As one of the Northern Nevada veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this month as part of Honor Flight Nevada, Carson City native Don Quilici has been left with memories and faces that he will cherish forever.
Quilici, who turns 83 next month, spent April 7-9 among the 40 or so veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War for the 18th Honor Flight Nevada outing.
Next year is the 20th anniversary of Honor Flight, a national nonprofit program that takes veterans like Quilici on all-expense-paid trips to the nation’s capital so they may tour war memorials and spend quality time reflecting not only their service to the United States but those millions of other men and women who have also served in America’s wars.
“It was three days of tear-filled eyes for myself and many other veterans,” said Quilici. “It was very moving.”
While times have changed since enlisting in the U.S. Air Force 63 years ago, for Quilici the Honor Flight Nevada experience was an overwhelming affirmation of pride for the country, his fellow veterans and the hundreds of strangers who filled airports in Reno, Chicago, Baltimore and San Diego, while cheering him and his fellow veterans, waving flags and shaking their hands.
Honor Flight Nevada boarded Southwest Airlines Friday, April 7 for the trip, overseen by volunteers known as “Black Shirts.” The veterans on the trip are known as “Red Shirts” because they wear bright colored shirts that clearly identify themselves as with Honor Flight.
At each airport during the stop, Honor Flight Nevadans were the last ones off the plane and were greeted by large, appreciative crowds of youngsters, adults and other veterans.
“To see these people recognizing us as veterans — passengers and strangers from all over the country that I’ve never met — little kids, their parents and grandparents, really moved me to tears.”
Each day was organized,beginning with boarding and plane connections. The Honor Flight Nevada troops included veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. One vet was a woman in her 90s who was a Marine in World War II.
The group stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Baltimore. They enjoyed tasty snacks, breakfasts, box lunches and buffet dinners.
“During the entire trip I spent a total of $5. I tipped the bartender,” said Quilici of a reception he attended. The private bus transportation from Baltimore to and from Washington, D.C., was impressive with a police escort to the places they went.
Among those places was the Navy Memorial, the Marine Corp Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and the World War II Memorial.
Among the noteworthy stops, included the impressive Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and having his photo taken with U.S. Senator Bob Dole, a World War II veteran who now spends his retirement welcoming people to the World War II Memorial.
“People lined up, and it was a long line, waiting to get their picture taken with him,” Quilici said of the 94-year-old Senator who received two Purple Hearts for injuries during war time and the Bronze Star for his attempt to assist a downed radioman.
“At all of those locations there were people greeting us, shaking our hands, waving American flags,” said Quilici. “I had the personal pleasure of getting to know my fellow veterans, the Red Shirts, and the Black Shirts, all of whom are very special individuals.”
The return back to Reno International Airport was highlighted by a huge crowd, many with flags, a bag piper and color guard, a welcome home program with speakers and a chorus, plus personal gifts and dozens of letters from residents throughout Nevada thanking Quilici for his service to country.
The Sunday, April 9 return home gathering was the largest reception of any flight to date at the Reno airport.
One very special gift was a decorative pillowcase sewn by an 11-year-old Nevada girl and a huge quilt with Quilici’s name inscribed in it, sewn by Comstock Lode Quilters.
Quilici said he and wife, Elaine, plan to be there for returning veterans on the next Honor Flight Nevada, which will be held sometime later this year. He has this advice to all veterans who have not signed up for the Honor Flight experience:
“If you have ever served in any branch of the Armed Forces and have not been on Honor Flight Nevada, be sure to apply,” he said. “It will be an experience that you will cherish forever.”
Quilici’s Service
Don Quilici enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in October 1954 to be a jet fighter pilot. He passed all tests with flying colors with one exception, he is color blind. Unfortunately this would not allow him to enter pilot training.
But he went with the Air Force anyway, with his basic training at Parks Air Force Base in Pleasanton, Calif. Of the 10,000 trainees, 25 within the group had the highest test scores and were picked by Strategic Air Command for computer training at Offutt AFB in Omaha, Neb.
On the completion of the training, he had the highest test scores of the 25 and was held over as a student instructor for the next three classes. When it became time for him to be assigned to a SAC base, he was allowed to choose whichever unit and base he wanted, anywhere in the U.S.
He went to Headquarters Eighth Air Force at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas and several months later the entire unit was transferred to Westover AFB in Springfield, Mass.
It was the early days of IBM computers, Quilici explained, with wired boards on the computers that processed punch cards. He had “Top Secret” clearance and processed reports from U-2 spy planes that flew over Russia.
“I have told many people that I came to know Leningrad, Russia better than I knew my home town of Carson City,” said Quilici.
This was also the days long before pagers and cell phones, and because of the work processed on the early computers, he could not be more than 30 minutes away from the base. If he went somewhere, he had to leave the phone number of where he could be reached.
Quilici was honorably discharged in August 1958 and returned to Carson City to work for the Nevada Highway Department, now known as the Nevada Department of Transportation, where he retired as its Data Processing Manager in December 1991.
Quilici is married to wife Elaine. The couple spent their 15th wedding anniversary in Maui earlier this month, returning within days before boarding the Nevada Honor Flight.
Honor Fight Nevada
Visit the Honor Flight Nevada webpage here and follow them here on Facebook.
The organization is holding a May 28 golf, dinner and dance fundraiser at Arrow Creek Golf Course. For sign up and details BigJohn@HonorFlightNV.org or call 775-315-3700.