WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The 14th Hy-Vee Honor Flight of the Quad Cities brought 80 local veterans and their guardians from the Quad Cities to Washington D.C. on September 17.
It was the 60th overall Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, which makes it one of the most active hubs in the country.
"I get emotional," Donald Walton, an Army veteran from Davenport said. "I lost a brother in law this last week and I talked my sister into having his funeral on Saturday so I wouldn’t miss today. I’ve just been looking so forward to this since I found out I was gonna get to come."
Notably, this particular honor flight had three women veterans, one husband and wife team of two veterans, a husband and wife veterans/guardian team and four veteran brothers all traveling together, along with their childhood best friend, who also served. You can read about all of those stories lower in this article.
The day was deeply emotional. For many of the veterans, it was their first time seeing the memorials built in their honor.
"The wonder of it! Just the wonder of it," said William Dunbar Jr. of Elkhart, Iowa, who served in the Air Force as a radar technician.
Touring Washington D.C.
The day began with a surprise at Dulles International Airport. Two buses of schoolchildren were supposed to greet the group as they got off the plane, unbeknownst to the veterans. But instead, four buses of kids were waiting.
As the veterans walked into the terminal, they were greeted with the songs, chants, signs, flags and smiles of the children. Many of the kids ran up to hug the veterans, thanking them for their service.
Throughout the trip, almost every single veteran News 8 spoke to said that moment was the highlight of their day.
From there, he veterans toured nine different memorials, monuments and museums, staring with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Air & Space Museum. Inside, the group got to see thousands of air and space artifacts, including the Enola Gay plane that dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
"It's just amazing! I can't believe how many planes are in here and things I've never seen before," Alan Classen of East Moline, Illinois said. Classen served in the Army National Guard from 1959 to 1963. "You get emotional real fast in here."
Classen also joked that he kept finding planes that would be perfect for fishing, pointing to a small yellow ski plane hanging just above a stealth bomber.
From there, the honor flight took the veterans to the Iwo Jima memorial and Arlington National Cemetery where they got to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
"Everything was just perfect. The steps, everything," said Henry Michael Graf of Riverside, Iowa, who served in the Army from 1968 to 1969.
During a stop at the Military Women's Memorial, the three women veterans on the honor flight, Marilyn Terry and Rita Roberts (Air Force) and Carol Menke (Navy) were honored for their service.
"Every woman in the military is a trailblazer in and of herself. The current generation stands on the shoulders of those trailblazers, such as our lovely veterans here today," said a museum official at the presentation.
"I'm trying not to cry! It's emotional for me, this part of it," Roberts said.
Roberts served 20 years in the Air Force after enlisting in 1974. She wanted the schooling benefits, but said signing up was also something she always wanted to do. Roberts spent her time in the service doing aircraft maintenance on B-52 G models, KC-135 models and B-1B bombers.
"I actually wanted to join the Navy, but I didn't know how to swim," Roberts laughed. "So, I went into the Air Force! That's a true story!"
The next stop took the group to the Lincoln Memorial for a large group photo. While there, they were able to also visit the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials.
Several veterans spent time locating and etching the names of friends, loved ones and fellow soldiers on the Vietnam wall. News 8 caught up with Tom Daufeldt, who served in the Army from 1973 to 1976. He got emotional discussing his own service, saying he never saw active combat.
"I just really didn't think I deserved to be here," Daufeldt said, choking up. "It's just been a real honor to be on this honor flight today."
The eighth stop on the trip was the World War II Memorial. It had been raining all day, but at this point, a break in the clouds started to form, allowing the veterans to better explore. From there, the final stop was at the Air Force Memorial, which sits on a hill overlooking the Pentagon.
"We've had a long day," smiled Jack Miller, a four-year Navy veteran from Bettendorf. "But this has been a good journey."
The Husband and Wife Veteran Team
John and Marilyn Terry met decades ago while they were both serving in the Air Force. Marilyn served for two years while John, originally from Rock Island, went on to also join the Army, ending with a combined two decades of service.
The two both went on the 14th Hy-Vee Honor Flight. While at the Vietnam Memorial, the two stopped to find the name of Marilyn's cousin who died in the war.
"It's very rewarding to see the effort that's gone into putting these monuments up and honoring the people that have served, as well as the fallen," John said.
News 8 asked Marilyn about being with her husband for so long, and getting a chance to go on this trip.
"We've had a pretty good life. We've seen a lot of the world. It's been fun ... mostly," Marilyn quipped. "It's just been a really great day!"
The Four Brothers (Plus 1 Extra)
This honor flight was a family affair for the Sharp brothers.
Mark, Jay, Rick and Barry Sharp all served from the late 1960s through the late 1970s. The two oldest, Mark and Jay, were both in the Marine Corp, while Rick and Barry joined the Navy.
"Four of us—brothers—got notices to get drafted and luckily none of actually had to go into Vietnam," Rick said. "[Being here] has been fabulous, everything's been perfect for us!"
Joining them on the trip was Larry Cale, their childhood best friend and honorary fifth brother.
"If they didn't come, I wouldn't have came" said Cale, an Army veteran who served from 1969 to 1971. "We're friends! We grew up together, hung out together and we're still alive! It's hard to believe, but we are!"
While you might think Mark, being the oldest, was the first to enlist, the story didn't quite work out that way.
"I got laid off from where I was working and I couldn't get back. All of my brothers and friends were in the service and I thought I might as well go," Mark laughed. "Barry went in after us, but Jay and Rick were already in! They were both in San Diego, which was very cool, because when I graduated from boot camp, they came to my graduation!"
While no longer teenagers living in the same house, the brothers quickly reverted back to the teasing and roughhousing you can imagine was common during their younger years.
"I don't get to see them but once a year," Jay remarked. Then he laughed, remembering, "When we were kids, the younger ones got beat up, but now they're good."
The youngest brother, Barry, said their father was in WWII and visiting that memorial was extra special for all of them.
"To do this with my three older brothers and our childhood friend is very special," he said.
But there's no better way to sum up the entire trip, than this quote from Mark:
"It was a once in a lifetime chance to do this."
You can find the application form for both veterans and guardians here.
Tune into The Current from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays to catch live interviews impacting you, your family and your hometown as well as all of the biggest headlines of the day.