OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – Mission 58 for the Old Glory Honor Flight of NE Wisconsin is in the books, taking nearly 100 Vietnam war veterans to Washington DC on Friday for a very special day visiting the monuments and memorials in their honor.
All the veterans on board have a story…but for one Pulaski man it’s all about fulfilling a promise he made to his brother’s memory.
It’s a sunny day at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh as internationally known EAA Airventure is going on and, an American Airlines plane is being readied to take the veterans to Washington DC…
“It’s a world class venue. We are so lucky to have it in our backyard as an honor flight. No other Honor Flight can pull off an event like this because we have EAA here.”
Old Glory Honor Flight’s Drew MacDonald says today there’s one goal.
“We get an opportunity to say thanks to a group of veterans that didn’t get that back when they came home. This is our opportunity to correct that error. This community is going to come together and do that in resounding fashion.”
Patrick Sullivan, a 74 year old veteran from Pulaski is making the trip ….and he too has one goal…
“I never actually went up and touched my brother’s name on the wall. So, that’s going to be special.”
He’s talking about the Vietnam Wall…the memorial with the names of more than 58 thousand Americans who never came home from southeast Asia. Patrick’s brother Mikal is one of those names.
After a short flight Sullivan, and the rest of the veterans, get a raucous welcome at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport…
This woman doesn’t know any of the Wisconsin group…but she was applauding as loudly as anyone.
We’re at the airport, waiting to fly out to head home Louisville, Kentucky and I heard the announcement and how do yoou walk past that?”
Onboard the bus traveling to the Memorial Wall, Patrick talks about the June day in 1968 that Mikal, a U-S Marine, was killed in battle.
“It was a daily constant firefight. Several others in his platoon, or squad were killed that morning.”
And now at the wall Patrick, who served in the Army, sees Mikal’s name….
“He was my brother, he always will be my brother. If I had one more hour with him I would give him a hug, tell him how proud I was of him and that I loved him.”
And as he touches that name, something he’s never done, and promised Mikal and himself that he would do…he sees his brother and is transported to another time.
“What was going through your mind and you were scratching his name on that paper ?” “How proud I was, yet how sad I felt that he was gone. All the things we did together. But it’s over now and he’s here.”
You might ask, why does it take a 74 year old man so long to make this journey ? Ultimately, the answer is simple, and one maybe many of us can understand.
“Hard accepting, still missing him. Still hoping that someday he comes along and he’s there again.”
He credits the Old Glory Honor Flight with giving him the opportunity to fulfill his promise and is proud to have done this with all the other Wisconsin veterans.
“Knowing that they volunteered, or got drafted, but they went and served the country. And, I have all the respect for anybody that did that.”
After an overwhelming day of touring DC and receiving gratitude, it’s time to board the flight back to Oshkosh…Sullivan reflects on all that’s happened.
“From the airport and the welcome we got when we got to DC, and the people applauding and thanking us and everyplace we went.
Back at Wittman Regional Airport the veterans are greeted by hundreds of family and friends and are finally getting the homecoming they never received 50 years ago.
Patrick Sullivan can’t help but think some of it is for 19 year old Mikal Sullivan who didn’t comeback at all.
“if you were to relate this day to a military mission what would you say?” “I would say success ! I’d say it was a successful mission.”
The Old Glory Honor Flight of Northeast Wisconsin is not government funded and does all of its work on behalf of this area’s military veterans through their own fund-raisers and private donations. If you would like to help them in anyway clink on this link for more information about the organization and how to reach them.
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