Honor bus set to roll in October

SENECA COUNTY --- Another trip of a lifetime for Seneca County military veterans is planned for the fall. For the second year, a Seneca County Honor Bus will transport veterans to Washington, D.C., for a weekend venture that will include visits to the major memorials and other sites. Fundraising is underway to ensure that an estimated 30 to 35 veterans are able to make the trip free of charge, with spouses or other companions paying $300 each to cover transportation, two nights in a hotel, meals and fees. With guidance from the Ashland County Honor Bus, Seneca County veterans were able to establish their own trip, though the two counties' respective busses will travel in tandem this year. Dottie Colbert of Fostoria, the Seneca County bus' coordinator, said 27 veterans made a successful first venture to the nation's capital last year. "When we went last October, it was so awesome," she said. "It was so moving to be there with so many vets, some of whom had never seen those monuments before. A few people had some difficulties and broke down (emotionally). But there was somebody there to hold their hands, so that was good." The charter bus from All-Ways of Ashland will carry 45 passengers, including nurse Cindy Reinhard, Colbert's assistant, Jenn Pahl, and students assisting in such ways as carrying luggage and pushing wheelchairs if necessary. Eleven veterans on a waiting list after last year's limit was reached will get first dibs on making this year's trip, followed by those who expressed interest at the Seneca County Honor Bus' table at the recent Seneca County Fair in Tiffin. Priority will be given to the oldest veterans wishing to go, particularly those who served in World War II, or are terminally ill. Colbert said that while an Ashland bus will again transport the passengers this year, "we hope to do everything local after this." The sightseeing will actually begin before the bus' arrival in Washington, with a stop planned at the Flight 93 National Memorial, which honors those who died when a hijacked airplane crashed in Shanksville Township, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001. Colbert said snacks and water will be available on the bus, which will travel about seven hours east to D.C., and then back. "When you leave with all these people, you don't really know them," Colbert said. "You might know one of the people on board. Most of them, I didn't know. By the time you get back, you've made new friends. It was pretty cool. We all left as strangers, but we didn't come back that way. The guys that were serving, they already had that camaraderie among them; it's kind of an unspoken thing, I think." Colbert said those involved with the Seneca County Honor Bus would like to see other counties' vets get their own trips organized. "Our hope is someone from Wood or Hancock or Sandusky is going to see what we're doing and then we're giving them a hand to get theirs going," she said. "It's only for Seneca County people at this point. Other counties may want to start one, and if they do, we will be more than willing to help them." The Seneca County organizers hope individuals or businesses will sponsor a veteran's trip for $300, though other amounts will be accepted. Checks may also be made payable to Seneca County Honor Bus and mailed to Seneca County Honor Bus, P.O. Box 424, Fostoria, OH 44830. For more information, call 567-245-3272.