Local Vietnam veterans Ramon Silvacoll, Fred Quan, Ernie Zimmerman and Bob Nappi profoundly appreciated their recent emotional trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the Southeast Florida Honor Flight.
The quartet agreed that the positive reception they received in D.C. and returning home to Palm Beach International Airport was the polar opposite of when they returned to the U.S. after their service ended.
“The Honor Flight made me feel like a brand-new person,” said the 77-year-old Silvacoll, who served in the U.S. Marines. “It was such a beautiful thing. It’s a great organization.”
Nappi, who joined the Navy before he turned 17 years old, was surprised at the reception the veterans received both at the Washington, D.C., airport and Palm Beach.
“Honor Flight gave me back the feelings that I had lost for years,” said the 71-year-old Nappi. “When you get treated the way we were treated when we came home, you didn’t want to think about it. I buried it. Not too many of my family knew about anything, so it was easy until I blew up and exploded. The Honor Flight gave me everything that I lost. It takes veterans from a place in a hole and puts them on a cloud.”
Southeast Florida Honor Flight is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from Palm Beach to Washington, D.C., four times a year free of charge to visit the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifices.
Each flight costs about $140,000 and are completely funded through donations, Chair Janet Hoose said. The next flights are scheduled for April 15 and May 27.
They hold several fundraisers throughout the year, and the largest is the Buck Off Challenge, a family-friendly mechanical bull-riding competition on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. on the boardwalk behind the Wellington Community Center.
A limited number of individual VIP reserved seats are available for $75 and includes close-to-the-action seating, dinner and a cash bar. There is free general admission, and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. To register a team or purchase tickets, visit https://seflhf.tofinoauctions.com/buckoff.
Zimmerman served in the Army and had taken his daughters to Palm Beach International to welcome home veterans from previous Southeast Florida Honor Flight trips.
“Honor Flight was one of the best things in my life, other than when my children were born,” he said. “The volunteers are the greatest people I ever met in my life. They’re fantastic. When we got to Washington, the people treated us great. The people who weren’t involved in the organization, when they saw what we were wearing, they treated us like war heroes. When we came home from Vietnam, it was nothing like that.”
Four-person teams compete in the Buck Off Challenge, where individual rides are scored by a panel of celebrity judges and totaled to determine the winning team. Riders are scored on their ability to stay on the bull while always keeping one hand in the air and the style of the ride. Higher scores may be achieved for character, team spirit and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. There will also be prizes for Most Entertaining Team, Highest Scoring Individual, Highest Scoring Youth Rider (12 and under) and Highest Scoring Rookie Rider. The entry fee is $100 per team.
The Buck Off Challenge is being co-sponsored by the Village of Wellington and Signature Sponsor philanthropist Dr. Shamser Singh of Port St. Lucie. Other major sponsors include philanthropists Sanjiv Sharma and Nadine Allen of Highland Beach, Madison Sport Horses, IDA Development, Carolex Stables, Travis Laas, Triple Crown Group, IDA Farm, and Pro Plumbing and Gas. Additional supporters include Vitas Healthcare, All Pro Pools, Red Mile and Heaven Aire Air Conditioning. Food sponsors are Bolay, Bonefish Grill and PDQ.
Quan was a platoon leader in the U.S. Army and believes that veterans should take advantage of the Southeast Florida Honor Flight services.
“I would totally recommend that [veterans] should go because it is a really inspiring thing that your efforts during the war were appreciated,” said the 76-year-old Quan.
For more information about the Buck Off Challenge and Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightsefl.org.
