By Patricia Breakey
Some things are just meant to be. Howard Etts said his trip to Washington, D.C., on a Leatherstocking Honor Flight was one of those things.
Etts, 91, of Margaretville, almost missed the flight because of a misunderstanding about where to meet the bus to the Albany airport. But a stranger came to his aid and got him to the airport on time.
Khalil Nazir, 54, of Scotia, said he was finishing an all-night shift at a convenience store on Interstate 88 when Etts came in at about 6:30 a.m. to get a cup of coffee and asked to use the phone.
Nazir said he offered to let Etts use his cell phone but ended up making the call for him using the speakerphone function.
Nazir said that by the time they called the Honor Flight official, the bus was already arriving at the airport.
Etts said that when he realized he had missed the flight, he began to cry, because not only was he looking forward to seeing the World War II Memorial, but he was also supposed to meet his granddaughter in Washington, D.C.
Jessica Etts, 25, formerly of Margaretville, is in the Air Force Reserve and recently completed a tour in Iraq. She lives in Arlington, Va., and works for the Department of Defense as a defense contractor.
"I realized he needed help," Nazir said. "I was in the right place at the right time, and I couldn't ignore it. I told him I would drop him at the airport in Albany."
Nazir said it was a 40-minute trip to the airport, and he admitted driving as fast as he could to get Etts there before the plane departed.
Etts said when they reached the airport, Nazir dropped him off at the baggage area, where someone was waiting for him with a boarding pass.
"I think they waited about 15 minutes for me," Etts said of the other veterans who were scheduled for the Oct. 31 trip.
Etts said when he first found out he was included on the Leatherstocking Honor Flight, "I was so excited, I began to shine my shoes."
Etts had made a reservation at the Holiday Inn in Schoharie and stayed there the night before the flight to ensure he would be on time for the bus. But he said he thought he was supposed to meet the bus at the Schoharie County Office for the Aging, where the group of veterans met previously to talk about the trip.
"I waited and waited, but when the bus never came, I knew something was wrong," Etts said.
Etts said that once he was on the plane, the rest of the trip was perfect.
"My granddaughter was waiting at the Memorial and rode on the bus with us the rest of the day," Etts said. "We met Bob Dole, and people were honking their horns and waving at the bus."
Dole, 86, is a World War II veteran who served in the Army's 10th Mountain Division as a second lieutenant. He was seriously wounded during the war and received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his service.
Dole served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and then the U.S. Senate. In 1996, he was the Republican nominee for president and lost to incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton.
Etts said he hadn't seen his granddaughter in five or six years, but when the bus stopped at the World War II Memorial, he spotted her immediately.
Jessica Etts said her grandfather was in tears when he told her about Nazir coming to his aid.
"He was very grateful to that nice man," Jessica Etts said.
The young soldier said riding the bus with the veterans was an unforgettable experience.
"The oldest man was 99, and my grandfather was next-oldest at 91," she said. "It was a very different, almost overwhelming experience for them. Most of them hadn't traveled or gotten on a plane in years.
"I enjoyed just sitting back and listening and watching them," she continued. "As it was getting toward the end of the day, nobody wanted to get off the bus at the various sites _ they were too tired, but they were thrilled to just sit and look out the windows."
Howard Etts said the national Honor Flight "is a great program."
He joined the Army in 1942 and was a buck sergeant in the 100th Division.
"I was at the Battle of the Bulge, but I was one of the lucky ones," he said. "I love this country."
According to the Honor Flight Network website, the nonprofit organization was created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices.
"We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans _ World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill," according to the site at www.honorflight.org.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
