Nate 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.
Roger 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.
Tom'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.
Many 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.
Growing up in Southern California, Jeffrey Wombold enjoyed the sea, but it didn’t truly consume him until he joined the Navy in 1971.
With 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.
The 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.
Skip and his South Vietnamese interpreter partner interrogated North Vietnamese Army (NVA) prisoners. In accordance with Army intelligence procedures he wore no rank so that the prisoners would not know his status.
Richard served in Vietnam from July 1966 to July 1967. He’s thankful to God for protecting him while in Vietnam. He earned a number of awards, medals, honors and certifications during his enlistment. He is very much looking forward to his Honor Flight!
QM3 E-4 Daniel Walter Tatar grew up on the South Side of Chicago with a brother and a sister. He worked from a very young age: first delivering papers for a news stand in grammar school, then at Sears after school in high school.
Ron went to his draft office in early 1968 to ask why he hadn’t been drafted, and a month later he received his draft notice. In that sense, Ron says he volunteered to be drafted, although he recently discovered a twist to the story.
Two 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.
George was born in Chicago but grew up in Mexico. Just before George turned 18, he “borrowed” the family car to go to Acapulcoand got into an argument with his step-father when he returned home. He left home the next day to hitchhike his way to the border.
Oscar was sent to Fort Knox in Kentucky for Basic Training and his Advanced Individual Training as a Medical Corpsman. The Medical Corpsman training was a three month course learning how to triage medical emergencies, treat illness/injuries and administer drugs.
Since Larry and his twin sister were the children of a Chicago police detective, Larry was already used to discipline. When right after high school he received his draft notice, he and his cousin decided to enlist instead of being drafted.
John, like so many young men in the late 60s, was facing the upcoming draft. The Army was not John’s first choice. He decided, in October, 1967, to enlist into the Marines on the buddy system.
Imagine the surprise reaction to the draft letter Tom received upon returning from his honeymoon. With little hesitation, Tom enlisted in the Navy. Not wanting to serve on land in Vietnam, along with his interest in flying and ships, choosing the Navy was an easy decision.
During his time in the Navy, Frank crisscrossed the Pacific on two ships, sailing thousands of nautical miles and crossing the international date/timeline and the equator. But there is one trip that he’s not been on and is looking forward to: his one-day, 600-mile Honor Flight Chicago plane ride to D.C.
It was 1966. His student deferment was gone, and his draft papers had arrived. For Rick Ellish it was a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father was a lifer in the U.S. Army infantry. But when Rick gave his dad the news that he’d been drafted, the reaction wasn’t what he expected.
While he now lives in Texas, in 1966, Andy was living in Oak Lawn, IL with his mother and stepfather. His stepfather, Francis X. Downey was actually a member of the Illinois State House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965.