Never Forgotten Honor Flight takes veterans to D.C.

Being in the military involves periods of boredom interspersed with periods of high adrenaline.

That was how veteran Russell Spindler of Stratford described his time serving in the U.S. Army as a well driller during the Vietnam War. His job was to drill the wells as the U.S. military helped the South Vietnamese Army establish bases and supply areas for equipment. Spindler said that as he looks back on his time in the service, he likes to think of his buddies that he became friends with while serving and of the good times they shared in between those periods of high adrenaline.

Spindler got a chance to share in that camaraderie with fellow veterans as he joined 108 area veterans to take part in the Never Forgotten Honor Flight to Washington D.C. on Monday, June 6. The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau flew, seven Korea and 101 Vietnam War era veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service. It was the organization’s 40th flight since the first Never Forgotten Honor Flight took place April 27, 2010.

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight Hub based in Wausau serves veterans in 13 counties: Marathon, Portage, Wood, Clark, Taylor, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Iron, Barron, Price and Rusk.

Diane Perrson of Medford was one of a handful of women veterans to take the flight. Perrson served in the Air Force as a nurse during the Vietnam War. She was stationed in Japan. She continued her nursing career after leaving the military. She recently retired after 42 years in nursing.

Gary Knowlton of Holcombe served on the USS Kittyhawk from 1975 to 1977. He joked that they worked with the Naval aviators to turn the round wheels of the aircraft square as they learned to land on the aircraft carrier.

Other veterans from the region who took part in the trip included Army veterans Allen Grell of Stratford and Thomas Vetter of Marathon. Both men served during the Vietnam era.

In addition to the veterans, 63 guardians took part in the one-day round trip that departed Central Wisconsin Airport early Monday morning and returned late Monday night.

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight has flown 3,779 veterans to Washington, D.C. All veterans from the World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War eras are encouraged to submit an application (via the website, or calling 715-573-8519). The only criteria for veterans to qualify for an Honor Flight is to have served during the years listed on the application/the website, 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.neverforgottenhonorfl ight.com or contact the organization at 715-573-8519. The veterans are selected based upon the order in which their applications are received and the conflict they served in. Preference is given to World War II veterans, then Korea Veterans and then Vietnam era veterans. Veterans who are terminally ill, regardless of when they served in those three eras, are given top preference. Guardians should be 18-69 years old and able to lend physical assistance to the veterans. Completed applications for veterans and guardians also can be 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 and one of five Wisconsin Honor Flight hubs. The Wausaubased organization was certified by the National Honor Flight Network office in Springfield, Ohio, on December 11, 2009.