Veterans of the Korean War view the reflecting pool that honors those who served in the Korean War while on an Honor flight to Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 24. Elmer Hegge and Tom Willems of Garretson, both veterans of the Korean War, participated in this flight. Photo provided by Midwest Honor Flight.
Two local veterans took an Honor Flight last week! Elmer Hegge and Tom Willems both took to the sky with 84 other local veterans from South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. Honor Flight attendees get up in the middle of the night and fly out in the early hours of the morning for a rapid-fire tour of the Nation’s Capital and the National Mall.
“It was wonderful,” said Hegge. “Everybody was so friendly. Great, awesome, wonderful; those are the only words I can think of to describe it. It was so much to take in, a lot to pack in one day.”
This mission, called Mission 5, was sponsored by a generous grant from Smithfield Foods, which donated $125,000 to Midwest Honor Flight, the organization that makes these tours possible. The goal of the honor flight is to give thanks to those who have given so much for this country, and started as a way to thank WWII Veterans. On the Mission 5 trip, two WWII veterans were able to attend, and the rest of the veterans were made up of those who served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
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Tom Willems (middle, wearing a blue shirt and white cap) and son Daniel on their way to boarding the Honor Flight for Washington, DC. In front of Tom is Gazette co-owner Carrie Moritz’s grandfather, Jake Van Voorst. Photo provided by Mark Williamson Elmer Hegge showcases the memorabilia he received from the Honor Flight, where veterans from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were treated to a day in Washington, DC to honor their service.
