It should come as no surprise that once again the local Honor Flight program left plenty of satisfied customers in the wake of its ninth trip to Washington, D.C., in six years. 

Eleven veterans and their guardians toured the city’s war memorials this month thanks to the Nebraska Mid-America Honor Flight Network, based in Chadron, and sponsors who provide funding to make the free trip possible for the veterans. 

“It’s probably the most impressive trip I’ve ever taken,” said Lyle Fodness of Hemingford. Fodness was drafted into the Army in 1958 and spent his time in the service in California. The show of patriotism all along the route meant the most to him, and to several others on the trip. From the time the Honor Flight caravan leaves Chadron, the veterans are escorted by American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders and law enforcement and are greeted along the route by well-wishers of all ages. 

“The memorials were nice, but the most lasting impression for me was the display of patriotism by the general public from the time we left Chadron, and all the way,” said Lloyd Hunzeker, who spent three years with the Air Force in French Morocco working in a pharmacy. “It was very heart-warming.” 

John Wohlers, who served in the Army from 1954-1957, added his amazement at the turnout for the event, recalling a group of kids who sang to the veterans in Kimball. 

“It was just unbelievable to be escorted that way,” Wohlers said. 

“Everyone told me it was going to be fantastic. They lied,” said E.J. Wheeler, who spent just under four years as a hospital corpsman attached to the Marine Corps. “It was better than fantastic. It was something I will never forget.”

Wheeler, who was on his way to Korea in the 1950s was re-routed to Japan, where he spent much of his time with the Marine Corps, and he was particularly impressed with the Marine Corps Memorial and the memorial to the seven nurses who were killed in Vietnam. As a corpsman, it was easy for him to imagine what those nurses went through, he added. 

“That was just moving.” 

Another highlight mentioned by several of the veterans was the opportunity to hear Secretary of Defense James Mattis speak, with a few of them saying they were lucky enough to be able to shake his hand and share a few words with him. 

Jack Garner of Lusk enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 while living in Crawford, making a career of the military. He was stationed in Japan three times, at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., and served in Vietnam and Korea working in air transportation, saying it was similar to working in a passenger/freight terminal. He most enjoyed his time at Andrews AFB, though he was also serving there during one of America’s darkest days. 

“We sent (President John F. Kennedy) to Dallas on the fateful day, and he came back, of course, there afterwards,” Garner said. 

While in Vietnam and Korea, he worked inside a combat zone, transporting wounded soldiers, resupplying soldiers and shipping soldiers in and out of the country. He also spent time stationed in Oklahoma and California, noting that his 21-year career in the Air Force served as his college education. He retired as a chief master sergeant. . Garner was one of the few able to meet with Mattis and said that moment, along with meeting the rest of the veterans the group traveled with was among the most special. In spite of the royal treatment and the opportunity to see the monuments, the best was saved for last for Garner, when his family greeted him on his return home with a large banner. 

Joe Blanco, Sr., said the only drawback to the trip was that it was too short. 

“I enjoyed it,” said Blanco, who was drafted into the Army in 1943 and sent to England as a military policeman. 

Vernon Gullikson echoed the sentiments of other veterans on the trip, noting that the patriotism shown along the way – even out in the middle of nowhere – was touching. 

“It made you kind of teary-eyed,” he said. Gullikson, who served stateside in the Army from 1954-1956, enjoyed seeing the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, but said there were so many positive things about the trip that it’s hard to name a favorite. 

“It’s hard to describe,” he said. “I’ve read about it and had people tell me it’s fantastic, but you just have to go on it to know.” 

Also on Honor Flight 9 were: Bobby Bernhardt, who served as a stateside Army medic from 1953-1955; Robert Chinnock, who was commissioned into the Army’s field artillery upon graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1952, where he was a member of the ROTC; Paul Christian who joined the Army Air Force in 1946 and served in Germany; and Richard Spencer, who joined the Army and was stationed on the 38th Parallel for a year. 

All of those who could be reached after their return were grateful to the organization and the sponsors who made the trip possible, offering several heart-felt thank-yous. 

“The coordination was great,” said Hunzeker, “It has to be a lot of work.”