To the Journal editor:

I recently had the opportunity to go on the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight and wow, what an experience that was. I am a Vietnam U.S. Army combat veteran who served from 1971 to 1973. Each of us had a guardian and I chose my daughter who lives nearby (spouses not permitted).

Yes, we visited all the war related monuments/memorials in Washington, D.C. – U.S. Air Force, Marines, Navy and Army. These included Arlington National Cemetery with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial where we had our group photo taken, the Iwo Jima flag raising memorial, the Korean War memorial with 19 soldiers walking on patrol, the Women’s Memorial and of course the Vietnam Wall inscribed with over 58,000 names of soldiers who died in combat. I am originally from Ontonagon County, which suffered the most casualties per capita in the entire U.S. It was a very moving experience.

We had dinner the night before with entertainment and were provided with various gifts including a cap, tee shirt and jacket, along with a U.P. Honor Flight medallion, a Washington DC photo book and a red, white and blue metal cutout of the UP commemorating the 250th anniversary of the US which was donated by a kind gentleman from Rapid River. Our lodging that night was also provided free of charge.

As great as all that was, the best part was the send off from Delta County airport, the greeting we received at Dulles International Airport and the reception we received upon returning home to Escanaba. People came out in droves to greet us with signs, handshakes, fist bumps, pats on the shoulder and the “Thank you for your service” or “Welcome Home” that we never experienced when we returned home from our overseas duty. I still remember landing in San Francisco 50-plus years ago to protestors shouting derogatory comments.

Our return flight was delayed in Washington due to weather and as we were sitting at the gate waiting to be cleared to leave, the crew announced mail call, which if you’re a veteran, you know what that means. They passed out a large envelope to each veteran and inside were letters and cards from loved ones, drawings and notes from school children, a letter from a young 8th grader in Neenah, Wisconsin, whom I did not know and also one from a young adult who chose to remain anonymous. This was a complete surprise but a gesture which will remain in my memory forever.

We didn’t get into Escanaba until midnight and yet there were people, young and old alike, to greet us as we debarked from the plane and made our way into the hangar and out to the parking area. I simply shook many hands and thanked them for staying up late. It was an unbelievable experience and one I will never forget.

Thank you to the board and all volunteer members of the U.P. Honor Flight.