Area Veterans to take part in Never Forgotten Honor Flight on Oct. 28

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau will fly 110 Vietnam era veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service on Monday, October 28. It’s the organization’s 50th flight since the first Never Forgotten Honor Flight took place April 27, 2010.

Local veterans participating in the flight include: Bruce Brehm, of Medford, served in the U.S. Navy on the Gearing-class destroyer USS Gurke DD-783 and in Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam as a postal clerk.

Robert Harris, of Medford, served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era.

Paul Johnson, of Medford, served in the U.S. Navy working with coastal aviation anti-submarine warfare and marine engineering on board supertanker replenishment. Gary Popp of Athens, served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in the American Division in the infantry.

Ronald Thompson of Athens, served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam beginning in 1959.

60 guardians will accompany these vets on the one-day round trip that departs Central Wisconsin Airport at 6:30 a.m. and is scheduled to return at approximately 10 p.m. The public is invited to the Central Wisconsin Airport to welcome the veterans home Monday night, and Honor Flight officials recommend arriving no later than 8:30 p.m. Free parking for those welcoming these veterans home will be provided. Never Forgotten Honor Flight (NFHF) veteran alumni are encouraged to wear their NFHF-issued clothing (hat, shirt or windbreaker) for the welcome home ceremony.

After Monday’s trip, the Never Forgotten Honor Flight will have flown 4,815 veterans to Washington, D.C. All veterans that served prior to 7 May 1975 are encouraged to submit an application (via our website, or by calling 715.573.8519). The only criteria for veterans to qualify for the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, is to have served (active duty, reserves or national guard) prior to 7 May 1975, regardless of WHERE they served.

Veterans receive a free round-trip flight, and guardians pay $500 for the opportunity to accompany one, two or three veterans on the trip. Veterans and guardians interested in taking a future Honor Flight must complete an application at: www.neverforgottenhonorflight.com or contact us at 715.573.8519. The veterans are selected based upon the order in which their applications are received and the conflict they served in. Priority is given to World War II era veterans, then Korea era Veterans and then Vietnam era veterans. Veterans who are terminally ill, regardless of when they served in those three eras, are given top priority. Guardians should be 1869 years old and able to lend physical assistance to the veterans. Guardians cannot be a spouse or “significant other”. Veteran and guardian applications can be completed online or mailed to Never Forgotten Honor Flight, 225780 Rib Mountain Drive, #234, Wausau, WI 54401.

North Central Wisconsin’s Never Forgotten Honor Flight is the nation’s 77th regional hub (of 128 nationally) and one of five Wisconsin Honor Flight hubs. The Wausau-based organization was certified by the National Honor Flight Network office in Springfield, Ohio on December 11, 2009.