SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – “Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina” carries veterans to the nation’s capital to give them the chance to see the memorials they may not see otherwise.
Last week, we featured that honor flight on 7NEWS and that’s how we met Milton Gordon.
“I didn’t mind serving my country at all,” Gordon said. “It’s something everybody should do.”
Gordon served in World War Two.
He dropped out of school to join his older brothers overseas.
When he came back home he was stationed in New Jersey, then was deployed to Korea in 1951.
There he served on the engineer battalion and built the roads and bridges for men in combat.
Gordon came back to the States before his youngest daughter was born at the end of 1952.
He said taking part in the honor flight was a privilege.
“Being on one of those flights it was one of the best days I’ve ever spent my life, seeing those memorials and everything,” he shared.
Gordon was joined on that flight by 14 other Korean War veterans.
His daughter Debee said his reaction was everything.
“Because Korea was forgotten. They were forgotten, the Vietnam veterans were spit on,” she explained. “So it was really good to hear him share some of his experiences and see him really come into himself by being honored for his service.”
Debee said her dad didn’t talk much about his time in the service until now.
“And I think it’s just in the last 20 years that people are starting to have their eyes opened about that experience,” Debbee Gordon said. “And I’d love to see more people know about what went on in Korea as well. They’re like different people when they come back, if it’s their first flight, that’s for sure.”
She told 7NEWS she hopes other veterans get inspired to join what she calls a healing experience.
Milton Gordon, Thank You for Your Service.
To learn more about the nonprofit Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina, click here.
To nominate a veteran to be featured in our “Thank You for Your Service” series, click here.
