R. Roger Rowe School students send nine veterans on Honor Flight

In Rancho Santa Fe, showing appreciation for veterans for their service and sacrifice by supporting Honor Flight San Diego has become a community effort.

The Honor Flight, entirely organized by volunteers and funded by donations, takes veterans to see the memorials dedicated to their service in Washington D.C. When they return home, they are treated to a big patriotic welcome home celebration at the San Diego International Airport.

Last spring, R. Roger Rowe School held the “Take Flight” jogathon with all proceeds going to Honor Flight. Rowe fifth graders in Jessica Henke’s Leadership and Community Club organized the charity event and a dozen World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans were in attendance.

The students’ goal with the jogathon had been to send at least three veterans to D.C.—between the jogathon and other student fundraising efforts, they sent nine.

“It was remarkable,” said Stacey Halboth, the school’s language arts intervention teacher.

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During the recent three-day trip, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, 86 veterans visited the World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Marine Corps and Navy Memorials as well as Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard Ceremony.

Since 2017, Halboth has inspired kids to learn about Honor Flight. She has volunteered on three previous Honor Flights and this year was her first time serving as a team leader, in charge of 22 veterans in her group. Halboth led the team along with retired Rowe educator Harriet Joslyn and Rowe front desk clerk Dorri Hawkes. Former Rowe student Jake Hauenstein, now a freshman at San Dieguito Academy, went on the Honor Flight with his mother Marsi for the second year in a row. This time Jake served as a guardian accompanying Jim Parsons, a Vietnam veteran from Encinitas.

Students in Janel Maud and Steve Riviere’s classes drew all the envelopes for “Mail Call”, filled with letters of appreciation given to the veterans on the trip. One of the students said: “This is the best activity I’ve ever done at school.”

Rowe parent Stacey Harris also donated snacks for all the veterans on Halboth’s team, which included two World War II veterans, seven who served in Korea and 13 Vietnam vets. The oldest veteran was 98 years old and the second oldest, a 97-year-old, was a medic who served on the beaches of Normandy.

When the group visited the Vietnam memorial on the trip, veterans were presented with American flags —one of those veterans was Larry Stretch, a veteran from Leucadia that the school sent on the flight. During his two tours in Vietnam, Stretch was exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange and has been disabled since he was 24 years old.

Honor Flight volunteers Dee Folse and Mel Taitano presented Vietnam veteran Larry Stretch with a flag.

(Stacey Halboth)

While at the long black wall, Halboth said Larry kept saying: “I know their names, I know them all.”

“He is a true hero,” she said of Stretch. “He sacrificed his body for our country.”

Another veteran from Halboth’s group was Dr. John Gillick, a Vietnam veteran from San Diego. He was brought to Rowe’s jogathon by his friend and Vietnam veteran Pat Bromley, who had just recently gone on his own Honor Flight. Gillick was hesitant to go on an Honor Flight at first but after coming to the jogathon and meeting the children so enthusiastically supporting the cause, he changed his mind. “He knew he had to go after being around those children,” Josyln said.

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Another veteran on the trip with a Rowe connection was Dr. Richard Tannyhill, a Korean War veteran from Solana Beach. He knew Joselyn and her husband Bill back when they started recruiting veterans for Honor Fight in 2012. He was happy that he got to go on the trip with Joselyn, he said: “It’s the best thing ever.”

Harriet Joslyn with Carmel Valley Vietnam veteran Don Cola-Pinto, holding a student-designed “Mail Call” envelope.

(Stacey Halboth)

While many in Halboth’s team were local San Diegans, she was also honored to include Vietnam veteran Clebe McClary from South Carolina in her group. In Vietnam, McCary lost his left eye and left arm when his unit was attacked by the Viet Cong. At the memorial, he pointed out the names of 12 Marine veterans who were with him and gave the ultimate sacrifice, never making it home.

At the memorial, the veterans wore Honor Flight shirts that read “I served” on the back.

Gene Hancock, a Vietnam veteran from Rancho Santa Fe, met former Rowe student Jake when he was at the post office raising money for Honor Flight. He wanted to go on the flight along with his cousin Ed Chitwood, who lives in Lodi.

Halboth was excited to get the cousins on her team but unfortunately at the airport just before they were to leave for D.C., Chitwood had a medical emergency and had to go the hospital. Like any military man, Hancock would never leave anyone behind so he accompanied his cousin, missing the trip. Halboth was devastated that they could not come.

Stacey Halboth with veterans Gene Hancock and Ed Chitwood at the airport homecoming.

(Courtesy Stacey Halboth)

However on Oct. 1 when the flight arrived, Hancock and Chitwood were able to meet the group at the plane and walk down together with all of the veterans, getting the big welcome home celebration they so well deserved.

After the trip, Halboth received a message of thanks from Hancock—he just couldn’t believe the level of volunteerism at Honor Flight, how well organized everything was and how it was done with so much grace.

“I think the dedication and attention to details for putting on one trip is what the veterans appreciate the most,” Halboth said of Honor Flight San Diego. “They appreciate that we care so much.”

A meeting was held this week to talk about next year’s jogathon, which Halboth hopes the school will do again. No matter what, Halboth plans to follow up and continue to bring more veterans to the school for students to meet. She truly believes it changes them, the students and veterans both.