Charles Nichols and James Blue stand together at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. The two Vietnam veterans visited the nation's capital as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a nonprofit that flies vets out for a one-day trip. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Charles Nichols and James Blue stand together at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. The two Vietnam veterans visited the nation's capital as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a nonprofit that flies vets out for a one-day trip. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans meet and take pictures with former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. The veterans visited the nation's capital as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a nonprofit that flies vets out for a one-day trip. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans salute during a ceremony honoring them at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A combat medic during the Vietnam War, Bob Misevich, center, looks for the names of six men who he treated on the battlefield 52 years ago. During his July 10, 2019 visit to the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C., he found three of those names. "This brought some closure for me, so that's a wonderful thing," he said. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Vietnam veterans James Blue, left, and Charles Nichols, right, hold hands as they take in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Vietnam veterans James Blue, left, and Charles Nichols, right, hold hands as they take in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Teri Campbell, a member of Honor Flight Chicago's medical team, hugs Vietnam veteran James Blue as they look at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans watch a ceremony honoring them at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. They visited the nation's capital as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a nonprofit that flies vets out for a one-day trip several times a year. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Vietnam veteran Charles Nelson, left, shakes the hand of a passerby near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A Vietnam veteran, right, and his Honor Flight Chicago guardian, left, make a rubbing of a name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Ron Janiak, a Vietnam vet, takes in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. He visited this memorial and others as part of Honor Flight Chicago's 92nd flight. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A veteran salutes during a ceremony to honor him and other visiting vets at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. They came to the nation's capital as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a nonprofit that flies veterans out for a one-day trip several times a year. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Visiting veterans listen to and take photos of former Secretary of State Colin Powell who spoke to the Honor Flight Chicago group at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. ()
Veterans listen to former Secretary of State Colin Powell speak at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Earl Nordmyer, a Korean War veteran, poses for a photo in front of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A Korean War veteran sits in front of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. He visited the memorial as part of Honor Flight Chicago's 92nd flight. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Vietnam veteran James Blue makes a rubbing of a name with the help of his Honor Flight Chicago guardian at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
While visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, a veteran points to a name on the wall. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
While visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, a veteran, left, and his guardian, right, point to a name on the wall. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A member of the U.S. Marine Corps presents the Marine colors during a ceremony to honor visiting vets at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell shakes hands with Duane Foss, right, a Navy veteran, at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. Foss travelled to D.C. as part of Honor Flight Chicago's 92nd flight. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell poses for a photo with a Korean War veteran at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Dennis Rokita stands next to a wreath at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans salute at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. during a ceremony honoring their visit on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans salute at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. during a ceremony honoring their visit on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A volunteer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., makes a rubbing of a name for a vet who was visiting the memorial on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 as part of Honor Flight Chicago's 92nd flight. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
Veterans and their guardians gather at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
A Korean War veteran and his guardian from Honor Flight Chicago visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — 103 veterans from the Chicago area came to the nation's capital Wednesday as part of Honor Flight Chicago, a non-profit that brings vets on a whirlwind one-day trip to visit the memorials that commemorate the wars they served in.
At the National World War II Memorial, former Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin Powell spoke to and took pictures with the veterans.
Powell, who served in the Army for “35 years, 3 months and 28 days,” talked briefly about the importance he places on military service.
“Service is a part of being a good citizen,” he said. “Sometimes it’s in the military. Sometimes it’s serving your community in one way or another … Finally, they let me out. I got out for four years, and next thing I know I’m secretary of state. It was just another way to serve. I could have gone into politics, but I’m a soldier, not a politician.”
Reps. Sean Casten, Dan Lipinski and Mike Quigley, all Democrats from Illinois, also met with the visitors.
After landing in northern Virginia early that morning and visiting the Air Force and World War II Memorials, the vets made their way down to the west end of the National Mall, where the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are all located.
Some stopped for an ice cream break, others took in the view over the Reflecting Pool. Many gathered at the Vietnam wall to make rubbings of the names of men who they had served alongside during the war.
Bob Misevich, a combat medic in Vietnam, came on the trip with a list of names of six men he had helped on the battlefield, but never knew if they had made it home alive.
“The purpose of my trip here was to get some closure on the six soldiers, three of which are not on the wall — and I’m thrilled about that," he said. “There are three on the wall, one of which died in my arms."
He described the duties he performed as a medic, noting that his main responsibility was to stop the bleeding. From there, a medevac team would take over, meaning Misevich typically did not know the fate of those he helped.
One of the names he found on the wall was Dennis R. Estes, a soldier who he had tried to save on the battlefield.
“Occasionally the bleeding was too profuse, like when I lost Estes. He got hit in the jugular vein and the blood shot out about two or three feet,” Misevich said. “The mission was to stop the bleeding, and I did everything I could. You couldn’t do it with a band-aid. I took my shirt off, put that on him, and that helped.
"He only said one word to me when I went up to him. He said, ‘Doc,’ and that was the last word he said.”
Honor Flight Chicago, a regional hub of the greater Honor Flight Network, was founded in 2008. They make several trips to D.C. each year in an effort to bring as many veterans to the memorials as possible.
When the program started out, most of the veterans making the trips had served in World War II or Korea. But starting this year, Honor Flight Chicago began including Vietnam veterans as well.
The group on Honor Flight Chicago’s 92nd flight had three World War II, 19 Korean War and 81 Vietnam War veterans.
Twitter: @EmSwiz
