Harry and Larry Hartigan were known to their family as simply "The Twins." Both joined the Navy during the Vietnam War. Harry was stationed in Pearl Harbor. Larry was a corpsman attached to a Marine unit in Vietnam, where he was killed in early 1969.

When Rex Miller's draft notice came, he inevitably went to war in Vietnam. But his biggest shock of all was how he was treated upon his return to "The World" following his tour. Then, decades later, Honor Flight Chicago flipped the script.

In the jungles of Vietnam, Frank Trout took a bullet to the head. He was discovered by a unit that was not his own, bandaged, and evacuated. At some point during this process, he clinically died. Most remarkably, he knew none of this until a chance meeting at a reunion 40 years later.

Carl Brader served in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief aboard high-risk missions transporting Special Forces into Laos and Cambodia for assignments that remained classified for long after the war. 

Ken Duggar was badly wounded in Vietnam. He was hospitalized for months and came home to recuperate before his guilt at leaving his brothers-in-arms behind in the field led him to re-enlist. He got as far as Germany before complications from his original wounds led to his death.

Marine Corps Veteran Michael Bubacz did two tours in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, assigned to train and serve alongside South Vietnamese Marines during helicopter missions into Laos and Cambodia. Three times Hueys he was aboard were shot down. The final instance led to more than two weeks of a wounded Bubacz surviving alone in the jungle, waiting for rescue.

Hayley Ermer volunteers with Honor Flight Chicago as a "red shirt:" a medical professional who gives of their time and expertise to ensure a safe and comfortable day for our Veterans. Hayley's own father served in Vietnam, and her work with HFC's heroes has helped her understand her dad's experience in war and the resulting PTSD he brought home with him.

In the Spring of 1971, Gary Holian surprised his family by coming home for his R&R from Vietnam. The Gary who arrived at their doorstep was quite unlike the Gary they knew before he left for war. Three months later, Gary was killed when his Huey gunship was shot down over the DMZ.

Arnie Oskin never saw combat in Vietnam, but he witnessed firsthand its effects on those who did. Arnie's profession was social work, and he used his skills as a neuro-psychiatric specialist to make recommendations around the mental state of veterans coming back from Vietnam.

Army Special Forces Veteran Bruce Hill served in Laos during the Vietnam War as part of clandestine operations that were not formally acknowledged for many years. Though Hill made it home, a Vietnam tragedy unrelated to his time in Laos changed his life forever.

The Battle of Ia Drang in November of 1965 was the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. The engagement spawned a critically acclaimed book and a major motion picture detailing the events around Landing Zones X-Ray and Albany. Lieutenant Bob Konrardy was there.

Carl Adams spent the Vietnam War walking his dog. As an Air Force sentry dog handler at Phan Rang Air Base, Carl's job was to patrol the perimeter each night to defend against sappers and other attacks. The adventures of Carl and his sentry dog, Andy, were often entertaining, sometimes irreverent, and occasionally terrifying.