man who took really good care of him.
When asked about his favorite part of the trip, Mathis quickly said it was the changing of the guard. That was also his only time during the tours that he used a wheelchair.
“If you’ve never seen it, you need to see it,” he said. “It was the best thing I saw.”
He had not been to Washington D.C. to see the memorials before and enjoyed seeing them all. The veteran said he was impressed with how huge the monument of Abe Lincoln is.
Mathis said the next best for him was the welcome home they received when arriving back in Macon. He said the airport was full of people with a choir, at least one mayor and bagpipes playing.
“That was really special,” the veteran said.
The mail call on their way back to the plane was another memory that stood out. Mathis said he got at least 50 cards welcoming him back home.
He said they got breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks if they wanted them.
“You didn’t go hungry,” the veteran added.
Mathis said a friend of his, Dennis Sapp, was at the airport when he left that morning and was back when they landed to welcome him home. He said that meant a lot.
The veteran also wanted to thank each person who sent the welcome home cards. It was all part of a once-in-lifetime experience, which is the purpose of the Honor Flight.
“If you’re a veteran, you need to sign up and go. They really take care of you,” Mathis said.
More Honor Flight info
Middle Georgia Honor Flight’s mission was founded in 2018 to enable United States veterans of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War — as well as any terminally ill veteran — to visit the memorials of armed conflicts in Washington DC - at no cost to the veterans, according to the organization’s website.
This mission is accomplished through the generosity of local volunteers and sponsors who give what they can to provide this unique experience to the men and women who have proudly served the United States.
Middle Georgia Honor Flight is one of over 30 hubs in the Honor Flight network. They partner with Contour Airlines for six flights per year. It is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that serves 69 Georgia counties with a combined veteran population of more than 126,500.
More information about organization can be found at middlegahonorflight. org, and applications can be submitted online. The mailing address is 1114 GA. Hwy. 96, Suite C-1, #344, Kathleen GA 31047 and the contact phone number is 478-744-1350.
