Following an Honor Flight, a mission, and a life, completed

Apr. 30—WATERTOWN — Navy veteran David E. Bulterman was having the time of his life on Saturday in Washington, D.C., during an Honor Flight trip when two children approached him at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

"They said, 'Thank you for your service!' said daughter and Honor Flight escort Dara Bulterman-Oliver. "He said, 'Well, thank you for your support!' It was just the cutest thing."

It was also a timeless moment for the family, captured in a photo. Time to experience such slices of life had become a treasured commodity for David and his family after he had a heart attack on Aug. 12. All knew his days were numbered, since he wasn't a good candidate for surgery. Working with Honor Flight, and racing against the clock, they moved his trip to this past Saturday, instead of one set for September.

David and family then counted down the days for the Honor Flight day to arrive.

"We said from the moment he had his heart attack — 'Every day is a gift,'" said daughter Nicole ("Niki") L. Henry, Belleville. "We got 260 days extra. They were all gifts."

David's time on Earth ended Sunday, at the age of 83, 14 hours after returning home to Samaritan Summit Village from his Honor Flight.

As usual, he had an early breakfast of oatmeal at the facility, prepared for the day and then took his usual nap at 11:30. He did not wake up.

"I think he was waiting to do this trip, and said, 'OK. My life is complete. I've had a fulfilled life,'" Dara said. "Someone else gave me a little bit different perspective. As a Vietnam veteran, maybe he just felt like he needed to pay his respects. Honor Flight Syracuse gave my dad a huge gift."

Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization comprised of independent hubs working together to achieve the Honor Flight mission: to celebrate America's veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at memorials in our nation's capital.

While initially focused on America's World War II veterans, the Honor Flight Network has expanded its mission to include those who served during the Korean War, the Vietnam War and veterans of any service era who are critically ill. David was part of Syracuse Honor Flight mission number 20 on Saturday. It also included 21 Vietnam veterans from the Cape Vincent area and Earl Alberry of Watertown. There were a total of 82 veterans on the flight. David was one of about 30 Navy veterans.

On Friday, members of the Wart Hogs motorcycle club, of which David was a member, along with motorcyclists from the Carthadians club and riders from Sackets Harbor American Legion Post 1757 gathered at Summit Village, where David had lived for three years, to escort him to Syracuse. He stayed overnight at Embassy Suites.

"He was enjoying every minute of it and being like a local celebrity, a king for the day," Nicole said. "They made him feel so welcomed. Like royalty heading off on a trip."

David was in a vehicle with Nicole for the escorted trip to Syracuse.

"He was looking forward to the trip," said Nicole, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Samaritan Medical Center. She was the main caretaker for her father. Sister Dara lives in Florida and brother David Bulterman Jr. lives in South Carolina.

"There was 12 motorcycles in front of us and 12 behind," Nicole said. "Going down 81 through construction was not ideal when you're trying to get that many vehicles trying to stay together, but we did it."

At the hotel, David hung out with Honor Flight officials, other veterans and his motorcycling buddies. David's favorite motorcycle was his Harley-Davidson Low Rider when he was active in the Wart Hogs. When his hip started bothering him, he switched to a Harley-Davidson "Trike Free Wheeler," Dara said.

'beaming ear-to-ear'

On the flight to Washington, D.C., Dara got up and sang, "God Bless America," recalled Robert Schoeneck, vice president of operations at Syracuse Honor Flight.

"They asked my father if he would sing, and he said, 'I don't sing, but my daughter does!' So I was very honored and happy to have been able to do that."

Once on the ground in D.C., "He was beaming from ear-to-ear the whole time," Schoeneck said. "A lot of our people got to interact with him throughout the day."

"He had the best smile," Dara said. "It was absolutely infectious."

Dara said her father's favorite part of the trip was "the wall" — the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. "He was humbled to be there and pay his respects."

David served in the Navy from 1958 to 1964. He attended Wayne Central High School, graduating in 1958. He attended Delhi College for engineering and joined the Navy shortly thereafter. In the Navy, he was a nuclear weaponsman, which included the diffusing of atomic bombs. He served on the USS Forrestal, the Navy's first supercarrier, and was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia, until 1964. He was then hired at Xerox Corp. in Webster, where he met his future wife, Sylvia E. Tripi. They were married Oct. 17, 1964, in Rochester, and lived in Walworth. In 1979 the couple moved to Clayton and owned and operated Denny's Cottages for many years. David became a member of the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department and became a Level 3 EMT.

Dara said that a highlight of being an EMT for her dad was working at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and delivering six babies in an ambulance.

David and Sylvia sold Denny's in 1988 and lived in Alexandria Bay, where David was a boat captain for Uncle Sam Boat Tours. Sylvia died in 2006 and David eventually moved in with his son in Adams, prior to becoming a resident at Summit Village.

David's remains will rest in the new section of Military Cemetery in Sackets Harbor. Dara said her parents, both cremated, will be buried together in the cemetery on June 29. "My mom passed 18 years ago, but couldn't be buried until my dad passed," she said. "That's the policy. If you are a veteran, you can't have your spouse buried there first. They'll both be in the cemetery together in a double vault."

Dara's husband and former Sackets Harbor resident Kevin Oliver spearheaded the Military Cemetery expansion project with Thomas E. Spencer. Kevin raised several thousand dollars for the effort through a benefit bicycle ride. The size of the cemetery has more than doubled with the clearing.

welcome home

Honor Flight mission 20 was met with a huge welcome back contingent at Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Saturday. "I had never seen that many people fill the airport," Dara said. "It was an incredible and amazing welcome home. Being a Vietnam veteran, they didn't get welcomed home. So that was really nice."

Among the things that David carried: "He had the largest pack of cards and letters that were sent to him to thank our heroes," Dara said. "I think he had 131 of them."

They returned to Samaritan Summit Village Saturday evening.

"I put him to bed," Dara said. "He was in bed by 10 o'clock. He woke up the next morning, exhausted, as did I. It had been a busy, long day. He woke up, had some oatmeal in the morning, laid down for a nap before lunch, and passed away. I think he just said, 'I'm good.' Within 14 hours, he was gone after his Honor Flight. I really, truly and honestly, believe that he had something to look forward to. He finished his mission and it was a mission complete."

Nicole, the nurse, said she doesn't believe the weight of the trip played a factor in her dad's death, and instead, that it was just a matter of time. David and family knew his heart was not in good shape. Doctors had told them they could try surgery, but there was a 75% chance he would not survive it. Instead, the family focused on, and treasured, time.

"I think it's sadder for other people," Nicole said. "To me, this was exactly on his own terms, and so peaceful. And talk about going out with a bang. That's the way to do it. You have this huge Honor Flight. And then, your mission is done."