Jason Viau, at right, and his father Russ Viau stroll through the many military memorials in Washington, D.C. thanks to the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight. (Journal photo by Antonio Anderson)

MARQUETTE — The 27th Upper Peninsula Honor Flight mission returned from Washington, D.C. late Wednesday night, and saw just under 80 veterans be celebrated and tour historic war/service branch memorials in the nation’s capitol.

Veterans saw the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Military Women’s Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Navy Memorial, Marine Corps Memorial and more. Along with celebrations, military escorts and bands to play for the U.P. veterans. Each Armed Forces veteran and the guardian who took them on the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight has a story. On Wednesday during the flight, a vet told the story of how his friends were the first to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Jason Viau was the guardian to his father Russ Viau, two proud marines who started a long family tradition to serve in the Corps.

“It’s myself, my brother, my son, two grandkids and one who is a Navy medic assigned to a squad of marines,” said Russ Viau.

While reminiscing at the Iwo Jima memorial in Washington, D.C., Jason Viau, who served from 1996-2001, spoke on his experience in the Marine Corps.

“Got to go to Kuwait and I have been all over the world,” said Jason Viau. “I have lost a lot of friends. My team was the first casualties of the Iraq War, March 21 of 2003. They went down in a helicopter. My entire crew.”

The 12 man crew flying a CH-46 helicopter in Kuwait went down killing all passengers, including eight British Military Personnel and four American Marines. The first coalition fatalities of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pentagon officials said back in 2003. Operation Iraqi Freedom would claim 4,814 more coalition lives during the conflict. Being on this Honor Flight has inspired Jason Viau to further spread the story of his friends.

“I’ll be on one of these honor flights one day and I will remember them,” Jason Viau said. “I think it is good to be out here for that camaraderie, just to be around other vets and to remember things. Especially if you are one and you lost friends.”

Antonio Anderson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. His email address is aanderson@miningjournal.net.