A bus bound for the nation’s capital for the inaugural 2016 Logan County Vets to D.C. trip passes beneath a large flag hoisted at the intersection of Main Street and Columbus Avenue by ladder trucks from Bellefontaine and Kenton fire departments. (EXAMINER FILE PHOTO)
Community invited to show support by lining Main Street
Seventy distinguished veteran guests are bound for Washington, D.C., this weekend in a seventh and final trek to the nation’s capital by Logan County Vets to D.C. — a heartfelt initiative buoyed by volunteer efforts and community fundraising that has provided a healing experience for service members, along with new friendships formed and family ties strengthened since the trips began in 2016.
Friday morning, Sept. 22, the largest contingent yet for the Logan County group, about 180 strong including traveling companions and volunteers, departs the Logan County Fairgrounds in three charter buses.
Among the ranks of the retired service members are six Korean War veterans, along with a number of Vietnam War era veterans. Their sacrifices for their country are honored with the fully paid trip to D.C. to see their war memorials and participate in a number of other meaningful activities as a group.
Community members are encouraged to show their support for the traveling veterans Friday by lining Main Street in Bellefontaine. The entourage will leave the fairgrounds promptly at 8 a.m., heading north along Main Street to U.S. Route 33.
“We would love to see as many people as we can lining the departure route waving or holding flags, clapping or even holding signs of support for our veterans as the buses leave from the Logan County,” organizer Scott Stewart said.
“It means so much to our veterans to see all of the support from our community as they leave on a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. That’s a huge deal to them; it can be a tear-jerker for our veterans.”
Motorcyclists are invited to participate in the send-off as well, and will be staged behind the Grange building at the fairgrounds.
Stewart said it’s also a special sight along U.S. 33 after they leave Bellefontaine, with first responders from other areas waving flags from U.S. 33 overpasses until they reach Columbus.
Logan County Vets to D.C. returns to the county Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24, arriving back at the Logan County Fairgrounds around 5 to 5:30 p.m., where community members also are invited to participate.
“Sometimes the welcome home can be a little sparse. The veterans would love to see people out there to celebrate the special weekend that they had,” Stewart said.
The annual trips began in 2016, and continued through 2019 prior to the pandemic. While the 2020 and 2021 trips were put on hold, two D.C. trips were conducted last year — one in the spring and another in the fall.
The decision that this 2023 trip would be the final trek was made after recent application numbers had dwindled a little. Stewart said the organization believes it has reached nearly all of those county residents who were interested and eligible for the trip, which has included retired service members from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras.
“It is bittersweet thinking about the trips coming to an end. I’ve cried more than I thought that I would,” the organizer said.
“But we have really accomplished what we’ve set out to do. We’re grateful to be able to enable veterans to get to see their memorials and have this time of healing and remembrance and to be able to make connections with fellow veterans and their families.”
Over the years, it has only been through many local fundraisers, generous donations and dedicated volunteer efforts from all ages that the organization has been able to honor so many local heroes with this meaningful and memorable honor.
“The community support has been second-to-none,” Stewart said. “I know first-hand how giving people are in Bellefontaine and Logan County.
“And the people are not giving blindly. They see the impact that the program and the trip has for the participants. It affects more than just the participant. It affects their spouses, their families, their grandchildren, their friends. The trickle-down effect has a large reach.”
Moving forward, even after this final trip, Logan County Vets to D.C. plans to continue hosting these types of events for veterans in the community and its mission of supporting retired service members.
“Our volunteer group will not disband. We have other plans for dinners and outreach projects to serve our local veterans,” Stewart said.
Logan County veterans Ron Banta, Jerry Davis and Terry Heath trace a name from the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C., during the 2016 trip. (EXAMINER FILE PHOTO)