Michael Eckers

On September 18, the Brushy Creek Honor Flight will celebrate its 26th flight, leaving Fort Dodge and taking veterans from World War II, the Korean and Vietnam war eras to our nation’s capital to visit their memorials.

In last week’s Daily Freeman-Journal I described this program, a nationwide effort to honor veterans.

The Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight has flown some 3,500 veterans from approximately 61 counties and 228 communities thus far. The flight this month will include four Webster City residents, two of whom are profiled in this week’s article.

Next week the other two local participants will be introduced and a final description of the day and their reactions will be published shortly after the event.

Don Williams was raised and went to school in Blairsburg. In 1970, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and enjoyed the salt air, palm trees and drill instructors of San Diego Recruit Training Command, affectionately referred to as boot camp.

After the thrill of learning how to march — something we never really did AFTER boot camp — he headed to school in Pensacola, Florida, for studies that lead to the rating of sonar technician.

After graduation, Don was assigned to the USS SCAMP (SSN 588), a fast attack submarine that served in the Tonkin Gulf, off North Vietnam. Duties of the ship included watching and listening for the enemy and, thereby, protecting the aircraft carriers that were launching bombing sorties over enemy strongholds like Hanoi and Haiphong.

Don returned to the United States and was given an honorable discharge under medical conditions. He moved to Oklahoma for a period of years, returning to Hamilton County in the early 2000s. He met Darlene, and they were married in 2009. They live in Webster City with Molly, Don’s companion — a really cute Yorkie that enjoys treats a lot!

Don drives a three-wheeled motorcycle of the most beautiful shade of blue … not quite Navy Blue, but certainly not Air Force Blue either!

He’s looking forward to the Honor Flight and has wanted to go for some time. He told me he has no photos of himself while in the military; they were destroyed at a point in his past. I assured him we’ll have more than a few photo opportunities in the nation’s capital to bring home.

It was a real pleasure to sit and share “sea stories” with a fellow “swabbie” for part of an afternoon. Meeting Darlene was a wonderful bonus; after two years in Webster City, I feel like a few friends are being found.

Michael Eckers (that’s me) is a Navy veteran, having served from 1973 to 1977. He enlisted in a delay entry program while a senior at St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota and reported in July following his high school graduation.

I experienced boot camp in San Diego and attended “A” school there as well. I was sent to serve aboard the USS TRUXTUN (CGN-35), a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser in Bremerton, Washington, while the ship was finishing an overhaul and reactor refueling.

I began my duties as the Weapons Department yeoman before reassignment to the Ship’s Office, and eventually became the captain’s yeoman for the ship’s 1976 Bicentennial Cruise.

Three surface ships — USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65), USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9) and the TRUXTUN were joined with up to three attack submarines as a task group to make a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) tour celebrating our nation’s 200th birthday. Ports of call included Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Kenya and the Seychelle Islands.

When the ship returned to her home port of San Diego, I went home to Minnesota for two weeks leave. On my return, I re-enlisted for another six years.

That same evening I was struck by a hit and run driver and finished my four-year tour in the naval hospital.

I was honorably discharged (though not physically fit for active duty) and, following my rehabilitation, found a job, got married and began a 28-year career in the U.S. Postal Service. My wife, Diane, and I have been married 45 years and settled in Webster City in the summer of 2022.

Michael Eckers is a service veteran and columnist from Webster City. He writes the weekly Our Neighborhood.