HFC130 took flight on July 29 with one World War II, one Korean War, and 105 Vietnam War Veterans aboard. This was our second flight this season with at least one Veteran from all three of the eras we currently serve!
A big thank you to Peoples Gas, who returned for the third-straight year as a flight sponsor for this mission. In addition to a boisterous crew at Welcome Home, Peoples Gas had employees who are Veterans themselves serve as Guardians on the flight.
Our World War II Veteran on HFC130, Patrick Lloyd, was in the Navy serving at Pearl Harbor beginning in 1944. Though listed in official records as a steward first class, there was a cryptic notation about his service in a Navy “recreation” program. That’s because Patrick, with a talent for the tenor saxophone, had been unofficially repurposed as a musician in one of the many all-Black bands that existed in the Navy at that time—the first all-Black units to exist in the Navy outside of the steward service. Read more of his story here.
Each month we publish long-form interviews like Patrick Lloyd’s on our website. This flight was no different, and those stories also include a fascinating up-close look at the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade from USS Beale CIC officer Edward “Ted” Bales, as well as Army Veteran Mary McCafferty, whose top-secret clearance and crypto training put her in, to quote Hamilton, the “room where it happens.”
HFC130 featured our first visit to the Air Force Memorial in over a year, where our Veterans enjoyed a performance by the Air Force Drill Team. Construction at the Memorial and the surrounding Arlington National Cemetery grounds precluded our group from visiting in recent months, and we were excited to return.
Finally, HFC130 marked the 4,000th Vietnam Veteran flown by Honor Flight Chicago to our nation’s capital surrounded by the love and respect of hundreds of volunteers. Their moments of reflection and respect for the fallen at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and the camaraderie they share with their comrades-in-arms traveling with them make a profound impact. But nothing comes close to the enthusiastic and patriotic Welcome Home celebration of thousands at Midway Airport—a Welcome these Veterans have waited more than half a century to experience.
While we are proud of that number, we still have thousands more to honor. If you or someone you know has waited to sign up for this life-changing experience, the time is now! We’ve flown 4,000+ Vietnam Veterans already. It’s your turn!
See you next month!
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“I want to thank all of the members of Honor Flight Chicago for the experience of a lifetime. You all had everything planned down to the smallest detail, and I know it meant a great deal to all of us. I cannot say enough about your organization and I will be telling every vet I know to sign up. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I now feel Welcomed Home!”
— Vietnam Veteran Jeff Krug
“My thanks to your team for putting together a most enjoyable experience. I am amazed at the time and the effort that you put in to make a pleasant day for us veterans. I have to admit that I was concerned about having to sit in a wheelchair but I did get 11,648 steps in that day. Thanks again and please keep up the good work. PS: I was also concerned about my ride home until I saw my family. Wow! What a surprise!”
— Vietnam Veteran Johan Kreykes
“Please extend my thanks to all of the volunteers and staff that took such good care of us throughout the day. Everyone was so nice and that will be a big part of the memories I take away from this. The world was a different place when I was active in the Army during Vietnam. After I was discharged, I didn’t often feel comfortable telling people that I had served. Due to all of the kindness from you, and everyone involved with this Honor Flight program, I finally feel that I can be really proud of my service to our country. I can’t thank all of you enough for that.”
— Vietnam Veteran Rudy Wehofer
“I was just actually blown away by everything that transpired during my day on Honor Flight Chicago. I have renewed faith in our country. Believe me, it’s touched me very deeply, and after reading all these cards and letters, et cetera, it just renews my faith.”
— Vietnam Veteran John Walsh
“I want to thank you for contributing to one of the most meaningful and emotional days of my life. I had heard about the Honor Flight Chicago before, but the actual event went way beyond expectations. The planning, coordination. and execution of the day was phenomenal. It was humbling to see all the people that were involved as both spectators and participants was overwhelming. Thank you again for helping me have a special day.”
— Vietnam Veteran Thomas Hall
“A quick thank you for ALL you accomplished in such a short time period. The trip was wonderful, something AMAZING at every turn. Second to the vast amount of people involved, I was OVERWHELMED with joy at MAIL CALL, what a fantastic high point of my flight. Stellar job. Thank you!”
— Vietnam Veteran Scott Haser
“The Honor Flight Chicago event was so far beyond my wildest expectations. The Honor Flight Chicago staff’s dedication to making the event a once-in-a-lifetime spectacular memory for Veterans is remarkable. Walking through the crowds and the enthusiasm that they exuded Welcoming us Home brought a pride that I have not felt before in my lifetime. Thanks again to you and the fabulous Honor Flight Chicago staff.”
— Vietnam Veteran John Davis
“My Barbara and I had been to Washington, D.C. many times and had seen the Memorials and Monuments (my favorite is the Korean memorial), but listening to many in our group talk about the meaning of each was inspiring. As we got back on the plane, I thought that day could not get any better. But then there was MAILCALL! That became the most emotional part of the day.”
— Vietnam Veteran Edward “Ted” Bales
