News 9 October 2017

Chickasaw County veterans to take part in Honor Flight

Linda Bergmann laughed when she was asked about how she got to be involved in Honor Flight.“I answered my phone,” the retired Waterloo school teacher said, “and Craig asked me, ‘Do you need a job?’ I had just retired and I was like no way.”But her resolve didn’t last long, and she’s grateful for that.“It can be a thankless job at times, but my family can trace its military roots back to the Civil War and this program is a great way to thank veterans for their service.”And today [Tuesday], she will help lead more than 100 veterans, including a number from Chickasaw County, on the third Sullivan-Hartough-Davis Cedar Valley Honor Flight.The Tribune has been invited to go along on the one-day trip in which veterans will visit the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials, as well as Arlington National Cemetery, where they will observe the changing of the guard and Honor Flight officials will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony.The Friday Tribune will have full coverage of the trip that begins with veterans arriving at the Waterloo Regional Airport at 5:30 a.m. and arriving home at around 10 p.m.Honor Flights have changed dramatically since the program was first established in May 2005. The idea was to get as many veterans to the National World War II Memorial that opened on the Mall in Washington, D.C., the year before.Because of the age of World War II veterans, organizers came up with the idea of one-day trips to Washington, and veterans were accompanied by “guardians,” who looked after their welfare during the day.
For more of this article, see Tuesday's New Hampton Tribune.
Chickasaw County veterans traveling to Washington, D.C., include:Fredericksburg: Laverne Hammond (Vietnam), Dennis Miller (Vietnam),Ionia: Linus Voves (Vietnam).Nashua: Marvin Strike (Korea).New Hampton: Larry Heying (Vietnam), Roger Heying (Vietnam), Raphael Kapler (Vietnam), Jackie Roethler (Vietnam), Tom Straw (Vietnam), Dennis Volker (Vietnam), and James Weiglein (Vietnam). 

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