Most people don’t realize they are a witness to history until long after the moment has come and gone. So it was for Lt. Ed Bales, CIC officer aboard the Destroyer Escort USS Beale, during the Bay of Pigs, and, 18 months later, the Cuban missile crisis.
The National Mall was a flurry of activity with both the launch of the Great American State Fair the same evening we were in town, and with preparations for the official America250 celebrations to take place over the July 4 weekend.
Everyone knows the infamy of September 11, 2001, but not the following.
The Bunton Brothers grew up loving sports and their country. All five brothers served our country with honor, married and had children of their own.
Bruce Callen did not choose to be a combat medic in Vietnam. It chose him.
He has never forgotten them. A Vietnamese woman and her daughter. They were standing silently in the maelstrom swirling on the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon.
Our 128th mission to Washington, D.C., brought a packed plane full of three Korean War and 113 Vietnam War Veterans to their Memorials in our nation’s capital on May 20, 2026.
Our 18th Honor Flight Chicago season is upon us! We kicked off the 2026 flight campaign on Wednesday, April 15, with the 127th flight in our history, bringing two Korean War and 106 Vietnam War Veterans to Washington, D.C.
We often hear the battle cry of “ NO MAN LEFT BEHIND“, but seldom have the opportunity to meet an individual who performed this mission. SP4 Edward Johnson was wounded in his left shoulder on December 18, 1965, for which he later was awarded the Purple Heart.
First Sergeant Charles, “Chuck,” Bosko served in the US Army as a Combat Medic during the Vietnam War. Before Chuck joined the military, multiple relatives of his also proudly served our country, including his father, who served in the South Pacific during WWII as a Combat Engineer.
Michael’s enlistment code was an MOS 0311, also known as Grunt Rifleman / Ground Pounder. The riflemen are the heart of the Marine Corps. His unit was sent out on “Search and Destroy Missions” right away.
This is the story of three sons of Our Lady Of Guadalupe who also fought in Vietnam. They came home with deep emotional scars. But theirs’ is also a story of love, loyalty, and healing.
Terry Welch says he’s lived a charmed life. It does seem that way. Despite being wounded twice during his one-year tour in Vietnam, multiple skydives and almost crashing his Cessna airplane, his life has certainly been charmed and interesting.
Joe Heater’s first childhood memory is going to a train station in the middle of the night to welcome his father home after his service as a Navy Seabee in World War II.
Like most Americans he remembers the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Sunday afternoon, December 7, 1941, found him lying on the living room floor in front of the radio listening to “The Shadow”, a vigilante crime fighter.
Brandt’s path started in January 1969 with basic training at Ft. Polk, La. In March he transferred to Ft. Wolters, Texas, to begin the six-month long Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) school, which included helicopter training in the OH-23 Raven.
John knew that if he were drafted he would most likely be placed in the Army for a two year term. So at the age of 19 he headed to the recruitment office and signed up for a four year commitment in the Navy.
The 2025 season is complete! Thanks to the selfless efforts of our more than one thousand volunteers, Honor Flight Chicago successfully brought 779 senior war heroes to Washington, D.C., across seven flights this year.
Walter “Bud” Guest was born in Philadelphia. After graduation from high school Bud was encouraged by one of his teachers to apply to the US Coast Guard Academy. He was accepted in 1968, right out of high school, with a full scholarship to attend the Academy.
William Maxie Blair, who goes by Max, grew up on the south side of Chicago in the Englewood neighborhood. He has a younger brother who also served in the Army during Vietnam. Both brothers will be traveling together with Honor Flight Chicago in October.