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.
Joe Spinazzola: On the Brink of Nuclear War
marc.zarefsky2022-09-18T15:30:32-05:00Two months before Joe Spinazzola graduated high school, his father sat him down and presented three options for 17-year-old Joe’s future. One week later, Joe announced his chosen path.
Asencion Vela: Family is the Center of His Life
marc.zarefsky2022-08-30T21:41:55-05:00Since the day he was born, family has been the center of Asencion Vela’s life. This month, the focus turns to him when he will be honored with an Honor Flight Chicago trip to Washington, D.C., in recognition of his service during World War II.
Richard Renkas: The Object of the Game is to Go Home
marc.zarefsky2022-07-17T20:30:25-05:00A knack for language helped propel Richard “Rich” Renkas through more than four years of service in the U.S. Air Force and 354 combat missions.
Larry Shaver: Bodyguard to the Stars
marc.zarefsky2022-06-09T08:05:56-05:00At 17 years old, Larry Shaver enlisted in the Marine Corps and his whole life changed – including his name.
Earl and Darrell Bushnell: Shared Experiences for Father and Son
marc.zarefsky2022-04-09T21:37:14-05:00Earl Bushnell, age 96 and his son, Darrell, age 72 are in for an incredible ride. They will be the first father and son duo in Honor Flight Chicago’s history as part of the organization’s 100th flight to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 13.
Robert Brown: Something To Prove and Everything To Lose
marc.zarefsky2021-11-04T10:15:07-05:00Bob attended the University of Illinois for two semesters in 1961 but came home when it became clear he wasn’t ready for college.
Keith Kolozie: The Way Finder
marc.zarefsky2021-09-10T12:22:22-05:00Keith Kolozie was born in Chicago and grew up in the city’s south side, but he found direction in the jungles of Vietnam.
Ronald T. Michalski: One Decision Changed His Course
marc.zarefsky2021-08-10T08:03:41-05:00In 1958, one decision changed the course of Ron Michalski’s life and helped the boy from Chicago’s South Side became a man.
Joe Ayres: A Lucky Shot Earned Him a Spot
Doug Meffley2019-10-08T21:43:43-05:00Joe Ayres was a student at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College when the United States formally entered World War II. Two years later, he enlisted in the Army and played a role in three critical battles that helped end the war in Europe.
Terry Cable: A Life Powered By Diesel Engines
Doug Meffley2019-09-12T10:44:54-05:00Terry Cable's tour of duty in Vietnam included time aboard the USS Satyr, a vessel equipped to repair the boats that patrolled Vietnam’s rivers and canals.
Sylvester Dziedzic: Going To The Dogs
Doug Meffley2019-08-02T15:19:38-05:00Growing up, Sylvester Dziedzic didn’t have a family dog. However, when he joined the Army in 1965, he developed a specialty as a Military Police (MP) Sentry Dog Handler and served in that role during the Vietnam War.
John “Ace” Aister: You Appreciate Everything
Doug Meffley2019-07-02T16:41:52-05:00The morning he left for the Vietnam War, John Aister’s father drove him to the train station and left him with words of wisdom he never forgot: "Come back home" and "There will be a day when you appreciate water and bread.”
Salvatore “Sam” DiPrima: Going Out to Sea to Find His Calling
Ryan Walters2019-05-31T11:58:08-05:00U.S. Navy Vietnam Naperville, IL [...]
Ken Shoberg: More Than Just a Simple Corpsman
Doug Meffley2019-05-07T10:29:28-05:00U.S. Navy Korean War Wheaton/Arlington Heights, IL [...]
Francis J. Haynes: A Proud Tradition of Service
MicheleZander2018-08-02T17:50:15-05:00A Proud Tradition of Service
Matthew J. (Jim) Peters / Nancy T. Peters: A Match Made in Corona
MicheleZander2018-07-01T21:34:40-05:00A Match Made in Corona
Roger G. Liddicoatt: I Never Give Up!
MicheleZander2018-06-01T21:13:20-05:00Roger readily admits he was “scared as hell” when he was taken. The Chinese soldiers wrapped a tourniquet around his leg to stop the bleeding, and slapped something mysterious on his wounds. Then, he was held in a 4’ x 6’ cell with a low ceiling, where he survived on a diet of raw fish and rice, and an occasional helping of green, spicy kimchi.
Adolph “Floyd” Ermer: Sweeping for mines in the combat zone
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:28:42-05:00“The military is all about discipline,” says Floyd. “I was used to it growing up. When my dad said to do something, we knew better than to ask why.
William Howland: A World War II POW
marc.zarefsky2018-04-11T22:32:39-05:00Bill Howland was a POW during World War II. He estimates there were approximately 300 POWs in his group. About two weeks before the war ended, Bill escaped in part by hiding in a barn in a pile of hay.