DIETERICH, Ill. (WCIA) — While many veterans look forward to the opportunity to embark on an Honor Flight to Washington D.C., convincing one man from Dieterich required a bit more effort.
Roger Newenham, at 79 years old, was hesitant to venture out. Accustomed to sharing activities with his wife, this trip meant traveling solo, with uncertainty about who would welcome him upon his arrival.
Newenham wasn’t thrilled about taking an honor flight and going to see the memorials in Washington D.C.
“Honestly, I never really thought of it. I never thought of even doing it until my kids got it started and everything,” Newenham said.
His children advocated for the trip, believing it would be beneficial and exhilarating for him to have the experience. Roger served in the Air Force for four years during the Vietnam era.
“I had my doubts about going and everything,” Newenham said.
A large part of Newenham’s uncertainty stemmed from that fact that he didn’t have the love of his life by his side.
Earlier this year, his wife Joan passed away. They’d been married for 58 years. Newenham said he got comfortable not doing much and sitting around the house. He felt like if he left the home they had been in for 10 years he’d be leaving her.
“I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll go ahead and go,’ you know. And like I said, now I’m glad I did. I’m glad I did. It done me some good,” Newenham said.
He said once he got there it was beautiful. He spent one whole day in D.C. walking around, looking at the memorials of people who had sacrificed their lives for our country. But the best part was that Newenham wasn’t alone. His daughter and her family showed up to surprise him.
“I had no idea that they [were] going to be there. I had just talked to her that morning and stuff, and wondered what she was doing. She [said] ‘We went out to eat.’ Well, they were right there in Washington. And I had no idea,” Newenham said.
Newenham said he was able to spend the whole day with his loved ones. And for him, it was a dream come true.
“I would advise any veteran that has a chance to go on one of those that they take it and run with it,” Newenham said.
Newenham said seeing the crowd with posters made the moment special. In the 60’s when the soldiers came home they didn’t get that type of praise, and he said going to D.C. last week made up for it.
