“This flight was probably the most challenging from a guardian’s standpoint,” said Loken. “Most of the veterans had mobility issues and had to be loaded in and out of wheelchairs.”
The guardians are the 51 volunteers who assist the veterans during the trip, in addition to the doctors and other medical staff accompanying the veterans.
The Honor Flight is a busy day for everyone who participates. The day starts out with an early morning flight to DC. Finally arriving in DC at about 9:30 a.m, buses take the veterans to the WWII Memorial for about two hours. Lunch is observed at 12:30 p.m. with a tour of the Iwo Jima Memorial. From 2:30-4 p.m., veterans are able to take a bus tour of Washington before stopping at the Vietnam Memorial. From the Vietnam Memorial, veterans return to the airport for the flight home, usually arriving at around 10 p.m.
Harold Eaton served in the Merchant Marines from November 1944 to the fall of 1946. He worked in the engine rooms of two different Liberty ships in the South Pacific.
“I enjoyed the trip very much,” said Eaton. “It’s hard to say what part I liked the most. I enjoyed it all. Mail call was something else.”
A. Gordon Peterson of the Vista area was an Army Staff Sergeant who saw action in Germany, and was in Austria when the war ended.
“I was a rifleman in the occupation infantry and guarded prisoners after the war at Dachau,” said Peterson. “The Honor Flight was wonderful. Seeing the WWII Memorial was special. The trip was so well organized. Everything went real good.”
Francis Misgen of Ellendale served in the Army from January, 1942 until September 1945. He spent time in North Africa and Italy removing mines and rebuilding airfields. He echoed the sentiments of everyone else on the Honor Flight.
“It was a good flight,” said Misgen. “The biggest surprise for me was seeing my daughter Sherry waiting for us in Washington. She was among a huge crowd. I’m glad I was able to go as us old guys from WWII are checking out.”
Rising early for the trip was nothing new to Misgen.
“I always got up at 5:30 to tend to the livestock,” said Misgen. It was a real good trip and they kept us busy. I didn’t even have time for a cat nap.”
Dr. Albert Flor, now 91, of New Richland was a Captain who served stateside from June 1943 to November 1946. He had nothing but praise for the guardians on the flight.
“We were well taken care of,” said Flor. “They saw to all of our needs. It was wonderful.”
Flor was a dentist who performed dental treatment on troops heading overseas as well as prisoners of war, both German and Italian.
“I was always ‘down in the mouth’ during my tour of duty,” said Flor with a grin. “Seriously, the WWII Memorial is a beautiful tribute to our veterans. It’s too bad there are so few left to see it. They have a star for every 100 who lost their lives during the war; you wouldn’t believe all the stars. Seeing all of the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall brings tears to your eyes. I couldn’t believe the number of people who greeted us when we got off the plane. They even had four bag pipers in Rochester. The mail call time was special. I had letters from family members and students thanking us for our service.”
Now that the tenth and final Honor Flight is complete, the veterans are planning a reunion in Rochester in November. It will be a chance to share memories of their experiences and view pictures of the trip.
“I’ve had so many memorable moments on these flights,” said Loken. “On the last flight during mail call, I saw a gentleman reading a letter with tears streaming down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes and quietly put the rest of his mail away not wanting anyone to see his display of emotion. Some of the veterans have told me the Honor Flight has been the highlight of their lives; now that’s really saying something.”
