AUBURN — Stephen Stomps’ singing voice sliced by way of the chilly pre-dawn Auburn air Saturday morning.
Stomps, a U.S. Military veteran and retired Auburn Excessive College music instructor, was set to be taken to Washington D.C. by way of Honor Flight Syracuse, a program that honors veterans for his or her service. Earlier than Stomps was escorted out of The Commons on St. Anthony facility by native regulation enforcement round 4:40 a.m. to move to Syracuse Hancock Worldwide Airport, Amy Feeney, recreation director at The Commons, requested him to sing “a patriotic tune.” Stomps did not hesitate for a second.
Instantly straightening his posture, Stomps started singing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck and members of the sheriff’s workplace, Auburn Police Division and New York State Police all paused, with officers with hats taking them off. Some officers confronted Stomps and his booming tones whereas others confronted a close-by American flag. These gathered greeted the ending of Stomps’ efficiency with applause, and he and the officers quickly set off.
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As soon as Stomps arrives within the nation’s capital, he and different veterans will go on a scheduled collection of actions arrange by Honor Flight. Stomps was an interpreter/translator in Germany for U.S. Military Intelligence within the Nineteen Seventies. Feeney informed The Citizen Friday that The Commons had submitted an software with Honor Flight for among the facility’s veterans, and Stomps was chosen. Including that Stomps likes to sing at The Commons, Feeney stated the constructing’s workers and residents have been thrilled he was being acknowledged.
“We’re so excited over the entire thing, simply the concept of him going, the general pleasure for the power, the opposite residents are excited to know that he is going. Everyone’s simply wishing him a fantastic journey,” Feeney stated.
Round half-hour earlier than Stomps was escorted to Syracuse, New York Military Nationwide Guard Spc. Javon Cosme was amongst these ready within the foyer. Cosme is accompanying Stomps on the journey and has labored at The Commons since mid-February as part of Nationwide Guard members serving to out at expert nursing services as a result of quick staffing. Whereas Cosme has been part of Honor Guard occasions recognizing older veterans earlier than, he hasn’t accompanied an older veteran for such an occasion earlier than. He stated it’s “completely my pleasure” to affix Stomps on this journey.
“I take it as my private responsibility as a result of whenever you take that oath to serve, you grow to be part of a brotherhood, a fraternity, actually, and it is for all times. So I do it as a result of I’ve to, actually, it is my responsibility, and I’d anticipate that have been I in his sneakers, somebody would do the identical for me,” Cosme stated.
Noting that Stomps has “a fantastic wealth of information,” Cosme stated he can sustain with the veteran in conversations.
“I am more than pleased to do that. He is somebody, despite the fact that I barely know him, I contemplate a brother-in-arms,” Cosme added.
When Stomps was introduced all the way down to the foyer through an elevator, he was decked in with a U.S. Military jacket, a military hat and purple, white and blue tennis balls on his walker. Night time nurse Amanda Evans stated she made certain Evans was sporting applicable apparel for the journey, and talked about that the socks he was sporting additionally had purple, white and blue on them.
“This can be a grand honor, to be honored,” Stomps stated. “My service was lengthy, it was excellent, it was very attention-grabbing.”
Since he hasn’t been to D.C. since he was a younger boy, Stomps stated, he was eager about seeing it once more. Cosme stated one of many prompts deliberate is to see the altering of the guard at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. He talked about that has been “on my bucket record whereas I used to be within the space to do,” though he had been to the D.C. space a pair occasions earlier than.
When Stomps, Cosme and extra made their method exterior, Schenck and the opposite officers all approached Stomps with large smiles and shook his hand. John Quinlan, a veteran who was attending the Honor Flight occasion, was additionally current. Schenck stated the officers could be escorting Stomps for a portion of his trip to Syracuse, and stated the officers didn’t hesitate to become involved.
“Something we will do to honor our veterans, I am there, so I really like this,” Schenck stated.
With police automobile lights flashing, some regulation enforcement automobiles took the lead out of the parking zone with Cosme and Stomps behind in Cosme’s automotive whereas officers with different automobiles adopted them.
Workers author Kelly Rocheleau might be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.internet. Observe him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.
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