Washington Co., WI – Ten veterans from Washington County will be participating in the Stars & Stripes April 23, 2022, Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
The local veterans include:
Korea Army Lawrence Gradl of Hartford
Korea Navy Gerrylyn Hill of Hartford
Vietnam Army Walter Nowak of Slinger
Vietnam Army David Kratz Colgate
Vietnam Army Danny Matte of Richfield
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Vietnam Army Nicholas Meyer of West Bend
Vietnam Coast Guard Dale Schubel of West Bend
Vietnam Army John Bradley of West Bend
Vietnam Navy Ronald Guse West Bend
Vietnam Army Charles Young West Bend
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight’s 61st mission will take off on Saturday, April 23 when two Allegiant Airlines A320 aircraft will leave Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport at approximately 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on flight day, bound for Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) Airport with 112 local veterans (and their guardians) on board.
On that day, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight will welcome 1 WWII veteran, 6 Korean War veterans, and 105 veterans of the Vietnam War. All veterans, guardians and volunteers on the flight are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate.
After the planes land in Baltimore on flight day, the veterans will board coach buses to tour Washington DC’s WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall, and more.
The day will also include viewing the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Veterans’ families and friends are encouraged to attend the Homecoming parades at Mitchell Airport that evening, and the two planes are scheduled to land at 8:05 p.m. (alpha) and 9:30 p.m. (bravo).
If a federal TSA mandate dictates masks are required inside Mitchell Airport, all are asked to follow this directive if they are planning to attend the Homecoming.
The Oak Creek High School Band and the East Troy Cheer/Dance Team will provide spirit for the Homecoming festivities.
Prior to the April 23 flight, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight has flown 8,006 local veterans on these trips to Washington DC since 2008 and has honored more than 50 veterans locally who were not able to fly. As an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff and no offices, the organization is proud to share that $.97 of every donated dollar goes directly to flying and honoring veterans.
Honor Flight is a national program with more than 130 hubs from coast to coast. The WWII Memorial did not open until 2004, and many of our oldest veterans are unable to visit Washington DC without assistance. Nationally, hubs in the Honor Flight network have taken 250,000 veterans to see their memorials.
Timeline of activities for the Saturday April 23 Stars and Stripes Honor Flight:
5:00 am – Veterans and their guardians begin check in on Mitchell Airport’s main concourse
5:50 am – National Anthem by Milwaukee Brewers’ singer Bob Kozlowski
6:30 am – “Alpha” flight departs for BWI; water cannon salute on runway (weather permitting)
7:30 am – “Bravo” flight departs for BWI; water cannon salute on runway (weather permitting)
9:00 am – 10:00 am (ET) – Flights arrive at BWI Marshall Airport, load buses for DC tour
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (ET) – Return to BWI Marshall Airport, load planes for departure back to MKE
8:05 pm (CT, approximate) and 9:30 pm (CT, approximate) – Return flights land at Mitchell Int’l Airport, veterans deplane for parade through the airport’s main concourse. The Oak Creek High School Band and the East Troy High School Dance/Cheer Team will provide spirit and entertainment for the Homecoming parades. Masks will be required for everyone in attendance if a federal mandate is in effect.
