Others had been to Washington D.C., previously but were returning in the company of fellow veterans.

For all of them, it was a voyage of honor and reverence.

The 28th Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight departed from Fort Dodge at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, headed for Dulles International Airport in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. It landed in Virginia at about 9:50 a.m. Eastern time.

“It’s exciting to see everything come together,” said Sara Murphy, president of the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight board.

Freeman-Journal photo by Bill Shea
Veterans board the Sun Country Airlines 737 jet Tuesday morning at Fort Dodge Regional Airport for the 28th Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight. The flight took them to Washington, D.C., for a whirlwind tour of the nation’s war memorials and returned them to Fort Dodge Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s flight was the first one conducted under the leadership of Murphy and her fellow board members, who have taken over the program that was started by the late Ron Newsum and the original board in 2010.

“I think we’re going to give them a day to remember,” she said.

There were 98 veterans on the flight, most of whom served during the Vietnam War era.

Among the former service members on the flight were two Navy veterans named Mark who met for the first time at the Honor Flight banquet held at the Webster County Fairgrounds on May 12. Mark Bradley, of Fort Dodge, served two stints in the Navy from 1977 to 1981 and then from 1987 to 1990. He served aboard the aircraft carriers USS Forrestal and USS Carl Vinson.

Washington, he said, is “one place I’ve never been.”

What was Bradley looking forward to seeing in Washington?

“Everything,” he replied.

Mark Schnell, of Terrill, served in a Navy helicopter squadron from 1971 to 1975. He said he has been to Washington.

The Navy appeared to be well represented among the veterans going on the flight. Among the former sailors was Glenn Hankey, of Fort Dodge. He served from 1965 to 1971 aboard oilers, which are sea-going tankers that carry fuel for the rest of the ships.

He said Newsum spotted him in a local store wearing a veterans cap and gave him an application for a seat on an Honor Flight.

“It’s been a dream of mine to go on this flight,” he said. “I’m just honored.”

Army veteran John Phelps, of Sioux Rapids, said friends who are veterans that flew on previous Honor Flights encouraged him to go.

Phelps served from 1972 to 1980 in the 874th Engineer Battalion (Combat Demolition). He said he’s looking forward to seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

“I’ve got friends that are on there,” he said.

Dennis Thompson, who sailed on the guided missile destroyer USS Towers during his Navy days, was making his first trip to Washington.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing all the monuments,” he said.

Thompson is from a town called Thompson, but he says it is not named after his family.

After arriving in Virginia, the veterans boarded buses which took them on a whirlwind tour of the monuments throughout Washington, plus Arlington National Cemetery. The flight returned to Fort Dodge Tuesday night.