Honor flight thanks veterans

From Lincoln Courier:  Honor flight thanks veterans

LINCOLN —

More than 90 World War II and Korean War veterans boarded a plane in Springfield Tuesday for a special trip to Washington D.C. to thank them for their service.

Among them are Logan County residents Herbert Mitchell of Lincoln, David McGraw of Emden and Leonard Krusemark of Emden, all Korean War veterans.

One of the Korean War era veterans was Richard Shive, 80, of Wood River who served in the Army. His daughter, Tammy Whitley of Benld, said her father was looking forward to the trip.

“He felt very honored to go,” Whitley said.

The Honor Flight program provides veterans who apply a free trip to Washington D.C. to visit national memorials. Groups visit the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National Air and Space Museum and other sites.

Whitley said her father was in Washington D.C. in 1976, but that was before the Korean War Veterans Memorial was built.

Over the years, he rarely talked about the war.

“He came home, settled down and raised three daughters,” Whitley said.

Ray Wiedle, a former Chatham resident who now lives in St. Ann, Mo., is chairman of Land of Lincoln Honor Flights. He said the airport was packed when the previous flight returned in June.

“The veterans…had to go down to the baggage claim area to get past the crowd that was there. It’s very emotional for them. They really enjoy having the people there to welcome them home.”

Since its inception in 2009, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight has taken more than 1,175 veterans to Washington D.C.

The next flight is scheduled for Oct. 16. It’s fully booked, and is the last scheduled flight of the year.

Flights for 2013 haven’t been scheduled.

Wiedle expects that some time next year, the group will start taking Vietnam era veterans on honor flights.

More information on honor flights is available at landoflincolnhonorflight.org.