Bill McGinnis, age 85, Lake Viking near Gallatin, recently went back about 65 years to some of the most exciting and terrifying days of his youth. Bill came of age as a sailor taking part in epic high-seas battles in the aftermath of Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Last October he took a one-day pilgrimage to see the memorial America built to commemorate the sacrifices of those World War II veterans — and all the memories came flooding back.
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"Everybody remembered what they went through," said Bill. "You saw a lot of misty eyes."
Bill took the day trip with Show Me Honor Flight, a program created to fly Missouri veterans to see the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. Honor Flights are funded by private donations and are free to WWII veterans.
Bill joined 35 other Missouri veterans of every stripe, including two women. They are gray-haired warriors now. Most are in their 80s and 90s. Eight of them were in wheelchairs. A lot used canes and walkers.
They looked the enemy in the eye and freed the world in their youth and prime, now they are getting old and frail. Because of their advanced age, the veterans are assigned volunteer escorts and guardians — a small army of caretakers that includes physicians, nurses, paramedics and EMTs — during the whole trip for any personal assistance they might need. They are given name tags in case they get lost and shirts with the "Honor Flight" insignia.
Fewer then two million of the 16 million Americans who served from 1941 to 1945 survive. Another 1,000 World War II veterans die each day.
Time is not on their side.
This day of reflection for Bill started early at 2 a.m. The Honor Flight veterans were escorted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol all the way from Sedalia to the St. Louis Airport. They arrived at St. Louis at 5:30 a.m.
You wouldn’t have expected anyone to be out and about at that dark, chilly hour. But grateful Americans, young and old, soldiers and civilians, turned out in droves to warmly welcome the war heroes. They clapped and cheered and waved banners and flags.
"Everywhere we went there were greeters on each side, shaking our hands," said Bill. "Young people would hug us and cry and be very emotional. They all wanted to hear a story."
The beginning of this journey reminded Bill of the end of another one.
"My proudest moment from World War II was my return to the states," he said. "When I passed by the Statue of Liberty and was warmly welcomed home with a band playing and full fanfare."
The Honor Flight arrived at the Baltimore Airport and then took a bus to The National Mall. At 10:30 that sunny morning, he was standing at the site of the sprawling WWII monument. Emotions and recollections stirred, and Bill recalled a harrowing event and a narrow escape —
Bill volunteered to serve in the Navy in 1944 at the age of 19. He was stationed in the Pacific on the U.S.S. Hinsdale. As a ship fitter, he was in charge of maintaining the ship. On April 1, a kamikaze pilot carrying three bombs flew his plane into the side of the Hinsdale and did extensive damage to the boiler room. The ship’s company suffered 32 casualties. The engineering spaces were flooded and fires were started below decks. Bill was burned by oil from the explosion.
Bill was decorated for "…displaying superior ability and leadership as he personally directed the damage control and fire fighting in the engine room so effectively that his ship was saved and loss of life greatly reduced."
After the smoke cleared and the danger passed, Bill was able to recover the kamikaze pilot’s primitive pistol.
"This was quite the souvenir," said Bill. "But it was later stolen by one of my shipmates, which really upset me."
Following the attack some of the men were removed from the ship. Bill remained aboard to return the U.S.S. Hinsdale to New Jersey for repairs.
After visiting with Missouri Representative Ike Skelton and retired senator from Kansas Bob Dole at the WWII monument, the busload of Honor Flight veterans also saw the Lincoln, Korea and Vietnam Memorials.
Bill went on to serve in the Korean conflict and received many decorations. He served for nine years until he separated from the military with his final rank being 2nd Petty Officer.
Next, the Honor Flight veterans boarded the bus for a short ride to the famous sculpture of the Iwo Jima marines. There they took more photographs and reminisced and Bill was again overwhelmed with memories —
Some of the bloodiest fighting of the war took place at Iwo Jima. About 22,000 Japanese soldiers died defending the island, along with more than 6,000 Americans. The battle was memorialized in the iconic photograph of five U.S. Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi.
"I was there when the marines raised that flag 65 years ago," said Bill. "We were hauling the marines to the island."
The Hinsdale departed from Saipan for Iwo Jima on Feb. 16, 1945. She encountered only calm seas and clear weather. She arrived on Feb. 19 and immediately commenced the scheduled debarkation of troops and cargo. From Feb. 20-25, the ship continued unloading high priority cargo, receiving casualties, which were high during this operation, and retiring each night.
"It was the worst battle of that time with lots more casualties," said Bill. "We lost seven landing craft. We lost so many soldiers we had to roll the bodies and pile them up on the beach to get the machinery up through there. I didn’t think we’d ever make it back to the United States."
Bill was recognized for meritorious achievement "…as a member of the crew of a landing craft on Feb. 19, 1945, during the initial assault landing on Iwo Jima. After taking aboard thee casualties, two of whom were stretcher cases his boat began to sink rapidly while retracting from the beach. He, demonstrating outstanding skill and courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, gave invaluable assistance in carrying the wounded men through the heavy surf to a place of safety. By his imitative, resourcefulness and heroic conduct under condition of great personal damage, he contributed materially in saving the lives of the three men."
The group’s bus took them to Arlington National Cemetery. They drove by President Kennedy’s grave, and then viewed the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown solider.
Finally, the Honor Flight took a bus back to the Baltimore airport. From there they flew to St. Louis and then to Sedalia and then it was time to go home to Lake Viking and his wife, ?????.
"We started out as strangers," said Bill of the other veterans that made the trip. "But that changed. By the end of the day, everybody was a buddy."
Remember that there is no charge for the Honor Flight and all WWII veterans and terminally ill veterans from all wars are encouraged to make the trip. For information about Honor Flight, including the local "hubs," visit www.honorflight.org or contact the national office at 937-521-2400 or send an application via email at [email protected]. Show-Me Honor Flight out of Sedalia, contact 660-287-3271 or 660-553-1080; Honor Flight Network of Kansas City, contact 816-468-8282.