George Kane: An unexpected military influence
marc.zarefsky2023-08-07T21:26:11-05:00The Reverend George Kane, or rather Fr. George as he prefers to be called, grew up on Chicago’s Northwest side as the second child in a family of four.
Duane Buttell, Jr.: Guy In Back for a Mig-21 Victory
marc.zarefsky2023-07-10T22:13:24-05:00Bastille Day, July 14, 1966, a day Duane Buttell, Jr. will remember forever! He was flying in the lead F-4 of four fighters tasked to provide MiG cover for three F-105s (“Thuds”) attacking surface to air missile (SAM) sites near Hanoi.
James Hoder Jr. and James Hoder Sr.: The Navy is a Family Affair
marc.zarefsky2023-07-10T22:08:21-05:00The Navy is a family affair for the Hoders. James Sr. and James Jr. have the distinction of being just the second father/son duo to fly as honored veterans together on an Honor Flight Chicago mission.
Scott Phillips: Yellow Shirt Aboard the ‘Tico’
marc.zarefsky2023-07-10T22:00:28-05:00“I had the best time of my life. I would do it all over and I wouldn’t change nothin. I got to see the world and I’ve got brothers.” Those are the words of Scott Phillips 50 years after serving aboard the USS Ticonderoga in the early 1970s.
Fred Cagle: A Free Spirit Becomes an Army Careerist
marc.zarefsky2023-07-10T21:57:26-05:00Coming from a multi-generation family of coal miners, Fred was born in Hazard, Kentucky, to Columbus and Lois Jean Cagle. Watching his father going to work in the mines during his younger years, Fred attended school and assisted his mother with chores around the house.
James “Jim” Davidson: Three Times is Not Always a Charm
marc.zarefsky2023-07-10T21:51:47-05:00On August 5, 1967, Jim Davidson’s draft notice arrived in the mail. Six months later, he was an Army grunt in Vietnam. Now, some 56 years later, he remembers the details of every firefight he was in and still can’t get his arms around the fact he made it home while many of his brothers in arms didn’t.
Donald Strauss: A Vietnam Journey
marc.zarefsky2023-06-20T10:00:53-05:00If you admire people with a strong work ethic, you’ll want to help celebrate Donald “Don” Strauss when he joins Honor Flight Chicago’s 108th flight on June 14.
Russell Caforio: A surprising draft
marc.zarefsky2023-06-20T09:57:53-05:00Heading into the physical, Russ did not have much stress as he was currently carrying a 4F from his bad knee and now having a compression fracture vertebrae, there was no way he would be called to serve, or so he thought.
Kent Nylander: From Sailing the Great Lakes to Sailing the Pacific
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T14:52:02-05:00Kent's father was a professor in foreign languages and his mother a librarian. His older brother retired as a Colonel in the Air Force and one of his younger brothers also was an Officer in the US Air Force. Thus, military life was not foreign to Kent.
Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Holmes: From Wire Reels to High Heels
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T14:41:36-05:00Nate Holmes grew up in a rough neighborhood on the West side of Chicago with six sisters and one brother. Nate had a step-brother who was serving in the Army in Vietnam and saw news coverage of the war and wondered if he too could fight for his country like his step-brother.
Fred Hoffmeyer: Present For Atomic Bomb Testing
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T15:28:29-05:00Fred Hoffmeyer was a young Marine when 70 years ago he was exposed to an atomic bomb test in the Nevada Testing Grounds. Despite that, he has lived a long and healthy life.
Roger Hoffman: A Survival Specialist
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T13:50:51-05:00Roger Hoffman was born in Chicago in 1950, the son of a World War II Navy veteran. His father served on the destroyer USS Sterett and survived a kamikaze attack on his ship during the Battle of Okinawa. Twenty-seven years later, Roger would also serve his country on Okinawa.
Edward Cook: Special Category Army with Air Force
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T14:32:56-05:00Edward Cook’s pending draft and love of planes led him to enlist in the Air Force as his first choice in 1952. He had also hoped to learn a trade while serving his country and applied for Army machinist school.
Willie Smith: Survival is the most important thing
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T14:32:42-05:00Vietnam wasn’t really on his mind when Willie Floyd Smith decided to join the Army in 1966. Just a few months before, the 173rd Airborne Brigade had become the first US Army unit sent to South Vietnam. Willie was shipped to Vietnam in March of 1967.
Thomas ‘Lucky’ Honzik: Three decades of service
marc.zarefsky2023-06-12T19:41:25-05:00Tom's interest in military life started young and led to more than three decades of service. His passion for adventure, airplanes, travel, an infectious sense of humor, and dedication to service led him down an interesting path in the military that deserves both our appreciation and gratitude.
Jack Sokol: Okinawa during the Korean War
marc.zarefsky2023-04-09T21:48:03-05:00“The Korea conflict was still continuing and everyone was getting drafted, pretty much as a sure thing before you turn 20-years-old.” Jack visited the local Air Force recruiter and then discussed his intentions with his parents.
Mark Bonen: Serving Beyond the Barbed Wire in Vietnam
marc.zarefsky2023-04-01T21:18:36-05:00Many years have passed since Mark Bonen’s two tours in Vietnam, where he was responsible for the care of multimillion dollar fighter jets, to being called Grandpa Uber.
Jeffrey Wombold: A Decade of Deep-Sea Service
marc.zarefsky2023-04-01T20:49:30-05:00Growing up in Southern California, Jeffrey Wombold enjoyed the sea, but it didn’t truly consume him until he joined the Navy in 1971.
Raymond Szweda: A Chicago-Tough Marine
marc.zarefsky2023-03-30T21:22:49-05:00With the war in Vietnam going on, Ray was scared but, at the same time, he also wanted to honor his country. Within a few days, he was on his way to Camp Pendleton in CA for Basic Training.
Paul Waters: Providing Global Security for 25 Years
marc.zarefsky2023-03-30T21:18:37-05:00The Vietnam War was escalating, and Paul knew it would just be a matter of time before he was drafted. He considered joining the Marines but had a lifelong interest in airplanes and flying, so instead he joined the Air Force.