Haunted by the Empty Chair

A reflection by the Director of Outreach with Honor Flight Columbus.

Photograph by Alexander Rogers

On the eve of every Honor Flight, the minds of our Veterans race with thoughts of service memories and anticipation for the day ahead of them, Volunteers think of the responsibilities they have and the stories they have yet to know, and staff wonder if there was anything left unpacked or logistics unexplored.  However, on the eve of Mission 141, I sit with something else on my mind, someone else. I always take time to stop and reflect the night before on the 80 or so Veterans who are about to experience an unexplainable healing at the Vietnam Wall, touch the faces etched into the Korean War Memorial, or stand before the fountains of WWII naming the battles where their fathers served. But this time, another thought runs through my mind.

Tonight, I am haunted by the empty chair.

I had the opportunity to meet one of the Veterans we booked for Mission 141. John, a proud Marine who served during the Vietnam War, was set to take his Honor Flight tomorrow. Tomorrow he was to stand before the thousands of names of men and women just like him— who stepped into service for this country. Instead, there will be an empty seat on the aircraft we will board leaving from the Columbus airport bound for Washington D.C. There will be one less Marine looking up at the 78 foot tall sculpture depicting Marines raising a flag on Mt. Suribachi. And there will be one less Vietnam Veteran for you to say “Welcome Home” to at the return celebration in Columbus.

A couple of weeks ago, John’s wife called our office to tell us he was likely to pass away before his flight. In fact, she informed us he wouldn’t make it through the week. There was something we could do. He deserved to be told “thank you” for his service, even if it would be as he took his last breaths. We drove to the hospital and provided a Hero’s Salute, a moment of honor for a Veteran unwilling or unable to take his or her Honor Flight. John had slipped into a coma and was not able to talk with us. But I have to believe that as we placed the Vietnam War challenge coin in the palm of his warm hand, something in him could hear us…could hear the adoration of his wife and the admiration of his brother and adopted son.

Photograph by Alexander Rogers

I am reminded tonight of the empty chairs that surround us on every Mission. I think of the untold stories of the men and women who never had the opportunity to take their Honor Flight. I think of the Veterans who think they don’t deserve this experience, the ones who think someone else should go in their place, and the ones who passed away before they could fly with us.

 My position as Director of Outreach was established because Honor Flight Columbus recognizes the burden of the un-flown— the Veterans who are waiting to fly or may not even know Honor Flight exists. Tonight, I feel the weight of this responsibility. I sit with the Veterans I know and love today, the ones I have met along the way, but especially the ones I will never know.

Photograph by Alexander Rogers

I am haunted by the empty chair.

Vietnam Veteran Jack lays tonight surrounded by his family as they hold his hand and wait for him to pass into peace. Jack is a close family friend of mine, the father of one of the greatest influences in my life. This hero raised a strong, wise, and kind woman who went on to raise two boys of her own, who now watches her own son raise his two boys. This hero may not have taken an Honor Flight, but we will provide a Hero’s Salute of a different kind. His wife will receive a special pin as the spouse of a Vietnam Veteran, the challenge coin Jack would have been given at the Vietnam Wall had he chosen to fly, and finally she will be reminded that her husband’s legacy will not only live on in the generations that exist because of him, but in the hearts of every person who experiences freedom because of his sacrifices.

So, tomorrow, Mission 141, I will let the empty chair haunt me. I will use this reflection to capture the stories of the men and women who will be flying with us tomorrow. I will continue to carry the burden of the un-flown, along with my coworkers, and use it to propel Honor Flight Columbus further into our communities. And with your help, we will reach our Veterans with the news of their Honor Flight.

John, Jack, I dedicate my participation in Mission 141 to you. Welcome Home.

The Quiet Power of Honor Flight Photography

A reflection on the impact of photography during the Honor Flight experience.

During their flight day, Veterans are removed from the normal, everyday context of their lives. This creates a unique opportunity for us. Often, along with their routines, friends, and families, Veterans leave behind many of the defenses they have developed over the years since they left the service. They enter their Honor Flight more vulnerable than many of them have been in a long time. Sometimes this vulnerability is present as a Veteran enters Southwest Baggage claim at the airport before 6:00am the morning of their flight—other times it develops through the day during conversations and visits to their memorials.

It is really challenging to try to articulate what it is like to experience this level of vulnerability. For some Veterans, the jokes they tell or shared laughter that comes from deep inside themselves provide a release for a burden they have carried for most of their lives. For others, release comes when they are met by their own reflection in the black granite of the Vietnam Wall as they gently touch an aged finger to the name of a friend who never came home.  These small moments that take place, sometimes over mere seconds, change the lives of our heroes.

We know this to be true not because of the reminiscences of staff or volunteers, but from the hearts of our Veterans themselves. After every flight, we receive letters, emails, and phone calls from Veterans who were changed because of a flight day. This includes: enlisted and drafted Veterans who served during a conflict overseas, those who fought for their country fulfilling their role stateside, those who went on their flight knowing how difficult it would be and Veterans who might never have realized their internal service wounds never completely healed. All of them share with us the impact of the intimate moments from their flights.

These moments are at the very core of why we exist: moments of profound humanity that speak to the power of shared experiences and the deep, often unspoken burdens of service. If you have experienced an Honor Flight as a volunteer or as a Veteran, you remember what these moments felt like—feelings that even just for an instant connected you so deeply to another person. But have you tried to express what it felt like to someone else who has not been on an Honor Flight? How do you put such vulnerable and emotional moments into words?

The truth is words are not enough. Language is a powerful tool, but these moments transcend its capabilities. It cannot impress upon the reader what it was like to see a man who saw his buddy become a prisoner of war, find his name on the Vietnam Wall. Language can never explain the feeling of laughing with a new friend. It cannot describe the thoughts of a woman who holds the picture of her youth as she processes her service experiences. Above all else, language can never warm you like the embrace of another as you let go of the guilt, anger, shame, or loneliness you have felt for over 50 years.

Pictures allow our Veterans to relive some of the most meaningful moments of their lives. This is why we prioritize a kind of photography and videography during our flights that is dedicated to empathizing with our Veterans. It is why we insist that our Guardians send physical photographs to our Veterans. For our heroes, the images they hold in their hands are lasting, tangible reminders of the newfound peace they experienced. We also provide resources for Veterans and the community at large to engage with a flight day. This includes access to a gallery of photographs from every mission, partnerships with creatives who generously give their heart and soul to honoring the Veterans of our communities, and sharable social media posts aimed to invite you to join Honor Flight Columbus. It is our hope that through these resources, Veterans and volunteers can remember the change they felt on their flight day when strangers became friends and friends became family.

So, next time someone asks why do you serve with Honor Flight or why did you take your Honor Flight, show them a picture. Let the faces and expressions speak for you. If you are considering taking your own Honor Flight, let the faces and expressions convince you.

Reaching 10,000 - Doug Schmitt, Post Vietnam & Global War on Terror

Honor Flight Columbus is proud to be flying our 10,000th Veteran to Washington D.C. on October 10, 2024. To commemorate this significant milestone, we will be sharing the inspiring stories of 10 Veterans. Each story we share will represent 1,000 of the 10,000 Veterans we have had the honor of flying. Follow along as we honor, share, and celebrate the heroes of our country.

Douglas Allen Schmitt was born May 8, 1958. His military career began at the young age of 18 when he enlisted straight out of high school. He graduated in June of 1976 and left for the Army on Oct 5. He comes from a long line of family who served in the military including his father, grandfather, and uncles. In fact, his last name changed spelling due to his grandfather’s service. When Schmitt’s grandfather enlisted during World War I, he removed the ‘d’ from the family name to hide the fact that he was too young to enlist.

Schmitt left for boot camp at Fort Dix New Jersey. The experience was not as challenging as anticipated but admitted that at times he found it mentally tough. He felt that being so young, he was physically able to complete training with less difficulty than if he had enlisted later. After he completed boot camp, he went through Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Eustis in Virginia. He was trained as a helicopter rotor blade mechanic. Originally, Schmitt was under the impression he would get to work on the entire aircraft. The military, however, had other plans.

After his training was complete, he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington. He was there for two and half years as part of the 3-5 Air Cav working on helicopters. During his time there, almost every helicopter in the army was sent to them when they needed to be repaired. Fort Lewis was in a very wooded area which provided challenges for test flights. Schmitt’s job was to fly in helicopters and adjust the rotor blade so the helicopters would fly smoother. Pilots had to be careful because sometimes there would be a tall dead tree rising above the woods. During one test flight, the helicopter was tipped on its side to avoid the obstacle, exposing Schmitt to his first close call.

One of the first times Schmitt took part in a test flight for an AH 1 Cobra, they were approaching the airstrip going about 120 mph just mere feet off the ground. Schmitt thought to himself, “Oh gosh if somebody makes a mistake, I’d be the one kissing the asphalt.”  He reflected sharing, “You learn to double check your work when you are working on aircraft” from experiences such as this.

Schmitt’s military service greatly shaped the person he is today. The military not only instilled in him the importance of a job well done, discipline, and respect—but also impacted him in smaller ways like his desire to be on time and keep things neat. Ultimately, his service taught him great respect for his country. To this day, Schmitt is a race fan. Every time they play the Star-Spangled Banner, he gets goosebumps. He takes a moment to look around and see if others remove their hats or how children respond to hearing the nation’s anthem play. During these moments, he sometimes thinks of life on the base where everyone, children included, had great respect for the country and those in military uniform.

On Oct 4, 1979, Schmitt was honorably discharged for the first time. His brother, also in the Army at the time, drove up to Seattle where Schmitt was discharged. Together they drove across the country back home to Grove City, Ohio. After making a couple of stops, including a visit to Mount Rushmore, the brothers made a quick trip back because Schmitt’s brother was eager to see his girl who was waiting on him in Grove City. Schmitt began renting a room from his aunt’s boarding house and started a construction job soon after his return.

When Schmitt left his construction job, he started working for a fertilizer company. During his time with this company, he met someone who encouraged him to join the National Guard. Schmitt decided to go to school at the then Columbus State Technical Institute and get his license to work more with aircraft. By Dec. 1984, he got a job with the Ohio Army National Guard at Don Scott Airport working on helicopters. He worked there as a technician until he retired from his job in May 2014. At this time, he had accrued around 3,500 hours of flight time in helicopters. Throughout his career, he worked on almost every type of Army helicopter, but the Huey remains his favorite. Schmitt finally retired from the Ohio Army National Guard in December of 2014 with almost 37 years of service.

After reflecting on his military service, Schmitt shared that in his opinion the military offers a lot of potential for the next generation. According to him and his experience, the military prepares you for the world as a young person, teaching work ethic, building character and confidence, and shaping you as a person.

Schmitt went on his Honor Flight on June 13, 2024, as part of Mission 133. Since his trip, he has talked to many people about the experience. He said, “that day will live with me for the rest of my life. The way Honor Flight treated the Veterans, showed them respect, showed them love… it was just a marvelous day.” Schmitt chose to apply because of seeing Honor Flight in the Millersport Corn Festival parade around seven years before his flight. He learned of the organization and how the mission was expanding to include any Veteran over the age of 65 years old who served at least one day of active duty outside of basic training was eligible. Seven years later, this included Schmitt.

As Schmitt shared his Honor Flight experience during the interview for this story he stopped and said, I am getting emotional again thinking about it.” His favorite part of the trip, something he has always wanted to do, was visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and witnessing the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard. He was thrilled by the front row seat to the ceremony and greatly impacted by the reverence, respect, and meaning behind it. His visit to the Marine Corps War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial also stick out to him as memorable moments. Today, he encourages Veterans to take their Honor Flight saying, “Doesn’t matter if you serve[d] a year, three years, or 37 years… you earned that right [to take an Honor Flight].”

Schmitt shared that he has instructed loved ones when he passes:

“When I kick the bucket, you make sure you send a nice healthy check to Honor Flight. I want more people to be able to see and understand and feel what these monuments and what Honor Flight does for Veterans.”

Honor Flight Columbus is humbled to be able to take Veterans like Schmitt, who served during the Global War on Terror, on their Honor Flight. What started as an operation to fly World War II Veterans has now seen Korean War, Vietnam, Post Vietnam, Cold War Veterans and more take their Honor Flight. The next 10,000 Veterans will consist of a different generation than the last. It is with great honor and excitement that Honor Flight Columbus invites every eligible Veteran to join the generations before them on a trip of a lifetime, completely paid for by grateful Americans.