Roy L. Downing, born and raised in Davis County near Lake Wapello, now living in Appanoose County with his wife, was one of several hundred to go on the November Honor Flight.

Downing served in the U.S. Army as a medic from 1942 through early 1946. When he returned from the service he began work for the then Conservation Commission.

He may be remembered as the person that drove the truck with a trailer behind it containing all sorts of wildlife including snakes, skunks, deer and fish for the Travelling Wildlife Exhibit that toured the entire state visiting schools and other organizations.

If you are not quite that old you may remember him when he was the Game Warden-Conservation Officer or Fish and Game Officer in the early 1950s. There are numerous people still residing in Appanoose County that knew him in this capacity, either as child, friend or as someone that had an official encounter with him.

The trip to Washington D.C. was a tremendous privilege. The organizations that sponsored the trips, Hy-Vee and Casey’s, did an unbelievable job of coordinating the trips and taking excellent care of every veteran and family member that accompanied them. If someone was not able to walk up the long flight of steps to board the 747 airplane that carried the veterans they had staff or volunteers that would pick them (and their wheelchair, if necessary) up and carry them up to the plane.

The World War II monument was the first stop. It is spectacular and appropriately honors all persons that were involved in that war. The second stop was the Iwo Jima Marine monument. The pictures that you may have seen of this monument does not do it justice. It is wonderful. Then the tour went to Arlington Cemetery. The buses, 11 of them, drove through a portion of the cemetery and the number of graves that you see is astounding. The tour then went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and everyone was able to watch the changing of the Guard. The Vietnam and Korean War memorials were the next two stops. Then the buses did a driving tour of the D.C. area. Emotions ran high at all of the stops and the privilege of seeing these veterans visiting their monument and the others was overwhelming.