Veterans' Honor
Flight to W
ashington, D.C., a
packed, emotional
day
His parents weren't happy with the decision
of their youngest of four children.
"They didn't like it at all," Lemke said.
"Their little boy. I don't think anybody
wants to see their child go to serve."
Technology -- if it could be called that -was a stark contrast to what soldiers have
access to today.
"I went 21/2 years and never talked to my
parents," he said. "A letter took two, three
weeks. By the time we would get it ...
geeze."
Written by
Deb Cleworth
Daily Tribune Staff
3:18 AM, May. 3, 2011|
It didn't matter that the more than 90
World War II veterans had been awake and
moving for almost 24 hours.
To them, every minute of the fourth-ever
Never Forgotten Honor Flight was worth it.
The flight left early Monday morning and
returned to Central Wisconsin Airport in
Mosinee late that night.
The Wausau-based Never Forgotten Honor
Flight organization provides all-expense-p
aid, one-day trips to Washington, D.C.,
for the veterans so they can tour memorials
honoring American soldiers.
Elroy Lemke, 88, of Merrill was among the
veterans from central Wisconsin counties
such as Wood, Portage and Marathon, who
participated. He enlisted at 18 to get off
the family farm.
An Army veteran, Lemke was a lineman
radio operator, a forward observer.
"That means up front," he said.
When he returned home to Merrill, he got
married, got a job and went on with life.
He didn't speak much about his service.
"Not really, unless someone asked," he
said. "I seen a lot of bad things."
Advertisement
Things he hasn't forgotten.
Guard lanyard.
"You remember your friends," he said. "I
had a buddy who got shot right next to me.
"I was the only one that stood up (during
the Coast Guard tribute) yesterday,"
Kowalski said.
"You remember," Lemke said. "You keep on
living, but you don't really forget them."
His first flight, the Honor Flight trip, was
meaningful.
"I can't believe this is happening -- even
(Sunday) I couldn't believe it," Lemke said.
"I'm old enough to check out, and here I am
flying on an airplane."
Lemke found out another veteran on the
trip, Leon Vytlacil, 85, of Wisconsin Rapids
also served in New Guinea. It had been
about 30 years since Vytlacil, an Army
veteran, visited Washington, D.C.
Vytlacil was in the quartermaster laundry
platoon, taking care of hospital linens,
sterilizing mattresses.
His excitement was evident when he was
asked what he wanted to see in
Washington, D.C.
"All of it -- all of it," Kowalski said. "I want
to see it all."
And they did see it all -- including the Iwo
Jima Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier and the changing of the guard and
the World War II Memorial, where many
took pictures in front of the Wisconsin
inscription.
The veterans weren't easy to miss in their
yellow polos and jackets, and that
garnered them a little more attention -attention these unassuming veterans were
unaccustomed to receiving.
People stopped to shake their hands and
"That's where I got my little dose of what
they call 'jungle rot,'" he said. "It wasn't
fun."
Like Lemke, he remembered the New
Guinea weather.
"I remember one month, in September, it
rained every day," he said. "If you had a
leather belt, it melted right off."
A couple of seats down during the flight,
Robert Kowalski, 84, of Stevens Point was
happy -- the volunteers found him a Coast
Advertisement
applaud, and the veterans expressed their
thanks for the greetings.
One of the highlights of the trip was on the
way home. Weary, many were ready to
welcome some shut-eye. That didn't last
long.
The lights in the dark plane cabin went on;
mail call was about to begin. One by one,
the passengers were called by name and
given a packet of mail.
Floyd Pagel of Wisconsin Rapids said he
couldn't believe the amount of mail he got.
"I didn't get this much mail when I was in
the Army," he said, a big smile filling his
face.
With renewed energy, the veterans were
ready to land back in Mosinee.
As they entered the terminal, friends,
relatives, and community members from
throughout central Wisconsin greeted them.
Members of military organizations saluted,
people cheered and applauded, and the
veterans all smiled.
At last, they got their big welcome home.
Advertisement