WATERBURY -- Mike Diogostine never talked about the horrors of World War II with his family. When his old comrades visited and the topic did come up, they'd go behind closed doors so his daughter couldn't hear.
Diogostine is 93 now and still doesn't talk much about his time in the European Theater. But on a recent trip with his daughter, Terry Longo, he didn't need words to convey his feelings.
Longo, president of Waterbury's East End Community Club, traveled with her father to the World War II monument in Washington, D.C., via Honor Flight New England, a charity that provides trips to the capital's war memorials for aging and ailing veterans.
"He could hardly speak, he was so emotional about it. I was worse," Longo said. "He didn't even want to talk about it. He said, 'I can't give it justice.'"
Diogostine, who worked for years as a quality control inspector for ground and construction work at Southbury's Heritage Village, said he could barely express how much the trip meant to him.
"We were treated with the best of any treatment at all. It brought tears to our eyes and love to our hearts," Diogostine said. "It was one of the greatest days of my life."
Honor Flight New England, based in New Hampshire, provides the trip free of charge for veterans, but charges caregivers $400 for the flight, meals and other aspects of the trip.
"They gave them World War II hats, monument pins, a camera; there wasn't a thing they didn't think about," Longo said.
And that included, she said, motorcycle escorts, military bands, ground crews, visits from state congressmen, and salutes and flag-waving from practically everyone, everywhere they went.
The group had solicited letters of appreciation from family and friends, and surprised the vets with an old-time, military-style mail call while on the tour bus.
At the memorial site, strangers would approach the veterans to thank them.
"A woman with two teenage children spoke to my father at length and asked permission to take pictures with him so her children would never forget," Longo said. "It was so heartwarming to see the people who stopped these veterans and let them know they appreciate their service."
Showing that appreciation for the few World War II veterans left is at the core of Honor Flight's mission, said Joe Byron, founder of the New England branch of the organization.
"We hear on every trip, 'We did what we had to do and the real heroes didn't come home,'" Byron said. "This is our very, very small token of appreciation to let them know what they did will never be forgotten."
The trip inspired Longo to organize a fundraiser through her club for the Honor Flight organization. On Nov. 11, which is Veterans Day, the club will sponsor a benefit bus trip to Foxwoods. The cost is $30 round trip, plus an optional $25 for bingo. For more information, contact Longo at 203-574-0519.
↧