MENDOTA, Ill. — Two brothers are about to embark on an important journey.
Mick and Doug Hartley will join the 54th Honor Flight of the Quad Cities which will take off from Moline on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
"It'll be a long day, but it's an honor to go and see all the monuments," Doug said.
The Hartley brothers are U.S. Army veterans who served together in Vietnam.
"[We were told] that we didn't have to be separated if we didn't want to be," Mick said. "And so at that time, I took the opportunity to get out of the Marines and go into the Army. And because of that, they put us on the buddy plan."
The Honor Flight is a one-day trip for veterans to visit monuments in Washington D.C.
"It'll be the best honor I've ever had," Doug added. "I mean we're just common Joes - we don't travel the world. This is pretty and I hope other people who served get to do it."
Their friend Donald Deich will also be onboard. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
"Means a lot to be with Mick and Doug because I've known them quite a few years since I've been in this area," Deich said. "It means a lot to go with somebody you've gotten to know."
The Honor Flight is an experience the brothers have been patiently waiting for. Doug signed up three years ago, but previous trips were cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.
For the siblings, this time of reflection is a trip they'll never forget.
"It's just a cool day that you should remember the rest of your life," Doug said.
The Honor Flight trip includes stops at the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery among other locations.
