Kendall Dechaene shows the souvenirs he brought home from his Honor Flight.

It’s Honor Flight season again, as the first flight of 2016 took off for Washington, D.C. early Saturday morning with 89 veterans on-board, three of whom reside in New Carlisle. Kendall Dechaene, Ruth Keller, and Ron Manemann were given a first-class tour of the nation’s capital as they traveled all around the D.C. and Arlington with the men and women from Honor Flight Dayton.

All three New Carlisle veterans were kind enough to share with us stories from their trip—each of them stressing just how incredibly memorable the day’s events had been. While the veterans’ respective roles in the nation’s armed services were quite different, their experiences on Honor Flight were all overwhelmingly positive, and although the busy day and lack of sleep found them still a bit tired the next day, their enthusiasm in recalling the trip’s events was quite lively.

Kendall Dechaene has lived in New Carlisle since 1979, and as a former military brat who traveled frequently from place to place in his childhood, Dechaene is extremely content to have found a place where he can put down roots.

Dechaene served in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1966 and was stationed in Morocco, Turkey, and then France. He said his unit wasn’t in Morocco a full day when they learned that they had to leave for Turkey, as the Cuban Missile Crisis progressed and posed new threats.

“Half of the bus got to go to Athens, which was considered a fantastic assignment, and the other half went to Turkey,” Dechaene said. “I was one of the unlucky ones who had to go to Turkey.”

He said he was glad to have gained the experience, but stated he would never go willingly back to Turkey, as its culture and way of life are far too different from our own, Dechaene said. Growing up the son of a diplomat, Dechaene lived all over the world and came to appreciate numerous different cultures, but said he just couldn’t accept the Turkish way of life while he was stationed there. Despite his acquired appreciation for different global cultures, there are none appreciates more than the hometown living found in New Carlisle, Ohio. An engaged local history buff and avid kayaker, Dechaene has come a long way from the self-described bad student who hated school to a lifelong lover of learning, as he is often taken with a new task or topic that can teach him more about his adopted hometown.

Dechaene submitted his Honor Flight application earlier this winter, but not before sharing the form with his two friends from N.A.R.F.E.—Ray Hines and Thomas Prince. After printing off two applications for Hines and Prince, Dechaene submitted the forms and later learned that all three of them would get to go on the same flight. He said that because they are all in good health, the trio was assigned just one guardian to accompany them as they visited all of the capital’s war memorials as well as the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

He said that the tour of the memorials was wonderful, but maintained that the most powerful part of the trip was the grand welcoming ceremony they received at the Dayton International Airport that night when they returned home.

“That gave me a little bit of a lump in my throat,” said Dechaene of the wild welcome by hundreds of well-wishers, friends, and family members who showed up early that evening to welcome the veterans home. “You should’ve seen this tiny little girl who ran up and gave me an American Flag,” he said.

“I wasn’t quite sure how I should behave,” he said of the “gauntlet” of servicemen and civilians who lined the main terminal to witness the flight’s return. “I decided to salute because it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Dechaene said although he is a veteran, he couldn’t help but feel a little unworthy of the fanfare compared to some of the men on the flight who had seen combat, as he flew with men and women who served in Korea, Vietnam, and World War Two. He did note that it was touching to watch the Honor Flight administrators present a cake to a veteran on the flight who celebrated his 94th birthday on Saturday, as all of the veterans and guardians joined in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” beneath the towering curved spires of the Air Force Memorial.

New Carlisle’s Ruth Keller was one of a handful of female veterans who flew on Saturday’s trip, and with happiness exploding through her voice, she couldn’t begin to say enough good things about the day.

“It was the most fabulous trip I’ve ever been on in my life!” she exclaimed. “The people are so gracious and so wonderful—it was so exciting—the whole day.”

Keller especially praised the group’s tour guide for the day, Al Bailey, as she recalled how thorough and detailed he was in explaining each stop.

She said it was significant to note that the Honor Flight Dayton organization runs solely on donations, adding that The Troy Foundation sponsored her flight.

“They’ve given $10,000 each year for the past several years,” she said, obviously having paid close attention to Bailey’s speeches.

Bailey apparently took special care of Keller, as she said he immediately remembered her name and even asked her to dance a few times.

“He’s so informed about everything,” she said of Bailey.

Keller spent three years in the Air Force during the time of the Korean Conflict, but because she was not yet 21, Keller was prohibited from being stationed abroad.

“I graduated high school in June and went in September of ’49,” she said. “I got out in ’52 because I got married.” Keller married former New Carlisle Mayor Charles Keller, who served the city for 11 years.

Like Dechaene, Keller said the welcoming ceremony at the Dayton Airport was the most memorable event of the day, and also noted the respect shown by small children who reached out to greet the returning vets.

“There was an army of people at the gate, and even the smallest of children wanted to shake your hand,” she said.

Keller said she didn’t know that Ron Manemann was also going on Saturday’s flight until she ran into him at the airport when she first arrived in the wee hours of morning. Keller knew Manemann through his time on City Council for four years in the early 1970s.

Manemann is a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. He said his reason for joining the service was simple—he really wanted to be an airplane mechanic—and he knew the best way to accomplish that was by joining the Air Force. He served in the Air Force for nine years, stationed at one time in Okinawa, and also in the Air Force Reserves for five more years. After returning home from Japan, he transferred to a reserve air base in Wilmington, Ohio, and then eventually met his wife Jane at a roller skating rink in Washington Court House. The couple has now been married for 52 years, and together has compiled an impressive past in New Carlisle community service, as Jane too served on City Council.

Manemann said while the welcome home reception was great, he considered the letters he received during “mail call” to be the most memorable part of the trip. As is custom on each Honor Flight, on the return flight from D.C., veterans are presented with huge envelopes stuffed full of letters and thank you notes from friends, family, and even complete strangers. He said he was overwhelmed as he pulled out nearly two dozen letters from loved ones and former colleagues of his from the New Carlisle Fire Division—a crew with which Manemann still runs on a part-time basis.

Manemann’s trip was made even more special by the presence of his two guardians—his sons Rex and Robbie—who accompanied him everywhere throughout the day.

Honor Flight Dayton is accepting all veterans who served during World War Two or the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, regardless of where the service was performed. Veterans of World War Two are given preference over others for obvious reasons, but the waiting period to be selected for a flight has become rather speedy in recent years. To apply for an Honor Flight trip, which is completely free to veterans and includes three meals, snacks, and medical observation, call 937-322-4448, or visit www.honorflightdayton.org.

Veterans and civilians alike are invited to attend the homecoming ceremony for the April 30 trip, which will be held around 10 p.m. that night in the main terminal of the Dayton International Airport. No reservations are required, and parking is free for those welcoming the veterans home.

First Group 2x2
First Group 2x2
Local News

Stories on people, places, events and businesses right here in Western Clark County.

Local Government

Meetings and news from local Boards of Education, Township Trustees and County Commissioners.

Sports

Arrows, Bees & Warriors; we cover all local high school sports, as well as local semi-pro and adult leagues