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First Honor Flight takes off from Midway since start of pandemic
Honor Flight Chicago's first flight in almost two years will land late Wednesday at Midway, after taking off early Wednesday morning.
CHICAGO - Honor Flight Chicago's first flight in almost two years is scheduled to land late Wednesday at Midway, after taking off Wednesday morning.
It was a day of camaraderie and reflection in the nation's capital for a group of over 100 local veterans, the majority of them having served in Vietnam.
"After it was cancelled [during the pandemic] I was glad that they called me and told me it was going to be back on," said Vietnam Veteran Obie Breaux.
It was a chance for veterans to not only visit with one another, but also to visit the memorials in Washington, DC, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial.
"You might run into somebody you were in the service with. You never know," Breaux said.
Breaux planned to use his time there to visit the name of a high school classmate killed in Vietnam.
"I'm going to go and find his name on the plaque and take a picture by it as a honor and memorial for him," he said.
Wednesday's flight carried 112 veterans: 76 served in Vietnam, 34 served in the Korean War and three served way back in World War II.
"They have lots of stories, tell you lots of things about how it was when they were there, ask about your experiences. They're really interested. A lot more than you would think, but at the same time, you're interested in their stories because things change so much from when they were there," Mike Brazzil, a Vietnam Veteran on Wednesday's honor flight said of the World War II Veterans.
"This is a wonderful experience for veterans who I think would really enjoy something like this. It brings back memories," said Breaux.
Wednesday's trip to DC marked the 96th Honor Flight for Honor Flight Chicago.