One hundred and thirty two Veterans, all dressed in their matching red shirts and hats, boarded a plane on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, for the trip of a lifetime. They were all part of the Honor Flight, spending the day in Washington, D.C., touring monuments, viewing the Changing of the Guard, and perhaps most importantly, receiving the recognition they so deserved for their sacrifices for this country.
Aboard the flight were seven Wright County Veterans, all who served during the Vietnam War, and all who were grateful for the people that showed them gratitude and support throughout the trip. These Veterans included Jay Hinze (Air Force) of Dows, Paul Ollinger (Army) of Eagle Grove, Larry Tillman (Army) of Clarion, Bob Keeling (Army) of Clarion, Gary Ruka (Army) of Belmond, Mitchell Roberts (Army) of Clarion, and Stewart Iverson (Marine Corps) of Clarion. All of them served during the Vietnam War. Some were sent overseas, and some were not.
Also aboard the plane were four folded American flags that represented Veterans who were supposed to make the trip, but passed away before the flight. One of those flags was for Air Force Veteran and Wright County resident Kent Gearhart. Each flag with a picture of them was carried either by a volunteer or Veteran to each of the visited memorials. Those included: WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Lincoln Memorial, a brief stop at the United States Navy Memorial, U.S. Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington National Cemetery to see the lowering of the flag and Changing of the Guard. The final visit was the Air Force Memorial.
While all of them agreed the Honor Flight was an amazing, and much appreciated opportunity, their favorite parts of the trip were varied. Ollinger said some of his were meeting other Veterans on the flight, and being one of the Veterans who was able to push Mel Peiper (a former Eagle Grove teacher from many years ago) who was also on the flight, in his wheelchair to see some of the monuments. But what left one of the biggest impressions on him was seeing the Vietnam Wall and all the names of the Veterans who lost their lives there.
Hinze shared that his favorite part of the day was getting to spend it with other Veterans and hearing them talk and share stories.
“I would go again tomorrow if it was possible,” said Hinze.
He added that there was one moment that was especially touching for him. At the WWII Monument, there were some young girls holding a sign, thanking them for their service. He stopped and asked if he could take his picture with them.
“There’s a totally different philosophy of people when they know you are a Veteran and say Thank you…I about started crying when one gal said, ‘Thank you for your service.’”
Hinze answered back to her, “Thank you for your support.”
When the gal rescinded that the Vietnam Veterans didn’t get the support they deserved when they came home the first time, that’s when Hinze found himself a little choked up.
As for Tillman, it was his first time in D.C.
“It was really an eye-opener…I didn’t realize the area was so used…and the Changing of the Guard, that’s quite a deal,” he said.
He also added how much he appreciated Bill Frakes, an employee with Bayer in Clarion, and how he helped in organizing the company to donate a “really nice” backpack for each of the Wright County Veterans to use on the trip. “I want to thank Bill for being instrumental in that donation…it was really nice,” said Tillman.
Keeling’s take on the Honor Flight was that “It was an awesome trip. I didn’t know what to expect…for me, it was finally closure. Some of my friends were killed (in Vietnam).”
He admitted it was nearly impossible to choose a favorite part of the trip because there were so many wonderful things they saw. But to no surprise, he was especially excited to see the Vietnam Wall.
“I was really reluctant to sign up to go (on the Honor Flight),” Keeling also admitted. “Now that I’ve gone, I would encourage everyone to go. Everybody helps everybody.”
Ruka echoed Keeling’s statement saying to other Veterans eligible to go, “Take the opportunity.”
Ruka has actually been to Washington, D.C. several times on his own, but he had never seen the WWII Monument or the Changing of the Guard.
“Those were the two places I really liked,” he said. “The Honor Flight was really a great experience.”
The trip meant a lot to him, seeing all the appreciation from the people because back when he served in Vietnam (he was part of the unit that fired the first U.S. artillery round in Vietnam), they did not receive any kind of welcome home.
“We got out of our uniforms as fast as we could,” he said about returning home from serving.
Roberts said he never realized all of the things they saw were in one big area until he saw it for himself. But the best part of seeing all these things was being able to see it with two of his friends from Clarion – Larry Tillman and Stewart Swanson.
“The Changing of the Guard (at Arlington National Cemetery) was really, really cool. They are so precise on the way they do things…that’s what really got to me,” Roberts added about what made his trip special.
Iverson agreed that the Changing of the Guard was really something special to see.
“I’ve seen it before, but it’s always so good, and the feeling you have while watching them…it’s the most spectacular thing to see,” he said.
The thing that Iverson said he was most surprised with on the trip, however, is that all the contributions for the Wright County Veterans who went on the Brushy Creek Honor Flight trip came directly from Wright County business and individual donations.
“It was an honor to be chosen to go on this flight and I had a great time there,” said Iverson.
“I’ve been to D.C., when I was a senior in high school, with my family…but this was a different family experience going with the other Veterans on the Honor Flight,” added Hinze. “This trip is something that really needs to be supported…the Honor Flight crew did an awesome job.”
When the Honor Flight returned home at the end of the Day to the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, they were greeted with a water salute by the airport’s fire truck as the plane taxied to show their respect. They were also greeted by people from all across Iowa who were there to give the Veterans the Welcome Home they deserved. When the plane came to a stop, the flags of the deceased Veterans were the first to be taken off the plane and were then presented to the families. They were followed by the remaining Veterans who were given “deboarding” passes, which allowed them to be introduced one by one, including their name, branch of service, and county. Many of the Veterans were pleasantly surprised by this special honor.
“It was nice to be thanked,” said Ollinger. “All the people who came out to thank us is what surprised me the most (about the trip)…both in Washington, D.C., and on returning home to Fort Dodge.”
“The board and Julie Reed did a great job,” said Tillman.
Hinze added, “Tell a Vietnam Vet ‘Welcome Home’ and you’ll be surprised at the response you will get.”
Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight is a 501c3 Corporation. All donations are tax deductible and are specifically used to send a veteran to Washington, D.C. It is the contributions of businesses, organizations, and individuals whose donations make all of this possible. The Honor Flights sole purpose is to send all veterans to Washington, D.C. to see THEIR memorials!
For more information about these flights you can contact the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight, or Julie Reed at 515-851-0121.
