Guthrie County REC Line Foreman Jalen Spack was among 24 support staff, also known as “guardians,” on board when the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight took off from the Fort Dodge Regional Airport May 7.
The flight included three Korean War-era veterans, five peacetime veterans between the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and 112 Vietnam-era veterans. This flight was special because it was taken between the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War – April 30, 1975 – and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe – May 8, 1945.
Honor Flights are a national nonprofit program dedicated to transporting U.S. veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to their service. Donations support the expenses, allowing veterans to participate free of charge.
As a guardian, Jalen attended to the needs of the veterans to make them as comfortable as possible during the long trip.
“It was a long day, but we saw almost all of the monuments in D.C., and we heard lots of great stories of how amazing everything was along the way,” Jalen said. “It was as much a humbling experience for us as it was for the veterans. It was a long day, but well worth the time."