TRAVERSE CITY — Veterans from across Northern Michigan returned home to a warm welcome at Cherry Capital Airport after spending two days in Washington, D.C., visiting the nation’s war memorials as part of the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight Mission 24.
The group included veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and more recent conflicts in the Middle East.
Army veteran Jonothan Turnbull said the trip was an opportunity for veterans to reflect on their service and connect with others who shared similar experiences.
“You get to see the legacy of what these men and women have done,” one Turnbull said. “The things they’ve accomplished have led us to where we’re at today — the freedoms that I love so much in this country. It’s an absolutely wonderful experience getting to talk with these guys, who many times are closed up and don’t talk about their experience. But when they come on the Honor Flight or spend time with other veterans, they open up and you hear some of the most amazing stories.”
For World War II veteran Richard Bukowski, the trip served as a reminder of how widespread the call to service once was.
“It’s kind of indicative of the people that make that true,” Bukowski said. “You can recall just about everybody had a relative in World War II.”
Vietnam veteran Gene Adams said visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was especially emotional.
“It’s terrible, tear-jerking,” Adams said. “It really is just taking your breath away.”
Fellow Vietnam veteran Billie Drake reflected on his time overseas.
“I was in a 62-man tent by myself,” Drake said. “We stole one of the [Air Force] tanks and made a shower out of it and got caught. You took a shower outdoors where people could see you, but they didn’t really care.”
Army veteran Jonathan Turnbull said he wanted to spend extra time in Arlington National Cemetery to visit the graves of soldiers he once served with.
“There are two tombs of my soldiers that were killed six years ago in an explosion that I was injured in,” Turnbull said. “I want to visit their sites, pay homage to them, and just have a good emotional moment with my soldiers.”
For many, the Honor Flight offered long-overdue recognition. Korean War veteran Otis Dorby said it’s now up to younger generations to show respect.
“I got a lot of young kids, girls and boys,” Dorby said. “They hold the door for you, thank you for your service.”
Veteran David Borkowski said today’s conflicts are different from those of the past.
“I couldn’t give those vets any advice at all,” he said. “The wars they fight now are a completely different situation than what we had planned.”
Drake added that while service was worth it for freedom’s sake, war takes a heavy toll. “There are 58,000 guys who died,” Drake said. “And just leave it — do you know how many people were killed after we left? All the people that helped the Americans were killed. The killing fields.”
Borkowski shared one last thought on what to remember from their service.
“The world should do what it could to avoid any future wars at all, because it’s just horrible.”