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“It’s hard to find words to express my gratitude for this trip,” Willems said. “It felt like more than we deserved, but we sure enjoyed it. I’ve been to DC a few times, but it was very nice to visit again. The monuments are some of our greatest national treasures and they’ve added more and made improvements since the last time I’d been there. They keep making more and they keep making improvements, it’s a joy to see.”
“It was my first time in DC,” said Hegge. “I’d never been. It was overwhelming. We went to so many places I’m sure I couldn’t name all the places we saw. A few things that stood out were the reflecting pool, Arlington, the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials and the Vietnam war memorial. It was all amazing. A great big military band played for us when we got off the plane. The police cavalcade that escorted us everywhere we went. Everybody made way for us, everybody smiled and went out of their way to help us, smiling, laughing and joking all the while. People would see us coming and they cheered and applauded.”
“We truly were treated like royalty wherever we went,” said Willems. “Everything went smoothly, the police escort cut us a path through the DC traffic at speeds I’d be afraid to drive at myself. They sure didn’t mess around. People waved and smiled at us everywhere we went, greeting us with friendliness and hospitality. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad that my son [Daniel] was able to come and experience it with me.”
“My niece went with me, and I was happy to see everyone at the Arena waiting for us when we came back home. It was just amazing and I can’t quite express how much it meant to me, to all of us,” Hegge said. “It’s still too much to process. Oh… but one thing I really loved that they did when we got on the plane was mail call. Letters from not just family and friends, but students from schools all over and people I’d never met before, all just thanking us for our service. It was so nice, and it meant so much. I want to write them all back to thank them. One young lady whose letter I read is 17 years old and goes to school here in South Dakota. She told me about her plans for the future and her hopes and dreams. I want to tell her, keep up the good work you’re already doing and you’ll do the nation proud.”
“It was a great experience,” said Willems. “Everyone in the organization was friendly and professional. They knew what they were doing and got us where we were going so smoothly. Our trip was paid for by Smithfield Foods by the way, the company that owns John Morrell. I can’t say enough good things about this trip, other than to say thank you.”
The next Honor Flight is planned for October 12, 2019, and Mission 7 is tentatively planned for May 2020. Applications are required in order to participate, and spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis with WWII veterans and terminally ill veterans on a top priority.
