Orvis Lunke of Grand Marais, an Army National Guard veteran and longtime member of the American Legion Post 413 Honor Guard, will be a volunteer “guardian” on the Northland Honor Flight to Washington D.C. on May 15. Also on that flight will be Kenny Lovaas of Grand Marais, who will be accompanied by his son, David Lovaas. The veterans and guardians have a regimented schedule for the flight so they are able to see sights such as the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam, Korean and World War II memorials and more, all in one day.
For many years, Orvis Lunke of Grand Marais has been a dedicated member of American Legion Post 413 and he has been interested in veteran’s affairs. So, when he heard about the Northland Honor Flights needing people to help World War II veterans make the trip to Washington, D.C. to see the memorial built to honor their sacrifices, he was interested. His wife, Donna, encouraged him to apply. Last month he learned that he had been selected to join the Honor Flight as a “guardian.”
From its beginning in May 2005 in Springfield, Ohio, veterans have been accompanied by people who volunteer their time and money to help them make the trip. The first Honor Flight, from Springfield, Ohio, transported 12 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. The flight was the idea of retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse, a physician assistant who worked at a VA Clinic who knew that most World War II veterans were not financially or physically able to make that trek on their own. He was saddened that these men and women would likely not get to see the memorial built specifically to honor their service, as well as that of their comrades who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
A pilot, Morse offered to fly one of the veterans to Washington D.C. Morse recruited other pilots to take other veterans and in that first year, 137 World War II veterans were flown to see their memorial. The Honor Flight program has continued to grow and at the end of the 2011, the Honor Flight Network had transported more than 81,000 veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to see the memorials built to honor them at no charge to the veterans.
The Honor Flight Northland website shares the sad statistic that we are losing our World War II veterans at a rate of approximately 900 per day. It notes that time to express our thanks is running out. The website explains that there are plans to continue Honor Flights for veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars and veterans of any era with a terminal illness.
Orvis Lunke said he is honored to continue the tradition. He, the other “guardians” and the veterans they would be traveling with got to meet at Denfeld High School in April. Lunke was pleased to see a Grand Marais veteran there—Kenny Lovaas of Grand Marais. Lovaas, a Korean War veteran, will be accompanied on the Honor Flight by his son, David. Kenny Lovaas was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma, so his son thought it was important that he make the trip now.
Lovaas said he had seen information about the Honor Flight on the news and chatted with Cook County Veterans Services Officer Clarence Everson about it, thinking he would like to go on the journey eventually. That evening, David, a sheriff deputy in Iron, MN, called—he had it all set up. “All I had to do was send in my DD214—my separation papers,” said Kenny.
Kenny Lovaas served in the 1st Cavalry 77th Field Artillery in Korea and Japan. He is looking forward to the trip and hopes that he will get to spend some time at the Korean War Memorial. When this reporter suggested that he could sneak away to the memorial, Lovaas chuckled and said he didn’t think so. “It is pretty much scheduled—we’ll be under orders again.”
Lunke will be “guardian” to two World War II vets, whom he met at the orientation in Duluth. One is a 91-year-old former Army medic from Hermantown. “Just imagine what he saw,” said Lunke.
When asked if he had any mobility issues, the 91-year old replied that he walks his dog a couple of miles every day. The other man is an 85-year-old Navy veteran. He recently had knee replacement surgery, but he too, told Lunke that he can get around fine. “They will probably wear me out,” said Lunke with a grin.
The trip would wear anyone out. The check-in at the Duluth Airport for the Honor Flight is 5 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15. The plane departs at 6:30 a.m. and arrives at Reagan National Airport at 9:50 a.m. There— after a “heroes’ welcome”—the veterans and guardians get on buses for a long day of touring. Veterans will see the Women’s Veterans Memorial, the Korean and Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and will view the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They will have a driving tour by the Iwo Jimo Memorial, the Air Force, Naval and Army Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House. And of course, they will spend time at the World War II Memorial for a flag ceremony and group photo.
The veterans and guardians return to Reagan National at 9:05 p.m. for the flight home, arriving in Duluth at 10:40 p.m. A long trip, but Lunke said the veterans are ready for it. It is also organized like a military mission. At the airport, the group will board buses that are dubbed red, white, blue and gold. Each bus is a platoon and each bus has squads with a squad leader to direct the touring.
The Honor Flight Network website explains, “Our veteran heroes are not asking for recognition. It is our position that they deserve it. This is our way of saying to all our veterans—one more tour, with honor.”
Next week we will share an interview with Korean War veteran Kenny Lovaas about his military career.
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