Veterans who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars were honored for their service with a Stars and Stripes Honor Flight on June 20.
The honor flight is held once a year, taking off from Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. Veterans are flown out to Washington D.C. for a day to visit memorials and be honored for their service. The flight departed at 5:30 a.m. and returned around 8 p.m.
The airport had hundreds of people come to honor the veterans as they return home.
“When you see the same exact same person come back with a huge smile on his face after 20 hours of being awake and then you talk to him and there’s this sense of relief,” said Mark Stolaski, a Stars and Stripes board member who’s volunteered with the organization since 2010. “It’s just very rewarding that way.”
Of the 45 veterans on the flight, 44 served in Vietnam and one in the Korean war. They were honored with a silent salute immediately after exiting the plane.
The crowd that gathered to welcome the veterans home brought American flags, made signs and cheered as the veterans walked through the airport.
Magnus Ekstrand, a volunteer for Stars and Stripes, said he hopes this day creates more appreciation for the veterans.
“When you get to see, shake the hands of a veteran and thank him, welcome him back, I think it’s just really rewarding,” Ekstrand said.
Army veteran Vickie Ryczek has attended many welcome-home events and said “there is nothing greater,” and one day hopes to be on an honor flight of her own.
Each veteran brings one person along with them to experience the day and help them get around, if necessary. The entire trip costs nothing for the veterans and their guest. Stars and Stripes funds the trip with the support of donations. According to their website, honor flights across the country have escorted nearly 250,000 Korean and Vietnam war veterans to see their memorials in Washington D.C.
“There’s a lot of smiles, a lot of tears, sometimes with us. It’s an emotional day for everybody,” Stolaski said.
Kathryn Byrnes is a reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at kbyrnes@gannett.com or 920-431-8526.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay welcomes Vietnam, Korea veterans home from honor flight
Reporting by Kathryn Byrnes, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kathryn Byrnes, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
