By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Those of us fortunate enough to know Roy (Tony) Simon know for certain that he is a dedicated patriotic guy. As I thought about what sort of story to write in observance of 2025 Veterans Day, I realized how little I know about the Honor Flights that transport our military veterans on one-day trips to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials, and I chose to interview Tony Simon to learn more.
Lt. Col. Roy (Tony) Simon, Geneseo, is photographed at the Vietnam Memorial in Geneseo City Park, wearing the jacket and cap he received when he was a passenger on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. Photo byClaudia Loucks
Lt. Col. Roy (Tony) Simon made a career of the Air Force and during his years of service, volunteered for special operations duty combat in Vietnam.
He was aboard Honor Flight #52 that departed from the Quad City International Airport early in the morning of April 12, 2022, and landed at Reagan International Airport, Washington, D.C., with approximately 80 veterans and about the same number of guardians.
(Guardians on Honor Flights are volunteer escorts, typically between 18 and 72 years old, who are physically able to assist veterans for the entire day's trip. Their role is to ensure the veteran's safety, comfort, and a memorable experience, which includes pushing wheelchairs, assisting with boarding, and helping with meals.
Simon said several sources of media, including television radio, newspapers, etc., advertise early the dates of details of the upcoming Honor Flight, generally once per year. Applications are made available to those wishing to participate. There is no cost for the veteran, however, guardians must pay a fee. The remainder of the cost is funded by local organizations, and “in our case, I believe an organization form Galva, the Back Roads Music Festival, funded Flight #52.”
As a military pilot, Simon recalled landing at the D.C. Airport many years ago, in addition to many trips to the area made by automobile with his family.
The veterans making up Honor Flight #52 spent the day visiting museums, memorials, monuments and the veterans’ cemetery.
What made the trip even more special for Simon was that his son, Tony Jr., came from San Antonio, Texas, came to serve as his dad’s guardian….”We discovered there was one veteran in a wheel chair who did not have a guardian, Simon said. “Since I did not require any special assistance and was able to maneuver on my own, my son volunteered to act as the disabled veteran’s guardian. I was so proud of him for doing the right thing.”
“We visited all the monuments and memorials, but were disappointed that we did not have the time to visit the Space Museum,” he said. “We were late in departing Moline and were not able to visit everything as scheduled.”
Simon commented that everything about the trip was “a highlight, but there are two things that really stood out. There was a huge crowd as we departed and entered the airport at Reagan. These people, more than likely, did not know a soul on our flight but showed up in droves to clap, cheer us on and sing songs.”
He shared another highlight that he said “brought a tear to my eye was a rather large group of very young boys and girls belting out patriotic songs. It was a sight to behold! There was even a good size crowd of people as we departed on the bus to take up to the aircraft”
Another highlight, he said, was the group’s arrival at the Quad City Airport in Moline at the end of the day.
A book of photographs of her dad’s experience on the Honor Flight was put together by Simon’s daughter, Lori Rowe, and includes a photo of Simon and his son, Tony Jr., who was his dad’s guardian on the Honor Flight. Photo by Claudia Loucks
“I couldn’t believe the crowd of people gathered there to welcome us home. What made it even more unbelievable was the hour of the night. Our approximate arrival time was 10:30 p.m., but I think it was closer to 11 p.m., if not later. I’m told these crowds appear at every Honor Flight arrival.”
He added, “I’m heartened by the support our veterans receive from the local folks.”
One of the questions I asked Lt. Col. Simon was his feelings about freedom in the USA and the American flag.
He responded, “As you know I’m a rather patriotic guy. I love my country and the beautiful American flag that represents it. I fly my flag on a pole outside my front door every day to remind me how lucky I am to be an American. I wear my American flag pin when appropriate and I wear it proudly. I volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam because I felt it my duty to do my part to protect my family, my loved ones, my fellow Americans and my country; I would do it again without question. We would not be free Americans had it not been for the terrible sacrifice of our millions of veterans, living and dead. We cannot and must not ever forget what many of them have suffered.”
“I will never forget the experience of having participated in the Honor Flight,” he said. “It continues to remind me that most Americans are thankful for what our veterans represent and are not shy when it comes to express those thanks and gratitude. I highly recommend that any and all veterans participate in an Honor Flight in possible.”
TONY SIMON AND THE MILITARY
Before enlisting in the Air Force, Simon said he had never been in an airplane.
It was while he was in basic training when Simon applied for, and was accepted into the Aviation Cadet program. He completed basic and began pilot and officer training in the Air Force Aviation Cadet program. He trained in small single aircraft as well as World War II B-25’s and B-29’s, and graduated from the program in January of 1956.
He and his wife, Ginny, were married two days after Simon received his wings and 2nd Lieutenant Commission. He was given a choice of assignments in either fighter aircraft or multi-engine transports.
“I chose multi-engine primarily because I thought this would give me a better chance of seeing the world,” he said. “We were transferred to our first permanent assignment in the state of Washington.”
Simon said he flew C-124 Globemasters, the largest transport of its time, at assignments in Washington, Hawaii, Delaware and Oklahoma for the next 10 years.
“As pilots, we were qualified to fly anywhere in the world at any time,” he said. “In 1966, I was selected to instruct other pilots in a new jet transport, the C-141 Starlifter, at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. At Altus, I was an instructor and flight examiner for three years in the C-141.”
Simon recalled numerous memorable missions during his years in transports, including flights to northern Greenland, just 400 miles south of the North Pole; a mission through the restricted corridors in Germany to Berlin; missions to Africa, South America, Australia, Iceland, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, Canada, Alaska, numerous islands in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, “and more.”
“I have experienced on-board fires, hydraulic leaks, oil leaks, fuel leaks, lightning strikes, multiple systems failures, landing gear failures, communications failures, minimum weather conditions, flights through thunderstorms, extreme icing conditions and, of course, engine failures,” he said. “Single engine failures on a mission were common. I very vividly remember a double engine failure, two engines on the same side of a four-engine aircraft.”
“The ultimate heart-thumper was a nighttime bailout of my 13 crew members in the South China Sea.,” Simon said.
In late 1971, Simon volunteered for Special Operations combat duty in Gunship aircraft in Vietnam.
“After stateside training in the gunship, a converted transport aircraft with six side-firing Vulcan rotating barrel 20 mm and 7.62 mm guns and carrying thousands of rounds of ammunition, I first attended an ocean survival course and a jungle survival course in the Philippines before arriving in Vietnam,” he said. “For the next eight months, I flew 120-night combat missions in Vietnam and Laos, where nightly anti-aircraft fire and heat seeking missiles were a constant threat. As the end of the war approached in 1972, since I was the Wing Chief Standardization and Flight Examiner Pilot for the gunship group, I was selected to remain at DaNang Air Base in South Vietnam to train the South Vietnamese Air Force pilots in the operation of the gunship. All the gunships were ultimately transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force.”
After the Vietnam War, Simon was transferred to Kansas, then to North Carolina as Commander of Mobile Aerial Port Squadron, made up of about 300 officers and enlisted men, including a contingent of Air Force Combat Controllers.
“These were intensely trained and highly qualified special forces airborne troops whose sole purpose was to parachute into forward landing and drop zones to secure them and set up communications for follow-on Army Airborne troop drop missions,” he said.
Simon said because he enlisted in the Air Force before finishing his college education, he realized early in his career that he needed to continue his education. He took night classes for the next several years and after a six-month residency, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Nebraska in 1970. He continued his studies and earned a master’s degree in business management in 1977. During this same time, Simon also completed Air Force courses at the Squadron Officers School, the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College.
After a short joint tour with the Army in New Jersey, Simon was transferred to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois near St. Louis as Chief of the Mobile Aerial Port Division at the Military Airlift Command Headquarters.
He retired in 1978 as Lt. Colonel Simon with more than 10,000 flying hours.
His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
He and his wife Ginny have a son, Tony Jr., who served as a medical technician in the Air Force for 24 years and before his retirement, he was a medical technician at a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas; one daughter, Lori Rowe, Davenport, and four granddaughters, two great-granddaughters and one great-grandson.