Area veterans to take Never Forgotten Honor Flight

Numerous area veterans are slated to take next week’s Never Forgotten Honor Flight (NFHF) to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials that honor their service.
The flight, which will take place on Monday, April 14, 2025, was organized by the Wausau-based NFHF organization, which serves veterans in Barron, Clark, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Price, Rusk, Taylor, Vilas, and Wood counties.
The flight marks the Wausau-based NFHF organization’s 51st flight since the first took place in April 2010.
A total of 104 veterans—103 from the Vietnam era and one from the Korean era—will take the flight.
Among those listed to take the trip are Vietnam-era veterans from Merrill Leroy Fischer, Army; William Hanson, Army; James Jackson, Marines; Charles Batchelder, Marines; Allen Michalski, Air Force; Victor Milewczyk, Army; Dieter Nickel, Marines; and Howard Peck, Marines. Other area Vietnam-era veterans scheduled on this flight include Tom Wyles IV, Irma, Navy; Larry Hoffman, Army, and Linus Risch, Army, of Athens; and Walter Rydzewski, Deerbrook, Army.

Veterans from other communities throughout northern and central Wisconsin, including Antigo, Edgar, Kronenwetter, Marshfield, Medford, Mosinee, Rhinelander, Wausau, and Weston are also listed on the flight roster.
The veterans will be accompanied by 66 guardians on the one-day round trip that departs Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) in Mosinee at 6:30 a.m. and is scheduled to return at approximately 10 p.m.
The public is invited to CWA to welcome the veterans home.
As part of NFHF, veterans receive a free round-trip flight, and guardians pay $500.00 for the opportunity to accompany up to three veterans on the trip.
Veterans and guardians interested in taking a future Honor Flight can complete an application at neverforgottenhonorflight.com or contact the organization at 715.573.8519.
All veterans from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras are encouraged to submit an application. The only criteria for veterans to qualify for an Honor Flight is to have served (active duty, reserves, or National Guard) prior to May 7, 1975, regardless of where they served.
Completed applications for veterans and guardians also can be mailed to Never Forgotten Honor Flight, 4404 Rib Mountain Dr., #234, Wausau WI 54401.
NFHF said the veterans are selected based upon the order in which their applications are received and the conflict they served in.
“Preference is given to World War II veterans, then Korea Veterans, and then Vietnam era veterans,” NFHF said. “Veterans who are terminally ill, regardless of when they served in those three eras, are given top preference. Guardians should be 18 to 69 years old and able to lend physical assistance to the veterans.”
As of next week’s flight, NFHF will have flown 4,977 veterans to Washington, D.C.
North Central Wisconsin’s NFHF is the nation’s 77th regional hub and one of five Wisconsin Honor Flight hubs. The Wausau-based organization was certified by the National Honor Flight Network office in Springfield, Ohio, on Dec. 11, 2009.