George Reighard spent nearly 30 years flying in the United States Air Force, and he served his country during some of its most monumental conflicts, engagements such as World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

In recognition of his service to country, Reighard was treated to a flight to Washington D.C. recently to tour the World War II monument on the National Mall.

Reighard's trip was free of charge as part of Rotary District 7670's Honor Air program. Honor Air was started by the western North Carolina Rotary district several years ago to provide military veterans with a chance to visit Washington, D.C. and tour monuments erected on their behalf. Reighard was one of about 200 veterans, including 15 in wheelchairs, who made the trip from Asheville to Washington to visit the World War II Monument and others.

"What amazed me about this event was how organized it is," Reighard said. "All this had to be pre-arranged, and I couldn't believe how smooth a trip it was."

At the age of 85, Reighard was one of the youngest members of the group to make the trip. The flight left Asheville at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning and touched down at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The veterans were welcomed by firefighters and Sen. Bob Dole before being placed on tour buses to take them to their various stops. The buses were escorted by police officers, and Reighard said the tour guides told the veterans about every monument and building in the nation's capital.

"They knew every angle about every building," Reighard said. "They gave us a real tour on the bus, not just at the monuments."

While the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to visit the World War II Monument dedicated in May 2004, the veterans also took in the other sites of D.C., including the Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial and other prominent monuments along with a trip to Arlington National Cemetery where they watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Reighard said he had not been to D.C. in about 40 years, last taking his family on a visit there when the most prominent monuments were the Washington and Lincoln at either end of the Mall.

"It was just an outstanding experience," said Reighard, noting that the veterans were provided with food and drink on the flights to and from Washington as well as lunch while in the city. "There have been so many wars since (World War II). This was unusual because I was able to be with people like me who had never seen the monument.

"You wouldn't believe how we were treated. We didn't want for anything. It was just a great day. It couldn't possibly have been any better."

After a slight hiccup in Washington - the veterans had to change flights because of some issues with their plane - they returned to Asheville. Along the way, they had "mail call," getting cards and letters from friends, family and students, many of whom they didn't even know, thanking them for their service to country and sacrifices made.

That brought back memories of Reighard's time in the service when he was away from home and received mail.

The veterans were welcomed back in Asheville by about 300 people and a band playing the fight songs of each military branch along with other patriotic tunes.

"It was wonderful," Reighard said. "It means a great deal to those who benefit from a program like this."

The trip was but a token of appreciation for the service Reighard and fellow veterans gave to their countries during various conflicts.

Reighard volunteered for military service not long after leaving Lenoir High School in the early 1940s. He went into the Air Force and began his pilot's training. He even trained with pilots who were part of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in retaliation for Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, practicing the same short-field takeoffs and landings those pilots had to make off aircraft carriers.

He took time away to marry his wife of 64 years, Rose, in 1945. They were married on an air base in Lincoln, Neb., after he had family members bring her to the Midwest from Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk. Caldwell County has been his home for 70 years, the last 36 of those at Cedar Rock.

Reighard spent 29 years in the Air Force and reserves, retiring in 1973 as a lieutenant colonel. While he started flying B-25 bombers, he never was pressed into action overseas in a conflict, instead flying numerous types of cargo planes to transport troops, equipment and supplies. He was part of MATS teams, Military Air Transports. He flew C-119s in Korea and C-124 Globe Masters - the Air Force's largest cargo planes - on three separate missions to Vietnam as a member of the Air National Guard reserves.

"There were more than 500,0000 Americans there at the time," Reighard recalled.

Reighard continued to fly as a member of the reserves and even flew for his full-time job with Broyhill Furniture Industries. He remembered his days of military service fondly, knowing that he was able to avoid a lot of the serious fighting that many soldiers took part in. Still, he made his contributions to war efforts in other ways, primarily by supplying soldiers on foreign soils with their needs.

"I didn't go to war, and I didn't get killed," he said. "I don't feel like a hero or anything. If you were physically fit and able back then, you served your country. I volunteered. We wanted to serve our country, although we didn't know what we were going to do of where we were going. I've seen my share of conflicts, and I've been fortunate enough to contribute to most of them in some way."

And if he had to do it all over again, Reighard said there would be no hesitation about serving his country once more.

"I'd be right there, and I imagine that's what a lot of those people who were with me in Washington would do," Reighard said. "I'm proud of what I did, and I'm glad I was able to do it."