MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WHBL) -- Five Sheboygan county veterans will be a part of today's Stars and Stripes Honor Flight to Washington DC.
Those men will be joining a total of 140 veterans heading out of Milwaukee for their trip to see the memorials that were built in their honor. There are 32 WWII vets and 108 Korean War vets on the flight in total. Stars and Stripes Honor Flight spokeswoman Karyn Roelke says the outpouring of emotions that are presented to the groups is amazing. "It's really heartwarming how people will approach them, crowds will spontaneously form to cheer them, have an amazing homecoming at the end of the day at the airport. We really try to make it a full day of honor."
Veterans will be getting a tour of the War Memorials, and a tour at Arlington National Cemetery. Roelke says the Korean War Memorial can get very emotional for some of the vets because of the realism of the site. "We've had a few who approach it, and see it, and really need to stop and take a minute to compose themselves."
Ralph Hartmann from Sheboygan served during the Korean War. "I was in Panama, in the Canal Zone. That was back in 51 to 53, I served 18 months down there." He says people who are hesitant for taking the flight because they weren't in combat should get their names on the list. "If you served your country for any amount of time, you should be eligible, that's what I know. You're serving your country!"
Among the other veterans who are taking the flight are a WWII Nazi POW, a Korean Air Force paratrooper who earned a purple heart in combat, a Korean War Army MASH ambulance driver, and at least five veterans who fought on the front lines in Korea.
The flight takes off this morning at 5am from Mitchell International, and will be back around 9 pm.
The flight has been funded in part by the Stan Kass family, in memory of Lee Kass.
If you want to donate or learn more, you can log onto http://www.honorflight.org and find your local hub.