'A Memory I Will Remember Forever': Lemont Veterans Marvel At Honor Flight Experience

LEMONT, IL — In October, three veterans from Lemont were aboard the last Honor Flight Chicago of the year. On Oct. 15, it was Honor Flight Chicago's 126th flight (and the seventh one this year), and brought a close to the 2025 season, according to the nonprofit.

Honor Flight Chicago honors veterans with a day in Washington, D.C., visiting memorials and other sites, and "is intended as a heartfelt thank you for their service and sacrifice from a grateful nation," according to the nonprofit.

In 2025, the nonprofit said it honored two WWII, 29 Korean War and 748 Vietnam Veterans, as well as four Gold Star family members.

Anthony Trekas, Mark Liset and Glen Missaggia, all of Lemont, were among the veterans on the Oct. 15 flight.

'Your Eyes Couldn't See Enough'

Trekas, 90, served in the U.S. Army, from 1958 to 1960 in Germany.

"The Korean War started; I was too young," Trekas said. "The Vietnam War started; I was too old."

Trekas said he served during the Cold War, and helped with securing borders.

When asked about his Honor Flight experience, Trekas, who was the oldest on the flight, had nothing but positive things to say.

His day started early, around 3 a.m., and his daughter, Maria Higgins, traveled on the flight with him.

"It was very organized," he said. "The number of volunteers...every detail was covered."

Mark Liset, also a U.S. Army veteran, served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972. He said that originally he wasn't going to get involved with the flight, but his family pushed him to go. He traveled to D.C. with his son.

"Everyone along the way was super nice," Liset said, adding that there must have been 200 volunteers at Midway Airport.

Glen Missaggia, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in Spain from 1966 to 1970, also complimented the organization and details behind every moment of the flight. He traveled to D.C. with his daughter on the flight.

"[It was] a very well-organized experience," he said. "You didn't have to worry about walking, you didn't even have to worry about standing."

Among the favorite memories of the day, which was cited by all three Lemont veterans, was the police escort down the highway. After landing in D.C., the veterans' buses had a police escort, which shut down the whole highway for their travel.

'I Couldn't Believe It Was Happening To Me'

The day was spent traveling to several memorials and sites, including the WWII Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial.

The veterans also got to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which Trekas said was among his favorite moments of the day.

"The magnitude of these displays was unbelievable," he said.

"Your eyes couldn't see enough," Trekas added.

Missaggia said one of his favorite parts of the day was "the way we were all treated."

"Everyone was treated equally," he said. "Everyone was so friendly, so helpful."

Missaggia served during the Vietnam War, but he didn't serve in Vietnam itself. He told Patch that originally, when he heard about the Honor Flight organization, he wasn't sure if he would go since he "didn't feel right taking the seat away from someone who had seen action."

A volunteer with the organization convinced him that that wasn't the case, and that he should go on the flight.

"Everyone was welcomed equally, whether we spent time on land fighting, or serving in the United States, or any other country," Missaggia said.

Another favorite part of the day for all three veterans was the welcome back to Chicago, which included a mail call with envelopes from family, friends and even strangers.

"When we came back and [there were] people everywhere, bagpipers, people saying thank you, salutes, flags," Trekas said. "I couldn't believe it was happening to me."

Missaggia also praised the reception when arriving back in Chicago.

"There was no big reception for Vietnam [veterans]," he said. "We were discriminated against...there were people who yelled at me when I came home to the United States."

"The reception we got [for Honor Flight] was totally different."

Liset echoed the sentiment.

"The return was the best," he said. "You walk off the plane and there were firemen, officers, bagpipers, Patriot Guard. You think it's over, and you look down and there were hundreds of more people."

"It's a memory that I will remember forever," Missaggia said of the experience.