Female honor flight leaves mark on Grant veterans

Perkins County Veterans Stephanie Larson and Deanna Schulze of Grant joined 133 other veterans on Nebraska’s first ever all-female veterans flight to Washington D.C. on Sept. 24.

The Nebraska veterans, aged 27 to 98, served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. The 98-year-old veteran, Edith Petersen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was a WWII nurse. It was the two-year anniversary of her husband’s death, who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Schulze served in the military from 1985-1991, spending three years in the Navy and three-and-a-half assigned to the Fleet Marine Force of the Marine Corps. She served in the Gulf War. 

Larson served in the Marine Corps from 2004-2008, serving in Iraq for a seven-month tour in 2006. 

All veterans were presented Quilts of Valor at the pre-flight dinner in La Vista on Sunday, Sept. 23. Larson said Nebraska 4-H students have made 644 Quilts of Valor to present to veterans.  

Loretta Jane Swit, who plays Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H, was the guest speaker at the pre-flight dinner. She held a meet-and-greet and also attended the flight.

Everyone who attended the flight was female, including the pilots, flight attendants, volunteers and media.

After a 2 a.m. wake-up call on Monday morning, the veterans were welcomed by a band and hundreds of greeters at the Eppley Airfield for their flight to D.C.  

Larson said everywhere they went there was a group of people who would be there to welcome them and thank them for their service. 

She noted many active duty military were at the airport to thank them for paving the way for them to serve. Three Air Force women held a sign that read, “We serve because you led the way.”

Larson said, “You see Iraq veterans saying thank you to Vietnam veterans, Vietnam to WWII; all of them could say that to their previous generation.”

Schulze agreed. “I didn’t realize us serving had helped the women now who are in the military. That was really surprising to me. It was really great because it was generational. There were women of all ages and each one had their own unique story, yet we were all the same.”

Larson said women are the minority in every branch of the military, so to be with that many of them together was an amazing experience. 

Patriot Productions, who has been hosting honor flights for a decade, said the difference between this flight and those before is that every single one of these veterans volunteered for duty. Women are not, and never have been, subject to the draft. 

Two stops not made on past flights included the Pentagon’s 9/11 Memorial and the Women’s Memorial. Other stops included Iwo Jima, Arlington Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknowns, Vietnam Wall, WWII, Korea and Lincoln Memorials. 

Although it rained nearly the entire time they were in D.C., Larson said no one complained. Their flight home was delayed, and their first descent back into Omaha had to reascend and circle back around due to unfavorable winds.

“That was scary,” said Schulze.

The families of the veterans were treated to a pizza party before the veterans’ arrival. Over a thousand gathered at the airport to welcome the veterans home with music, dancing, signs, flags and cheering. 

A band played the Nebraska fight song and Larson said she’s sure “GO BIG RED” could be heard four terminals down.

Schulze said when she returned home from war, they flew in two days late and there was no fanfare. 

“I didn’t realize how great it is to be recognized and thanked,” she said. 

A trip to remember

Larson said she enjoyed  hearing the stories of the WWII nurses and other veterans. 

“There were a lot of purple heart stories, older veterans, younger veterans; just the spread was pretty big. It was a really cool experience.” 

A memorable part of the trip for Larson was the Vietnam Wall. She completed a rubbing of the youngest Marine killed in service.

At the preflight dinner, students from the Frontier Strings of the Omaha Conservatory of Music played while a list of the women killed in action from WWII through Iraq scrolled across a screen. 

“Two of the women in the Iraq war were from my battalion. I knew them,” said Larson.

She said seeing those names come across the screen with the violin music playing was so out of place from where she had been, and it was such an indescribable experience. 

Schulze said she met some really nice people who also served in the Gulf War. She said she feels she deals with things no one else does and always thought she was alone. 

One of the women she really connected with sent her a photo the day after the flight. The two were posing for a photo at the same place and time, and Schulze was standing in the background of the woman’s photo.  

“I think I was supposed to meet you,” she told Schulze.

The two spent time getting to know each other, and plan to keep in touch.

Schulze said it was very rewarding for her to talk with others she has something in common with, who have been through what she has been through. 

She noted she served in the military with mostly men, and the veteran groups she serves in are also mostly men, so to be able to speak with females who understand her was liberating. 

She said she also gained a new friend in Larson as they were able to get to know each other on the trip. 

Schulze had reservations about attending the flight, as she felt it would resurface buried memories.

“I didn’t want to remember,” she said. “But I’m so happy I went. I learned about myself. I didn’t ever have closure. I didn’t realize I didn’t, but now I feel stronger to take on life again.”