Washington County, WI – On Saturday, May 20, 2023, Air Force veteran Rodney “Hoppa” Stelter, Sr., 71, of Hartford, WI, will be joining 14 other Washington County vets on the Stars & Stripes Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Rodney “Hoppa” Stelter, Sr. was issued a draft number but chose to enlist in Madison, WI in 1971.
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Stelter served in Florida, Illinois, and Guam as a life support technician for four years followed by a two-year stint in civil engineering.
As a life support tech, Stelter said, “I dealt with survival kits and protective equipment, parachutes, helmets, clothes, personal weapons for crew members. I was a plumber as a civil engineer.”
“While stationed in Guam, I worked on the flight line with protective equipment on bombers,” he said.
Stelter was in the Army for a total of eight years, two of those years with the Army Reserves.
Upon his honorable discharge, Stetler attained the rank of E5.
Stelter has been married to his wife, Mary Lou, for 51 years. They have two adult children, Rodney Jr. and Jennifer, and one granddaughter, Sadie.
Following his service time, Stelter took up a career in healthcare as a facility manager for St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend, WI. This was followed by a second career in printing at Quadgraphics.
Stetler is now retired and spends time volunteering with his wife at the H.E.L.P. Corner, the Schauer Arts Center, and the Hartford Police Academy. He belongs to the American Legion and is a member of the Color Guard.
Stetler, Sr. is one of 15 veterans from Washington County, WI
that are traveling on the May 20 Honor Flight
Stetler’s Honor Flight chaperone is his son, Rodney, Jr., who lives in West Bend.
As to Stetler’s mysterious nickname of “Hoppa,” he said, “My granddaughter couldn’t say Poppa when she was little so now I’m Hoppa.”
Stetler is looking forward to the Honor Flight on May 20. “I’m mostly looking forward to my son seeing it. He’s never been to any war museum,” he said.
Out of the 15 veterans from Washington County, WI on the May 20, 2023 Honor Flight, two veterans have asked that their names not be made public.
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight is the Milwaukee area hub of the Honor Flight Network. Founded in 2008, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight has flown more than 7,600 WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans from southeastern Wisconsin on a one-day, all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C.
What a wonderful accomplishment and thank Mr Stelter for your service.