My grandmother, my hero, Ethel Guffey Simpson passed away on March 12th. She was 99 years young. She made her final flight home from San Antonio, TX to Charlotte, NC to be laid to rest. My cousin was able to escort her home and kept us up to date during her journey. The connecting flight from Atlanta was what really turned out to be special.
An account of my Grandmother's angel flight home: Before the pilot moved an inch in Atlanta he said, "Folks today you're going to get a history lesson. 70 years ago in June US armed forces invaded Normandy." He went on giving specific dates, numbers and names. And then, "Army flight nurses were right in the midst of the battle and the 806th landed on Normandy 3 days after D Day. We are honored to have one of those nurses with us today. Ethel Guffey Simpson is flying home to Charlotte to be laid to rest with her husband, Col. Richard Wright Simpson, also a WWII veteran. Her family traveling with her asked we say God bless our armed forces and God bless the United States of America." He was choking up the whole time, and when he finished, the plane erupted in applause. I went to thank him after the flight and he handed me my note with his card. And then it made sense. He is Brig. Gen. David McMinn, chief of staff of Texas Air National Guard. No other would have been more fitting to fly a fellow soldier home.
The funeral will be a graveside service with full military honors to be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at Sharon Memorial Park, 5400 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28212. Because of my grandmother’s age, she has outlived most of her friends. I am asking a favor for any veterans, active duty military, or proud Americans in the area. If you have time, please come out and join us to celebrate Captain Ethel Guffey Simpson’s life and help us send her off in a manner that she truly deserves.
Oak Ridge, NC
