.entry-date::after {content: ” by Val Niehaus”;} May 15, 2017 – Full Issue A long overdue WELCOME HOME happened for four FCP Vietnam veterans on April 24, 2017. This welcome home, along with the trip of a lifetime for these men, was all thanks to what is called the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. The honorable FCP veterans who were called forth after applying for this flight two years ago were: Ken George Sr., Mike Konaha, Louie Spaude and Ernie Wensaut. Never Forgotten Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices by transporting these heroes to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those veterans who may be terminally ill. (Source: www.honorflight.org) PTT was fortunate enough to be able to talk with all four vets about their experience on this day. And what a day it was! It all started on the evening of April 23, 2017, at Highland Community Church in Wausau, Wis. The veterans enjoyed a pre-flight dinner which served to prepare them for their journey by offering an opportunity to get to know one another before taking the flight to Washington, D.C., the following day. There was a great deal of excitement during dinner that night because 84 veterans from all over Wisconsin and a few from Michigan would be embarking on the trip of a lifetime early the next morning. Veterans from each branch of service were represented in this group with the majority having served during the Vietnam era. But there were also quite a few who had been in the Korean War and eight from WWII—amazing! The next morning came bright and early as Honor Flight number 27 took off at 6:30 a.m. from Mosinee. All four FCP veterans were amazed at the welcome they received when they landed. One of the most significant moments was seeing the presence of a police escort that preceded them on their various stops throughout their day in D.C. Spaude commented, “It was amazing how important you felt while being escorted through the city by the volunteer police escort. We were able to go through red lights and break all the rules of the road.” Wensaut also said, “We felt like kings! Everyone treated us so well; it was incredible!” Next on the agenda was the arrival at the World War II Memorial. Many were amazed with this monument honoring the “Greatest Generation” referring to the men and women who served in WWII. As mentioned previously, there were eight WWII veterans on this flight, so for them to see this monument was remarkable! After visiting the WWII memorial, the group was able to proceed on a bus tour through the city including the Capitol, Navy Memorial, White House and other well-known monuments located throughout the D.C. area. It was while on this tour that they really felt like kings as their buses navigated the streets of this busy city with ease thanks to their police escort. They also had a nice lunch provided during the ride and all of the veterans commented, “We were very well taken care of!” After the tour, they arrived at the Korean, Vietnam, and Lincoln Memorials. Many wandered with their guardians at this point; some took time by themselves to honor and remember those who fought in these wars. Many of the vets on the flight were Korean War veterans, and they had their own special time at the Korean memorial. Since all four of the FCP veterans served during the Vietnam era, the most emotional time for them was at The Wall—the Vietnam War Memorial. This was the first time visiting this monument for some, while one had been there before. All took away something different from seeing this Wall and the names listed upon it. George said, “I had many names pop out at me at once. I had so many friends over there who lost their lives and when I touched their name on that Wall, it was warm—I knew they were there. I put my sema down for them all and said a prayer. It was a very emotional time for me to be there.” – Read the Full Article