10 county veterans to take part in Honor Flight
The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau will fly 103 Vietnam, 2 Korea and 1 WWII Era veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service on Monday, May 20th. It’s the organization’s 48th flight since the first Never Forgotten Honor Flight took place April 27, 2010.
Among the veterans participating in the flight will be 10 from Taylor County.
Local veterans taking part in the May 10 Never Forgotten Honor Flight include: Glenn Emmerich who currently resides in Dewitt, Mich. He served in the U.S. Army from March 5, 1956 to February 25, 1964 with a SP5 rank. He served at Fort Lewis, Wash. and with the Army National Guard as a tank driver and cook.
Earl Chwala of Gilman, served in the Army from October 18, 1961 to October 3, 1964. He was an SP4 and was stationed at Fort Carson, Fort Belvor, Fort Knox, and Kitzigen , Germany working in engineers maintenance.
Gary Brost of Medford, served in the Army from June 24, 1971 to June 14, 1974 as a SP4/E4 at Fort Lenard Berlin working with heavy equipment and trucks.
Stephen Budzinski of Medford, served in the Navy as a hospital corpsman at Yokosuka Naval Hospital in Japan and on the USS Kileaua AE-26.
Larry Emmerich of Medford, served in the Army from March 5, 1956 to March 4, 1963, Serving in the Army National Guard as a SP5E5. He served at Fort Lewis, Wash. as a track tech mechanic.
Roger Emmerich of Medford, served in the Army from 1961 to 1962 as an SP4, serving at Fort Lewis, Wash. as a tank driver.
Randall Gengler of Medford is a Vietnam Era veteran. David Sova of Medford, served in the Navy at Nas Chase Field in Beeville, Texas as a firefighter.
Ronald Becker of Rib Lake, served in the Army in South Korea as a SP4, wheeled vehicle mechanic.
Howard Marx of Rib Lake, served in the Army at Irwin Army Hospital as an X-ray technician and combat medic.
Sixty-six guardians will accompany the vets after they have completed a mandatory training session on May 19th. They will then accompany their assigned veterans on a one-day round trip to Washington DC, that departs Central Wisconsin Airport at 6:30 a.m. and is scheduled to return at approximately 10 p.m. The public is invited to the Central Wisconsin Airport to welcome the veterans home Monday night, and Honor Flight officials recommend arriving no later than 8:30 p.m. Free parking for those welcoming these veterans home will be provided. Never Forgotten Honor Flight (NFHF) veteran alumni are encouraged to wear their NFHF-issued clothing (hat, shirt or windbreaker) for the welcome home ceremony.
Veterans receive a free round-trip flight, and guardians pay $500 for the opportunity to accompany one, two or three veterans on the trip. Veterans and guardians interested in taking a future Honor Flight must complete an application at: www.neverforgottenhonorflight.com or contact the organization at 715-573-8519.
