Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Victoria Decoster
AUBURN — Schooner Estates, a senior living community on Stetson Road, recently paired up with Honor Flight Maine to give several of Maine’s veterans a trip of a lifetime — flying to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to their past services. Three Korean War veterans now residing at Schooner Estates — Ardell Hayes, U.S Marines, Robert Davis, U.S. Navy, and Rene Poulin, Korean War, U.S. Army — left Portland International Jetport April 3 with 42 other veterans for a weekend they will never forget.
Davis, Poulin and Hayes gave a presentation to fellow residents of Schooner Estates a week later, to talk about their trip. Their day started at 7 a.m. to catch an early flight on a public chartered jet. They were met with bagpipes at the terminal and flew off under a water cannon salute, commemorating this special journey.
After arriving at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, a parade welcomed them as they left the plane, leading the veterans and their individual guardians onto a police escorted bus, ensuring an on-time arrival at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.
Although the exhibit was closed during the trip, Mark Provost, director of resident services at Schooner Estates, took a moment to describe his visit there as part of Honor Flight in 2018. He referred to Fort McHenry as a fitting first-destination, where a short film of the Battle of Baltimore is show before the screen rises up to show the actual spot where the American flag was flying when the national anthem was written.
Provost became emotional when describing his experience as a guardian last year at Fort McHenry. “It takes me back to that moment where you’re listening to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and every vet stands up, even if they couldn’t,” Provost said. “We had one gentleman who was wheelchair bound and he was grabbing at his guardian saying ‘pick me up, stand me up.’ It takes your breath away,” Provost said.
The first night ended with dinner at the Officer’s Club at Fort McHenry, complete with live entertainment, singing and dancing. Everyone was up by 6 a.m. the next day to head to the World War II memorial.
“At the World War II memorial there was a man dressed just like General Patton; he looked just like him and he shook my hand,” Hayes said. “I told him, I said, ‘General, you came back,’ and he said ‘I had to come back to visit the memorial.’ ”
Next they visited the Lincoln Memorial, followed by the Korean War Veterans Memorial, which was especially sentimental.”A couple of people of Korean descent came and gave me a hug, thanking me for saving South Korea. It was fantastic,” Poulin said. “People were very, very warm and friendly; no matter where we went, it was ‘thank you veteran.’ ”
Schooner Estates is an avid supporter of Honor Flight Maine; in 2018, Cassidy had the privilege of being an Honor Flight Guardian. This year he had the special honor of serving as guardian for Hayes. “We make sure the veteran is safe and comfortable during the trip with everything from personal transportation to helping with medications,” Cassidy explained.
“Of course, it’s pretty familiar because of working at Schooner Estates. This last trip was such a great honor, especially going along with Dell and two other Schooner tenants, Rene Poulin and Robert ‘Bob’ Davis,” he continued. “Steve Day, husband of Dianne Day, director of Finance and Human Resources at Schooner Estates, jumped at the opportunity to be a guardian as well as Davis’ daughter, Carolyn Hargis, who flew in from Wyoming to be with her dad.”
After wrapping up activities at the National Mall with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the U.S. Navy Memorial, the buses were loaded up once more to head to Arlington County, Va., home of Arlington National Cemetery, where the whole crew watched the changing of the guard. Lunch was held outside the cemetery, where the Space Shuttle Challenger, Women in Military Service for America and U.S. Air Force memorials are located.
Before heading back to the hotel, the veterans made one last stop at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the branch Hayes served in during his time in the military. The monument was inspired by the photograph of six Marines raising a U.S. flag during World War II.
“There were six statues holding the flag up, but you count 13 hands. I looked at it for a solid 15 minutes and I cannot figure out where the extra hand comes from,” Provost said. “They say that’s the hand of God.”
On Sunday, the last day of their trip, Davis, Poulin and Hayes, along with the rest of their team, headed to the airport to return to Maine. When they arrived at their gate, everyone in the airport stood up to applaud them, thanking and honoring them for their service.
“It was where you felt like home,” Davis said. “Every veteran should take this trip.”
PHOTO: Korean war veterans Ardell Hayes, U.S. Marine Corps, Robert Davis, U.S. Navy, and Rene Poulin, U.S. Army, get ready to head to Washington, D.C. (Submitted photo)
