Photos of fallen Naval Special Warfare operatives are displayed. Photo by Chris Stone 
Mel Taitano speaks to participants. Photo by Chris Stone 
Veterans fold a flag for the flight. Photo by Chris Stone 
A flag to be folded in reflected in a participant’s glasses. Photo by Chris Stone 
Honor Flight San Diego members fold a flag. Photo by Chris Stone 
A participant adds a flag to the arrangement. Photo by Chris Stone 
Dee Folse (center) holds a folded flag. Photo by Chris Stone 
Participants hold folded flags. Photo by Chris Stone 
Participants gather for a photo. Photo by Chris Stone 
Julie Brightwell (center) holds a flag for the flight. Photo by Chris Stone
When 90 Naval Special Warfare veterans fill their seats on the upcoming Honor Flight San Diego journey to Washington, D.C., they will have 55 unseen comrades with them.
Photos, flags and rubbings of their names will signal their presence. They are the soldiers from their ranks who died in action or in training during the Vietnam War.
“They’re traveling with us in spirit,” said Mel Taitano, a flight team leader.
Julie Brightwell, chairman of Honor Flight San Diego, said: “We want to be able to honor the fallen along with the living combat veterans.”
The 55 flags that have flown over gravesites at Miramar National Cemetery for six months were folded Saturday at Miramar National Cemetery by Honor Flight San Diego members and veterans to prepare them for the trip to the nation’s capital April 26-28.
Miramar National Cemetery and the Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation contributed the flags from the Avenue of Flags.
Chaplain Don Biadog, Jr. said at the end of the ceremony: “We will never forget their courage. We will always remember their valor and sacrifice.”
Honor Flight takes local veterans to see military monuments in Washington and then treats them to a homecoming at San Diego International Airport upon their return.
The flags, photos and rubbings of their names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be on display at their hotel in Baltimore.
Veterans on the flight, who have all served in combat, will have the opportunity to take the photos, rubbings and flags home with them.
The Special Warfare veterans include SEALs and members of Underwater Demolition Teams and Special Boat Unit operatives. Eighty-eight of the veterans are from the Vietnam War, two are from the Korean War.
“This is going to be a public recognition of what they did really quietly 50-60 years ago when they served in Vietnam,” Brightwell said, “so I think that our welcome home will be particularly meaningful for them.”
Those interested in attending the homecoming are asked to arrive by noon April 28 at the baggage claim area of Terminal 2.
“This could be our biggest welcome home yet,” Brightwell said.
Seawolf veteran Walter Frazier, who assisted with the flag folding, said of the special warfare personnel: “I think they were the backbone of what the Navy was really about during the Vietnam War. The SEALs were the Trident of the Navy.”
Said Taitano: “It’s an amazing brotherhood. Not one of them wanted to focus on themselves. They all wanted to focus on their brothers.”
Taitano spoke with the veterans during the trip sign-ups.
“They wanted to speak of them as a whole, as a team and the respect they have for each other.”
Brightwell said the the coming Honor Flight attendees were a cohesive group anyway because many of them have trained together. Some deployed together.
“It has put a lot of SEAL, UDT and boatman back in touch that maybe weren’t in touch already and we haven’t even gone on the flight yet,” she said. “They’re really looking forward to this chance to be together again.”