Mission 47 of the Never Forgotten Honor Flight is done!
On Monday, 106 veterans from central and north central Wisconsin went to Washington D.C. to see memorials built for them. Landing at the airport was special for some, something they never thought would happen.
From early morning, the veterans were on the move.
Korean War veteran Robert Schaghy from Cumberland said, “I’ve been excited about it since I heard about it.”
They traveled almost 1,000 miles in one day to see the national memorials for their service.
“It’s emotional,” Army veteran Russell Palmerton from Abbotsford said about the Vietnam War.
They were treated with honor along the way.
“You don’t expect that from the younger generation. You think they don’t care,” Palmerton added. “But boy it showed me different feelings.”
Respect and gratitude were the big things the veterans felt.
Navy veteran Thomas “Hetch” Lund from Tomahawk during the Vietnam War said, “They made me cry.”
But for many, it was who greeted them at the airport that was the most moving.
“Very overwhelmed — tears — very emotional,” Lund said.
“This is awesome, just awesome,” Army veteran Marjean Zoellick from Dorchester during Vietnam added. “I never had so many handshakes in my life.”
Each veteran got a hero’s welcome home, something many never got after their service overseas.
“It’s hard to express,” Palmerton said. “We never got any of that when I got out of the service and got back to the States and stuff. It’s just wonderful.”
They’ll never forget this moment, all thanks to a trip they’ll cherish forever.
