Frankie Klinger, 91, of Sedalia, was reminded how important veterans are on his Honor Flight trip.
Klinger was raised in New York and was a middle child of four children. His mother tried to raise them by herself, but she couldn’t handle it. At the age of 6, she took Klinger to a Catholic diocese orphanage called Nazareth Trade School in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Sisters of St. Dominic cared for him and 500 boys. Throughout his time there, he remained in contact with his mother and wasn’t upset with her decision.
kAmw6 H6?E E@ 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 564:565 E@ 6?=:DE :? E96 D6CG:46 :? `hc`] w6 5:5?’E H2?E E@ 8@ :? E96 :?72?ECJ[ D@ 96 3642>6 2 >6>36C @7 E96 hh`DE u:6=5 pCE:==6CJ q2EE2=:@?]k^Am
kAmw6 DE2CE65 32D:4 EC2:?:?8 @? u63] `g[ `hc`[ 2E u@CE tE92? p==6? ?62C qFC=:?8E@?[ 'E] w6 DA6?E ?62C=J E9C66 J62CD EC2:?:?8 :? 82CC:D@?[ 7:6=5 2?5 >2?6FG6CD 367@C6 8@:?8 @G6CD62D] w6 H6?E E@ p]!] w:== |:=:E2CJ #6D6CG2E:@? ?62C q@H=:?8 vC66?[ '2][ 7@C :?E6?D:G6 EC2:?:?8 2?5 E96? E@ E96 (6DE ':C8:?:2 |@F?E2:? |2?6FG6C pC62 7@C 2 >@?E9 @7 DA64:2=:K65 H@C<]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >:55=6 @7 y2?F2CJ `hcc[ 96 H2D D9:AA65 @G6CD62D @? E96 "F66? |2CJ[ 2 rF?2C5 (9:E6 $E2C =:?6C]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 E96 7:CDE EC@@AD @?3@2C5[ D@ H6 925 E96 ;@3 @7 |!D[” 96 D2:5] ~?=J EH@ >62=D H6C6 D6CG65 52:=J E@ E96 `f[___ >6? @?3@2C5] ~? y2?] aa[ E96 >6? 2CC:G65 :? vC66?@4<[ $4@E=2?5]k^Am
kAm%96J >256 E96:C H2J E@ (2=6D[ H96C6 E96J 5:5 7:6=5 2?5 7:C:?8 6I6C4:D6D] %96J H6?E E@ {F5=@H[ (2=6D[ :? |2J] $:?46 2?@E96C @FE7:E 925 9:896C AC:@C:EJ[ z=:?86C 2?5 9:D 4C6H 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 s\s2J :?G2D:@? @? yF?6 e] w@H6G6C[ E96J 925 E@ EFC? @G6C E96:C 8F?D 2?5 6BF:A>6?E E@ E9:D 8C@FA 2?5 H6C6 7@C465 E@ H2:E 2 76H H66<D 367@C6 ?6H 6BF:A>6?E 2CC:G65]k^Am
kAmz=:?86C 2?5 9:D F?:E E96? 4C@DD65 E96 492??6= 2?5 =2?565 :? $2:?E6\|6C6\t8=:D6[ uC2?46] w6 BF:4<=J =62C?65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E96 7@I9@=6[ 3642FD6 E96 v6C>2? A=2?6D 7=6H @G6C9625 2E ?:89E 5C@AA:?8 3@>3D E9C@F89@FE E96 2C62]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE z=:?86C’D E:>6 :? tFC@A6[ E96 hh`DE q2EE2=:@? 7@F89E :? >2;@C 32EE=6D :? }@C>2?5J[ }@CE96C? uC2?46[ r6?EC2= tFC@A6[ #9:?6=2?5 2?5 pC56??6D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 :?72?ECJ E@@< E96 E@H?D[ E96 2CE:==6CJ DE2J65 23@FE `_ >:=6D 369:?5 2?5 4=62?65 FA] %96 >6? 5:5 2 =@E @7 7:C:?8 @7 E96 `dd\>> D6=7\AC@A6==65 8F?] %96J <6AE :?49:?8 E96:C H2J 7@CH2C5 E@ v6C>2?J]k^Am
kAmz=:?86C H2D 2 DFCG6J D6C862?E 2?5 925 E@ 2DD:DE :? =@42E:?8 E96 6I24E 4@@C5:?2E6D @7 H96C6 E96 8F?D D9@F=5 36 A=2465] %96J ?66565 E@ 36 2=:8?65 AC64:D6=J[ D@ E96J 4@F=5 7:C6 2E E96 E2C86E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mwxvw{xvw%$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 9:89=:89ED @7 E96 32EE2=:@? H2D H96? E96J 2EE24965 H:E9 E96 bC5 pC>@C65 s:G:D:@?] %96J H6C6 E96 7:CDE 8C@FA E@ 7:C6 @? v6C>2? D@:=]k^Am
kAm“(6 7:C65 @? v6C>2? D@:= 7C@> E96 A@D:E:@? H6 96=5 :? v6C>2?J[” 96 D2:5] %96J <6AE >@G:?8 E@H2C5 E96 $:687C:65 {:?6] %96J H6?E E@ p2496? 2?5 56DEC@J65 :E 2?5 E96? E@ r@=@8?6] %96k^Am
kAmp>6C:42?D 3=6H FA >@C6 E92? d_ A:== 3@I6D]k^Am
kAm%96 v6C>2?D 3C@<6 E9C@F89 2C@F?5 r9C:DE>2D] %96 p>6C:42? p:C u@C46 4@F=5?’E 86E FA :? E96 2:C 7@C 23@FE E9C66 52JD[ D@ E96 v6C>2?D DFCC@F?565 E96 E@H? @7 q2DE@8?6[ q6=8:F>[ 2?5 E96 q2EE=6 @7 E96 qF=86 3682?]k^Am
kAmz=:?86C 36=:6G6D 9:D D6CG:46 DE2E6D:56 H2D >F49 92C56C E92? 9:D DE:?E @G6CD62D]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F H6?E :?E@ 32EE=6[ :?DE625 @7 46CE2:? E9:?8D 36:?8 5@?6 E96 pC>J H2J[ J@F 5:5 :E J@FC H2J — J@F <?@H[ E96 62D:6DE H2J[” 96 D2:5] }:?6 >6? 7C@> 9:D F?:E H6C6 <:==65 :? E96 H2C]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 96 H2D :? v6C>2?J 2?5 E96 H2C H2D 4@>:?8 E@ 2? 6?5[ 96 ?@E:465 2 D:8? 2E 2 4C@DDC@25D E92E D2:5 bC5 x?72?ECJ s:G:D:@?[ `dE9 #68:>6?E] w6 <?6H E9:D H2D 9:D 3C@E96C v6@C86’D F?:E]k^Am
kAmw6 2D<65 2? |! :7 E96 5:G:D:@? H2D E96C6 J6E 2?5 H2D E@=5 E96J’5 2CC:G6 E92E ?:89E] w6 CFD965 324< E@ 9:D @FE7:E 2?5 2D<65 E96 >@E@C A@@= 7@C 2 ;66A] sFC:?8 E96 H2C[ E96 qC:E:D9 82G6 E96 @77:46CD 2? 2==@E>6?E @7 4:82C6EE6D[ H:?6 2?5 =:BF@C 6G6CJ >@?E9] w6 A:4<65 FA 2 3@EE=6 @7 H:?6[ ;F>A65 :?E@ E96 ;66A 2?5 5C@G6 E@ H96C6 9:D @=56C 3C@E96C H2D]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 8@E E@ 42>A[ v6@C86 H2D D6EE:?8 FA 9:D AFA E6?E] %96J 5C2?< E96 H:?6 E@86E96C 2?5 z=:?86C D2:5 E96J 925 2 8@@5 >66E:?8]k^Am
kAmw6 42>6 9@>6 :? `hcd @? E96 &$$ (2D9:?8E@?] w6 H2D AC@>@E65 E@ E96 C2?< @7 D64@?5 =:6FE6?2?E @? y2?] `d[ `hcd[ 2?5 H2D 9@?@C23=J 5:D492C865 @? }@G] `b[ `hcd]k^Am
kAmw6 C6EFC?65 E@ }6H *@C< 2?5 H@C<65 :? 2 A2:?E D9@A] w6 5:5?’E =:<6 36:?8 :?5@@CD 2== 52J[ D@ H96? 96 D2H 2? 25 :? E96 A2A6C D66<:?8 2 C2?86C 2E 2 8@=7 4@FCD6 :? {@?8 xD=2?5[ 96 2AA=:65]k^Am
kAm{2E6C 9:D 3C@E96C 2D<65 9:> E@ >@G6 E@ !9@6?:I 2?5 z=:?86C 5:5] w6 H6?E @? E@ 36 2 8@=7 4255J 7@C 2 G2C:6EJ @7 46=63C:E:6D :?4=F5:?8 sC] s2G:D[ ':4 s2>@?6 2?5 q2CCJ v@=5H2E6C]k^Am
kAmw6 >6E 9:D H:76 w2K6= 2?5 E96J H6C6 >2CC:65 :? `hf_] %96J 3@E9 =:G6 2E u2:C ':6H }FCD:?8 w@>6 ?@H]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mw~}~# u{xvw%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmz=:?86C H2?E65 E@ 8@ @? E96 w@?@C u=:89E E@ (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ E@ D66 E96 H2C >6>@C:2=D]k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 $9@H |6 w@?@C u=:89E 7@C $6AE6>36C H2D 3@@<65 FA[ D@ E96 DE277 2E u2:C ':6H H@C<65 H:E9 r6?EC2= |:DD@FC: w@?@C u=:89E :? r@=F>3:2 E@ >2<6 9:D 5C62> 4@>6 ECF6]k^Am
kAmw6 H6?E H:E9 2?@E96C u2:C ':6H C6D:56?E[ y:> rC2>6Cj 9:D D@?\:?\=2H[ qF5 {2?D:?8j 2?5 u2:C ':6H DE277 >6>36C[ %6C: w@H2C5]k^Am
kAm“%96 EC:A ]]] >256 >6 E9:?< E92E 2 G6E6C2? :D 2? :>A@CE2?E A6CD@?[ H96C6 367@C6 J@F ;FDE E@@< E96> 7@C 8C2?E65] %9:D w@?@C u=:89E 3C@F89E :E 2== 324<] x <?@H 9@H E96 @E96C G6E6C2?D 766= ?@H[” 96 D2:5] “%@ D2J :E H2D 2H6D@>6 H2D 23@FE 2D 8@@5 2D J@F 4@F=5 D2J]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 H2D DFCAC:D65 E@ C646:G6 D@ >F49 E92?<D 7C@> E@E2= DEC2?86CD 2?5 6?;@J65 D66:?8 2== @7 E96 D:89ED] %96 ?FCD:?8 9@>6 DE277 D2:5 H96? 96 42>6 324<[ 96 76=E =:<6 2 96C@]k^Am
kAmz=:?86C 766=D =:<6 96 92D =:G65 2 8@@5 =:76] “x 6?;@J65 :E] (96? x =62G6[ x’> A6C764E=J 92AAJ ]]] x 5@?’E C68C6E 2?JE9:?8 ]]] (96? x 962C E92E D@?8 ‘|J (2J[’ :E C6>:?5D >6 @7 E96 H2J x =:G65[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
