Veterans from at least 15 northern Iowa counties will be spending Saturday in the nation’s capital as part of the latest Honor Flight from Iowa.
Russ Naden of Webster City is one of the coordinators of the flight, which will fly out of the Fort Dodge Regional Airport early in the morning.
“We’ve probably got 130-some veterans on it,” Naden says. “I think last count was about eight or nine Korean vets, the rest are mainly Vietnam vets.” This marks the group’s 22nd Honor Flight over the years and Naden says it’s always a privilege to carry each veteran to Washington D.C. to see the monuments, as for many it’s their first time.
“We are taking a few what we call in-betweeners, people that were in between Korea and Vietnam are now eligible,” Naden says, “and in between World War Two and Korea are also eligible, although there aren’t too many of them still around.” The plane is scheduled to arrive at Dulles International Airport at mid-morning. From there, the veterans will board buses for the one-day tour visiting the memorials and historical buildings.
The day wraps with a tour of Arlington National Cemetery and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The charter will return to Fort Dodge tomorrow night.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)