MOBILE, Ala. — A group of returning veterans were hailed as conquering heroes upon their arrival home via the Mobile Regional Airport recently, even though the war for which they were being recognized was fought more than 60 years ago.

The inaugural Honor Flight South Alabama brought together 92 World War II veterans for a flight to Washington, D.C. on May 6, where they visited the National World War II Memorial and other sites honoring the American men and women who served their country on the field of battle.

Accompanied by 42 volunteer guardians, organizers and medical personnel, the veterans, including several members of the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), boarded a charter flight for the one-day trip to our nation’s capitol to see the memorial that was dedicated to their service in April 2004.

Capt. Joseph Gould of Fairhope was one of the veterans on that first flight. The 88-year-old U.S. Naval Academy graduate served 23 years as a commissioned officer before retiring in 1965.

“It was quite an emotional day,” he said. “Being singled out by complete strangers is humbling in a way. You appreciate what they’re doing for you. It was very exhilarating to be greeted by a couple thousand people.”

Not only were the veterans met with cheers, marching bands and Azalea Trail Maids when they returned to the Alabama coast, they faced a similar reception at Ronald Reagan National Airport and everywhere else they went.

Gould said, “People were coming over and thanking us for our service. We saw a lot of schoolchildren on field trips. I was tickled a lot of these children were getting lessons right on the site (of the WWII Memorial). It made me very happy to see all the schoolchildren.”

One pretty woman visiting the monument even planted a kiss on Gould’s cheek after he told her, “If I had known I was fighting for you, I would have fought harder.”

The Brunswick, Ga. native served in the Korean and Vietnam wars after WWII, commanding a destroyer escort in the early 1950s. He assumed command of a destroyer seven years later.

Gould’s last sea command was overseeing a group of ocean mine sweepers before he became Pacific Fleet Intelligence Officer, stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Time all but disappeared, however, as he stood before the memorial on the Mall in Washington. His mind and heart were suddenly transported back to the day when tyranny threatened free societies around the world.

“Probably the most impressive thing about the memorial after seeing the reliefs in the wall was seeing the stars on it,” Gould said, before choking up briefly. “It shows you for once America was one nation, indivisible. The American people were completely unified, in my opinion, in World War II. Now we’re all getting divided again. I hate to see it happen, but I’m an old man.”

Those dubbed “The Greatest Generation” by journalist Tom Brokaw also visited the United States Marine Memorial (also known as the Iwo Jima monument), along with the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Gould was accompanied on the trip by Montrose resident and fellow retired Navy captain and World War II veteran, Glenn Voom. His assigned volunteer guardian was another former Navy commander, Manuel “Manny” Vital of Dauphin Island.

Gould said he first became aware of the push to establish Honor Flight South Alabama while visiting the Eastern Shore in 2006, one year before moving to Fairhope from the Mississippi coast, by way of Hawaii.

While here, he met Dr. Barry Booth, who serves as veteran and guardian coordinator for the local group. Booth later was in Washington and encountered retired Army Maj. Gen. Carl McNair, a friend of Gould’s who serves on the Arlington National Cemetery board of directors.

McNair urged the Spanish Fort dentist to make sure Gould was on the freshman flight. His request didn’t fall on deaf ears.

“We can’t do enough for ’em,” Booth said, referring to those who wore the uniform of the U.S. Armed Forces. “They put us where we are.”

He credited Margaret Coley for organizing the grand welcome the veterans received in both Mobile and Washington. Booth also gave a pat on the back to the guardians who shadowed the guests of honor.

He said, “The vets had a great time because of the care the guardians gave. The guardians are the most important part of the flight because they made it safe and memorable.”

Making as many flights available as possible is vital, according to Booth.

“It’s a very time-sensitive mission,” he said. “They’re dying at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 a day.”

Although they arose from bed very early in order to catch buses departing the Fort Whiting Armory at 5 a.m., the veterans were ready to go.

Gould said, “Everybody was a little sleepy, but there was an air of excitement. Here we were a bunch of old geezers, going to see a memorial we hadn’t seen.”

This was the first of at least three flights to ensure all area WWII veterans are able to see their monument. The next is expected to take off in September.

Applications for veterans and guardians interested in being aboard are available at www.honorflightsa.com.

There is no charge for the veterans who would like to go, but volunteer guardians are required to pay their own travel expenses, Booth said.

Everyone is well fed, and veterans are given a goody bag with items such as a disposable camera and fanny pack to make the trip more enjoyable.

“Any World War II veteran should try to get in the Honor Flight and take advantage of it. The World War II Memorial is a magnificent thing,” Gould said. He added, “The team that put it together did a tremendous job. It was well orchestrated. It went like clockwork. I didn’t hear of a glitch in the entire routine. It was a memorable experience. I wish every American could see it.”

The flight was made possible through numerous individual donations, and the support of area businesses such as Springhill Medical Center, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Mobile Bay Bears, Wintzell’s and others, including county and municipal governments.

Booth said it costs organizers around $550 to escort each WWII veteran to Washington, and they will accept no money from the veterans themselves. The flights set the group back an average of $75,000 to $80,000 per trip.

If you would like to make a donation, log on to the Web site for more information or send a check to Honor Flight South Alabama, Mobile Area Veterans Day Commission, P.O. Box 2187, Mobile, AL 36652-2187.