A Seabee flies to D.C.

PESHTIGO – For Jim Swiatnicki, a native of Peshtigo and a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Navy as a Seabee, May 27 was a day filled with emotions and memories he will carry for the rest of his life. He was one of the 96 veterans who flew from Appleton to Washington, D.C. on an Honor Flight, a program designed to honor those who served in the U.S. military by providing them with a trip to the nation’s capital.

“It was an early morning get up because we had to be in Appleton for five o’clock in the morning,” recalled Swiatnicki. After a quick breakfast and a few photos at the airport, the group boarded the plane bound for Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C.

“When we landed, they did an honorary salute with the fire trucks where they sprayed the water over the plane,” Swiatnicki said. “As we were walking through the terminal, people all stopped, and they just made lines on both sides as we walked through and just thanked us for our service. It was, you know, put your heart up in your throat moment. It was really, really nice to see.”

From there, the veterans went on a tour of the capital’s memorials. Their first stop was the World War II Memorial.

“We had a limited amount of time because we had an itinerary that we had to stick with,” Swiatnicki said. “From there, we went to the Vietnam Wall, the Korean Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, then it started to sprinkle, so they did the bus tour through town. It took us past the White House and the Capitol building.”

One of the highlights of the trip came when they visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. “When we pulled in there, there were four or five high school buses that had pulled in…They lined the whole walkway to the tomb, and we walked between those kids, and they all thanked us and applauded us the whole time until every last veteran walked through. It was really pretty cool on their part, they let us take the front row and they all stood behind us.”

Swiatnicki spoke of his youth and his entry into the Navy. “I went into the service, I actually signed up for the advancement program. I went in after my uncle lost his life in Vietnam. He was killed on November 2, 1970. And in February of ‘71, I signed up. My mom, she was not in favor at all. My dad signed for me, but she didn’t think I was ever coming home.”

The trip was not only about sightseeing, but also about remembering the sacrifices made by the men and women who served.

He took time to find his uncle’s names on the Vietnam Wall memorial, “It was truly a breathtaking experience, a very emotional experience, I traced my uncle’s name on the wall.”

He also reflected on the emotional impact the memorial had on his fellow veterans. “One guy lost four of his best friends on the same day and he was trying to find their names on the wall. He found them, and they were all kind of in the same spot. And he just sat there in his wheelchair and just sobbed.”

Another vet that Swiatnicki connected with was a 103-year-old woman, noting her infectious energy throughout the tour.

The flight also includes a group of former South Vietnamese citizens who were invited to participate for the first time. “We had 12 Hmong interpreters on board with us. That’s the first time they had been invited to go. They were all interpreters for our soldiers in Vietnam.”

Swiatnicki explained the significance of their sacrifice during the war, “They were at risk because if they got caught, not only [would] they get killed, but all their families.”

Swiatnicki reflected on his days during the evacuation of Saigon, “I was in Guam in ‘75 when they evacuated Saigon. And we built a tent city in Guam for all the refugees as they came in. We had an old part of the base and an old landing strip, and so we put tents up, thousands and thousands of tents, and I was assigning all these Vietnamese refugees to tents…they had nothing but a cotton blanket and a pillow.”

For Swiatnicki, the experience wasn’t just about visiting monuments or sightseeing, it was about healing. “It was actually, like a weight was lifted off your back.”

Touching on the significance of the Honor Flight, which aims to provide veterans with recognition and closure, he recalled, “since these Honor Flights started in 2009, the rate of suicide in Vietnam veterans is down 45%.”

Swaitnicki took a moment to give credit to his guardian on the flight saying, “She was a doctor from Appleton and was also one of the physicians for the flight in case anyone got sick. She was outstanding. She did everything she could for me.”

When they boarded the flight back to Appleton, Swaitnicki explained that they did a mail call. “When we came home at night, we were supposed to be home at quarter after nine, but we had inclement weather. We were delayed two hours. But, when you’re on the plane, you get a mail call. I had so much mail, I don’t think I got that much mail in four years of being in the service.”

Reflecting on his time in the military and the impact of the Honor Flight, Swaitnicki noted the importance of recognition. “There are guys that won’t go because they figured it’s too late, you know, they all figure that people had their opportunity 50 some years ago to thank us so, they don’t want to go now. But, it’s amazing, the ones that said that and then went feel way different. Because you know, you’ve heard the story that they were accused of being baby killers and they were spit at. I know when I got out of the service, when I flew home, I wasn’t even allowed to wear my uniform. I had to come home and change into civilian clothes.”

Swaitnicki emphasized that the Honor Flight experience helped many veterans find closure, “For me, it felt like a weight was lifted off my back. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

As the Honor Flight program continues to provide veterans like Jim Swaitnicki with the recognition they deserve, Swaitnicki’s experience proves just how much these trips mean to those who served.