On Saturday, Oct. 24, two local World War II Veterans were among some 250 Veterans across Alabama who were selected for a day’s trip to Washington, D.C. as part of Huntsville Honor Flight 2009.

Former Lt. Tom Brock Jordan, who was an Air Force pilot and Walter Gramlin Snead who served in the Infantry in the European Theatre of Operations, flew to the nation’s capital and toured many of the memorials and monuments they helped fight for.

Two fighter jets escorted their plane to Washington, which took approximately one hour and five minutes. Jordan, who is 89, and Snead, who will turn 88 Nov. 14, said they woke before 4 a.m. to get on the road for the trip and arrived home around 11 p.m. that evening. But both of these seasoned Veterans endured with little or no difficulty.

Jordan admitted he wasn’t too enthusiastic about the trip at first.

“About a month ago, my son, Jamie, got information about the flight,” said Jordan. “I just wasn’t interested. The older you get you don’t want to go anywhere. I’m 89 and there aren’t many of us still living from WWII. We kept getting letters from the Honor Flight people there at Huntsville and those people on the plane were from Tennessee, Huntsville and Mississippi.”

Upon their arrival in Washington, Jordan and Snead joined their fellow Veterans in touring The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, the White House, Arlington Cemetery and numerous other sites.

“The touching part of it,” said Jordan. “was when we got back to Huntsville around 9:30 p.m. There were at least 200 people you didn’t even know when we got off the plane lined up. They had flags lined up waving with little kids. Some of them wanted to get their picture made with us. That was a touching, touching thing.”

“Tears came into your eyes,” noted Jordan. “We got out of that chute and two little boys, 5 or 6 years old, came up to me and said ‘We’d like to get into the Air Force, how do you do it?’ And the first person I saw, was Betty Zoller, Mary George Waite’s daughter (a former Centre resident.”

Jordan said he got better acquainted with the two fighter pilots who also accompanied them on their tour around town. He found out that they often participate in maneuvers in and around the Weiss Lake area.

And Jordan has already received correspondence from his guardian, Randy Neely of Hazel Green, Ala.

“It was an honor and joy to be able to spend the day with you,” said Neely in a recent letter. “I thoroughly enjoyed all of your stories of Bear Bryant and all things Alabama. I have shared many of the stories with my family and friends. Thank you once again for your willingness to serve our country.”

“Yours was indeed the Greatest Generation,” said Neely. “I realize that without your dedication and service to our country, I would not be able to enjoy the privileges of freedom I enjoy today. I have been and will continue to be praying for your health and well being. I will try to drop you a note from time to time and I will pray that my notes find you doing well.”

Jordan recalled his service as a pilot in World War II.

“You had to have two years of college to apply for the Air Force and I had never been in an airplane before,” said Jordan. “I knew I didn’t have the guts to be a ground soldier. I passed the test to get in it. They sent three of us to San Antonio, Texas. You had to take an agility test. They put smaller people in fighter aircraft and bigger people in bomber aircraft. I qualified for single engine and they sent me to Winston Salem, N.C. for World Transport Command, flew for two or three months, then they decided they didn’t need any more pilots and sent me right back to San Antonio through cadet training again.”

From there, Jordan went to Waco, Texas for primary flying training and then to Victoria, Texas for advance training where he earned his wings.

“There were about a half a dozen of us off the coast of Houston,” said Jordan. “After that, they sent two of us to Eagle Pass, Texas to instructor school. I went through that for about a month and they put me instructing flying in advanced flying.”

Jordan’s son, Jamie, who accompanied his father to Huntsville to board the plane for D.C., said it was an experience he would never forget.

“It just brought home that if it weren’t for the sacrifices they (Veterans) made, you and I would not be enjoying the life we do today,” said Jamie.

Jordan now admits he is glad he relented and made the trip.

“If it had been left up to me, I wouldn’t have gone, but it was quite an experience,” said Jordan. “It would take a 16-year-old person to physically go through that one day with that many hours.”

“The older you get, the more you appreciate going into WWII and coming out of it,” said Jordan. “I couldn’t have done the infantry work.”

Unlike his good friend and neighbor Tom Brock, Snead couldn’t wait to board the plane.

“A gentleman in Gadsden told me about it,” said Cheryl Wright, Snead’s daughter. “I said ‘Daddy would you like to go to Washington?’ He said, ‘yeah, that would be good.’ The gentlemen who told me about it said you just go on line, fill out and application and send it in to Huntsville. It took us eight months. He was on a waiting list. They called him for his trip in October. I am listed as a guardian. I thought I was going to get to go with him, but they didn’t choose me as a guardian. I didn’t think he would go by himself. I think mother had a hand in talking him in to it. When he got back, I said, ‘daddy was that one of the best days of your life?’ He said, ‘yes it was!”’

The grand celebration started, Wright said, with soldiers stationed outside the airport, saluting and directing each Veteran inside.

Joe Fitzgerald, president of the Huntsville Honor Flight, thanked all the soldiers and many volunteers who made this a day to remember for Veterans and their families.

“They received a hero’s welcome in Washington,” said Wright. “We all awaited anxiously on their return trip. Their smiling faces said it all. It was a day we will each cherish.”

Each Veteran received an eight-inch replica of the Statue of Liberty made from materials that were used to refurbish it in the 1980s.

“People were so nice,” said Snead. “They had that thing organized. You had a guide taking care of you the whole time. Doctors and nurses were also on hand.”

Snead said one of his most memorable moments was Arlington Cemetery and seeing White Crosses for miles. “It was beautiful,” said Snead.

Snead served 32 months overseas. His battles include Sicily, Rome, Arno, Naples, Foggia, and the Northern Appenines.

He was a member of the 403rd Field Artillery Battalion, Fifth Army, and a short while in the Third Army. He served under General Mark Clark in the 85th Infantry Division.

General Clark’s men were referred to as Custermen. In one World War II book, Clark quoted that the 85th Infantry Division Fifth Army was one of the most elite fighting groups of men he had ever seen, Wright said.

Cheryl and Snead’s wife, Allene, noted that like many veterans, Snead hasn’t shared too many of his war experiences.

“He did say that they were shot at from airplanes while they were in foxholes,” said Cheryl. “I said ‘how did you stay alive?’ He said ‘we did an awful lot of praying!’”

Since his part in the War, Snead survived injuries caused by some of his cows and also a wreck with an 18-wheeler. In one incident with the cows, he walked back to his house with a broken leg.

“We told the doctor who cared for him,” said Mrs. Snead. ‘“That is a tough old egg you are rolling around. He’s been hurt by his cows, run over by an 18- wheeler and you are still rolling him around.”’

During the application process for the Honor Flight Trip, Wright said, they sent in a picture of Snead wearing a patriotic shirt with the same colors as the Confederate Flag and they were concerned about that.

“We told one fellow about his shirt,” laughed Wright. “He said, ‘Well you know what? I think after he fought in World War II and what they went through, he can wear that flag shirt anywhere he wants to!”’

Snead said he would gladly make the Honor Flight trip again and would encourage other Veterans to do the same.

“I felt the Holy Spirit a lot of times,” noted Mrs. Snead. “But I never had felt the Honor Spirit of all those soldiers with the salute and patriotic songs, including The National Anthem. You just felt like you were in a special place. It was a special time.”

“They had everybody lined on each side, when they got off the plane,” said Cheryl. “They called each one of their names as they walked down like the runway. Then you went to your family. It was too hard to explain what an awesome experience it was for us. I can imagine what is was for him.”