Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight

Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight: 3 who could not make trip honored

South Mississippi military veterans William Taylor Adams, Alvin Loudermilk and William Wyser were scheduled to be on the first Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight.

Each died before the May 11 trip, but fellow veterans and their helpers made sure that the 3 men weren't forgotten on the visit to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The special recognition occurred after U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Tupelo, greeted the Honor Flight, which included 84 World War II veterans.

Jodi Bowers and Jennifer Walton -- 2 event organizers -- placed photos of Adams, Loudermilk and Wyser on the Mississippi panel of the World War II Memorial.

It was reminder that the World War II veterans face a final battle with age, and that efforts to pay tribute to their service are racing against time.

"They are so fragile," Walton said of the veterans.

Walton, who handled the applications for the trip, noted that several veterans had to back out of the first flight for health reasons.

She said, "One of them who didn't show up the day of orientation didn't come because nobody in his family would drive him down here and I guess he was too embarrassed to tell us that he didn't have a way to get down here."

Orientation for the veterans and their guardians -- the volunteers who would assist on the flight -- was held April 16 at Woolmarket.

Wayne Lennep, a vice president and spokesman for Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight, said, "The fact that we had three guys that were going to go with us and they didn't make it to the flight date underscores the urgency of what we are doing because they are late in life.

"It is like one of the guys said, this is the final chapter of their lives."

Plans under way for next Honor Flight

The local Honor Flight is working toward another trip in September.

Lennep said there are about 3,500 World War II veterans on the coast, and he estimated that about 2,000 would be capable of making the day-long trip to Washington.

"We want to get them there as fast we can, and as many of them as we can," he said.

Time is precious: According to Lennep, the nation loses about 1,000 World War II veterans each day.

The Honor Flights are cost-free for the veterans, who are in their 80s and 90s. Veterans must have been in the service by Dec. 31, 1946, to be considered as having served during World War II, Lennep said.

Lennep said his involvement with Honor Flight has changed his life.

"There was a time when maybe I wouldn't have thought about them that much," he said. "Getting to know these guys, these men and women, I realize they are special people. It seems like the more we get to know -- the more we deal with this program -- we are more in awe of them. They all have different stories to tell and they are just a special type of people."

He said, "In a few more years, probably five to seven, most will probably be gone. This Honor Flight program is the last chance to thank them."

Adams was 88 when he died on April 23.

A native of Georgia, he served in the Army Air Corps from Oct.16, 1942, until Nov. 8 1945. He was an "aerial engineer" on a variety of aircraft and ferried them from the U.S. to the Asian-Pacific Theater. At least 13 round trips are documented.

He was a graduate of airplane mechanic schools at Gulfport Field in Mississippi and Burbank, Calif. Near the end of war, he was a crew member on passenger transport aircraft. He was part of an elite crew selected to fly the Japanese surrender team to the Philippines to sign the document that ended the war in the Pacific.

He retired from civil service at Robins Air Force Base where he served in aircraft testing.

His son, Tom Adams of Ocean Springs, said, "He would have been humbled by the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight. He will always be my hero for his service to our country, his love and devotion to my mom throughout her extended illness, and for responsibly leading our family."

Loudermilk of Hattiesburg was 89 when he died April 19.

He was a retired warrant officer with the Army, a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Purple Heart recipient at Guadalcanal.

Wyser of Escatawpa was 86 when he died on May 5. He was a retired veteran of the Air Force as a nuclear weapons maintenance man with the Strategic Air Command.

He entered the Navy in June 1942 and served as a Seabee during World War II in the Pacific Theater on Saipan and Okinawa. He was preparing for the invasion of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima that resulted in the Japanese surrender.

After leaving the Navy, Wyser re-enlisted in the Army Air Corps, which later became the Air Force, where he served for more than 22 years until he retired.