World War II veteran and Naperville resident Ralph Bertolacini was one of more than 100 veterans who took off to Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight Chicago on Wednesday, June 18.
Bertolacini served for the Alaska Defense Command of the U.S. Army, stationed in Adak, Alaska, from 1944 to 1946.
“I was a staff sergeant in charge of warehousing and took care of all kinds of equipment for the Army on the island. So we handled a terrifically large warehouse that had all kinds of Army equipment that we gave out to various groups on Adak,” said Bertolacini.
Applying for Honor Flight Chicago
Honor Flight Chicago is a non-profit organization dedicated to thanking veterans for their service and sacrifice. Its central program is the Day of Honor in Washington, D.C., which brings area veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to visit various memorials in the city.
Since Bertolacini didn’t fight on the front lines, he initially held off on applying for Honor Flight Chicago to allow other veterans the opportunity. But with his 100th birthday approaching this August, he felt the time was right.
“It got to the point where if I didn’t decide to go, I was probably never going to get there,” said Bertolacini.
Flying to Washington, D.C.
He was part of the group’s 122nd flight and the only World War II veteran aboard. Joined by his son, the trip began at Chicago Midway International Airport at 4 a.m.
“There’s an amazing crew there that takes care of every single detail you can possibly think of, constantly [taking] pictures all day long,” said Bertolacini.
After arriving in Washington, D.C., the veterans visited the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.
“I had not seen a lot of these memorials. So it was quite moving to see all this,” said Bertolacini.
Joining him on the trip were other Naperville veterans–Breck Hanson (U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War), Philip Maughan (U.S. Army, Vietnam War), and Terrence Nelson (U.S. Army, Vietnam War).
A warm welcome home
The flight returned to Chicago around 11 p.m. that same night, where the veterans were welcomed home by friends and family.
“You wouldn’t believe the people waiting there. First of all, there were people from this Amici Club that I belong to, which was absolutely stunning to me. Not only that, there were people from my neighborhood who were there. I could hardly believe that there were people there at Midway at 11:30 at night, crowded on each side of the aisleways as we came through,” said Bertolacini.
From takeoff to touchdown, it was a day packed with memorable stops and emotional times that the veterans will never forget.
“It is a very touching moment, and I cannot tell you the appreciation that I have and all the veterans had of the welcome that we had at every stop we went to,” said Bertolacini.
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