Tecumseh Sophomore leaves dance early to greet her grandfather upon his return from D.C.
Among the hundreds of well-wishers in attendance at Saturday night’s Honor Flight homecoming at the Dayton airport, one girl stood out from the rest, sparkling in a homecoming dress as she welcomed her grandfather back from what he considered to be the most memorable day of his entire life.
Amy Snyder, 16, of Donnelsville, woke up at 2:30 on Saturday morning to escort her grandfather Glenn Jeffers and his best friend Charlie Sindlebock to the airport and see them off on their Honor Flight trip. Later that day, after donning her uniform and marching with the Tecumseh JROTC in the Heritage of Flight Festival parade, Amy changed outfits once again, this time into a Homecoming dress, and attended the high school dance. She could not stay for the entire dance, however, as she left early to ensure that she got to the airport before 9 p.m. so she could get through security and meet her grandpa at the gate. Having no time to change once more into her JROTC uniform, Amy slipped through the checkpoint with no time to spare, still in full hair and makeup from the dance.
Amy and her grandfather Glenn are very close, their bond having strengthened even more since Glenn moved in with the Snyders last year.
“We pick on each other a lot, but we’re very loving, really,” Glenn said.
He said he had no idea what Honor Flight was until Amy told him about it after she had attended several homecoming events with JROTC at the airport. Master Sergeant Antonio Ruiz and Major Doug Couch of Tecumseh JROTC consistently attend each Honor Flight homecoming ceremony while school is in session, exposing their students to the veterans as well as the program itself, which was created in Enon ten years ago.
When Amy told Glenn that he could go on an Honor Flight trip, he immediately thought of his best friend Charlie Sindlebock, who he met while signing up for the Navy in 1950. The two have been best friends ever since, and he said they were incredibly pleased to be able to spend the day together in Washington, D.C. touring the memorials with Honor Flight Dayton.
“I’ll try to sum it up in a few words,” Glenn said of his trip. “It was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever been through.”
Glenn said he’d been to D.C. before while he was in the service, but noted that Saturday’s trip was unforgettable, saying that the tour was extremely enjoyable and that he appreciated seeing the memorials that had not been built during his last visit.
“I thought the Korean War Memorial was very appropriate, and very wonderful,” he said.
Glenn signed up for the Navy in the latter half of 1950, saying he knew he would be drafted for the Korean War anyway, as drafting had just begun and young men were being scooped up by Uncle Sam at an alarming rate. He said that his father had served in the Army during World War I and his brother had worked in the Navy in World War II, saying that his brother inspired him to want to join the Navy. He met Charlie while he was signing up, and the two graduated boot camp together before being assigned to the same ship, the USS Midway. Although their paths briefly separated several years later, the two never lost touch, and they still meet regularly for dinner.
Glenn listed the days’ events in D.C., stressing how thorough his tour guide was in describing the different buildings and monuments. He said it was staggering to consider just how much they’d seen in one day, but stressed several different times how memorable and rewarding his trip had been.
“I’m going to find the address of the director of the Honor Flight program in Springfield and send him a note telling him just how much I enjoyed it and just how wonderful his people really are,” he said, noting that he and Charlie’s guardians made the trip even better. “They were so friendly and personable and always smiling,” he said of his guardians.
Glenn noted that Charlie almost didn’t get to go, as he had fallen the day before. He said the doctors insisted that Charlie remain at the hospital for observation, but said that Charlie had been even more persistent, telling them that he was set to go on Honor Flight, and that they could either discharge him or he would walk out on his own. Glenn said the doctors arranged it so that Charlie could go, and noted that Charlie also agreed that the trip had been one of the best experiences of his life.
Although they spent the day touring the memorials of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as the Navy, Marines, and Air Force Memorials and the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, Glenn said the most memorable part of the trip was the welcome home he received at the Dayton International Airport, made even more special by the sight of his beloved granddaughter dressed to the nines.
Amy said her family’s experience with Honor Flight was fostered by Master Sergeant Ruiz and Major Doug Couch of Tecumseh JROTC, as they provided her with applications for Glenn and Charlie to sign up for the trip. Calling Ruiz and Couch “a great team,” she said she appreciates being a part of JROTC because it allows her to participate in community service all year long instead of just completing the mandatory hours during senior year.
She said it was special for her to be able to receive her grandfather in her Homecoming attire, as he had yet to see her in her dress with her hair all done up. Amy said it also gave her great pride to be able to push her grandfather through the crowd upon his return, with her mother Lisa beside her wheeling Charlie through the terminal.
“I can’t say enough about the trip…” Glenn said. “I learned so much about D.C. and the different buildings…I haven’t done anything else that I’ve enjoyed as much…I thought Honor Flight was something they just did out of Dayton, but no, they’re national now, with flights going out of 42 states I think,” Glenn said.
Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam are eligible to take an Honor Flight trip for free of charge. Guardians must pay their own way. To register a veteran or guardian, call Honor Flight Dayton at 937-324-4448, or visit www.honorflightdayton.org.
