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.

Reaching 10,000- Rodney Ellis, Post Vietnam Veteran

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.

Rodney Ellis was born May 6, 1959 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. After graduating high school, he attended community college for two years in Virginia before joining the Navy. Ellis decided that he wanted “to see the world.” A six-year enlistment was just the ticket to “get his heart pumping” and enabled his entry into Advanced Electronics. Ellis started his service on June 13, 1979, and began “the adventure of a lifetime.”

Boot camp was the first time Ellis had ever been away from home. After Boot Camp in Orlando, Florida, he attended Electronics Training at the Great Lakes Naval Station for a year and a half. He was moved to Submarine Communications in Athens, Greece which was considered “isolated duty.” After Greece, Ellis was sent to NCS Scottland as an Electronic Technician. His final station was Little Creek, Virginia where he was with the Special Warfare Group and detached to the USS Pensacola.

Ellis was honorably discharged on January 14, 1988, while serving in the Special Boat Unit 20 at Little Creek. It was a cold season—both inside the water and out. The tradition fordischarge from the unit was to be tossed from the pier by the tightly knit group. After receiving his papers and then having them quickly taken back from him, Ellis was tossed from the pier with the help of the entire division. He would like it benoted that it did in fact take the entire group to throw him into the water.

After his discharge from the Navy, Ellis settled in Columbus, Ohio for a job prospect. He has remained with the same company for 37 years and counting. Just two years after he left the military in 1988, Ellis married his wife Pamela in Franklin County Ohio. Together they raised a family of three children. Today, Ellis is semi-retired and while no longer in the Navy, he tries to be near the water fishing whenever he can—though his time volunteering with Honor Flight Columbus certainly makes that a challenge.

For 3-4 years, Ellis has been working Ground Crew for HFC. Ground Crew is responsible for setting up the Welcome Home celebration near the ticketing area of the Columbus Airport. The Ground Crew team, which Ellis heads, makes it possible for around 2,000 grateful Americans to attend the celebration after every flight. But it wasn’t until this summer, 2024, that he took his own Honor Flight.

Previous staff member Karen and Guardian David Oiler had consistently encouraged Ellis to apply. Finally, Karen opened her laptop and had him sign up to fly. Having coordinated the Welcome Homes for some time, he felt he knew all about the flights. Once he took his flight, Ellis understood that the experience was unlike anything else.

“Flight Day was a great experience, with a bunch of [people] who I didn’t deserve to be with,” recounted Ellis. “They had been through Hell and back, and I had just been through some sh*t.”

Ellis perfectly articulated that Honor Flight Columbus exists to serve all eligible Veterans regardless of whether they were in combat, rank, or where they were stationed. Now he has joined the ranks of 10,000 other Veterans who have received this well-deserved trip—a trip full of camaraderie and human connection.

Upon reflecting on his service, Ellis shared the importance of military service in maturing, teaching skills, and learning to work as a team. He challenges other Veterans by saying, “[You] NEED to go. You owe it to yourself.” Honor Flight Columbus is proud to have Rodney Ellis as a member of our family.