Four veterans from Cook County to go on Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Three veterans from Grand Portage and one from Grand Marais will leave Duluth Saturday morning, May 4, at 6:30 a.m. and fly to Washington, D.C. for the day.

The veterans from Grand Portage are Arvid Dahl, Navy; Butch Deschampe, Army; and Jim Corcoran, Navy. Dave Wirt, a Marine, is the lone Grand Marais veteran to attend.

Through donations, Honor Flight Northland is paying the $90,000 price tag for the flight and days events.

All in all 100 veterans, eight who fought in World War II, are making the trip from Duluth along with 81 guardians who will assist them. From the Reagan airport they will board four buses and then will be escorted through the city by a police escort, not even stopping for red lights until they get to their destination.

First up typically is a visit to the World War II Memorial. That’s followed by stops at the Women’s Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Iwo Jima, Vietnam and the Korean Memorials. Lunch will be held somewhere between stops, but after the last visit to a memorial, it’s time to get back on the plane and land back home around 10:30 p.m.

Orvis Lunke, who is a guardian, will be making his 9th trip with the Northland Honor Flight. He and his wife Donna help set up meetings in Duluth for guardians one month before the flight, and two weeks prior they drive to Duluth to assist the veterans who come to sign up.

The Lunkes arrive at the Duluth airport at 3 a.m. the day of the trip. “Donna helps in the morning, sets up tables and helps the veterans sign in. Then she takes the tables down and sets up for the homecoming party,” said Orvis.

When the veterans arrive back from their long day they are met in the airport by a large contingency of cheering people. On hand to greet them are regional members of the VFW, National Guard, police, bagpipers, family, friends, all cheering their arrival back home.

“Many of these soldiers never received a welcome after they came back after serving their country,” said Orvis. “This is a chance to thank them. To give them a homecoming they have earned.”