Local Veteran Celebrated on Honor Flight

The day began in the smallest hours on June 11. At 3:15 am, Al Bosma of Orland Park picked up Hilrick “Hil" Mulhena of Peace Village in Palos Park and headed to Midway Airport. They enjoyed donuts and coffee while meeting over 100 other Korean War-era veterans and about ten World War II veterans before departing at 4:00 am for Washington DC on their Honor Flight.

By 8:30 am, the veterans had enjoyed a second breakfast, landed at Dulles Airport and were on a bus headed to the National Mall.

“We had a police escort. They had to stop traffic, otherwise we would never have made it to everything we had to do,” said Mulhena.

The veterans visited the World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials and the Air and Space Museum. “Each monument was quite impressive,” said Mulhena. “The craftsmanship and artistry - you realize a lot goes into these things.” He had viewed the Vietnam Wall at traveling exhibits before, but felt the effect of the Wall in actual size was much more powerful.

“The Space Museum was too quick,” Mulhena said. He could have spent more time there, as he and Bosma were awed by the innovations made in just a few decades. “It boggles the mind what they do nowadays. The ability to maneuver, the tracking capabilities, all of it - these aircraft do much more than just one thing now.” They especially enjoyed seeing the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that was the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb, leading to the end of WWII.

The journey to this Honor Flight began when a fellow neighbor at Peace Village distributed application forms after his own Flight, urging veterans to experience this opportunity. Mulhena and Bosma, friends since high school, decided to apply together.

Honor Flights began in 2005 to assist WWII veterans in experiencing the new monument honoring that conflict. Now, the non-profit organization also accepts applications from veterans who served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. To date, Honor Flight has escorted over 200,000 veterans to Washington DC, funded entirely by donations, with no cost to our veterans. Contributions can be made at www.honorflight.org.

Mulhena served the United States during the Korean War. He was drafted in November of 1951 and served the United States Navy in Norfolk, Virginia, Argentia, Newfoundland and in Hutchinson, Kansas. He was given a brief emergency leave when his wife Frances was stricken with rheumatic fever. He drove a supply truck, which served him well after he completed his service. After discharge in 1955, he accepted a position with Jewel Food Stores as a truck driver and retired from that company in 1989. His second wife Evelyn made the decision, he laughs, to move to Peace Village in 2015. “I am very blessed. Everyone is your friend here at Peace. It’s a good place to be,” he said.

After a dinner at Dulles Airport, the veterans were flown back to Chicago. A WGN reporter and film crew followed the veterans from Midway to the monuments and back again. On the plane ride home, organizers executed a “Mail Call”, perhaps Mulhena’s favorite part of the day.

“No one knew that was coming,” said Mulhena. “There were letters from friends and relatives, from businesses and from well-known individuals like Dick Durbin. The letters were addressed to each person and talked about how our service was appreciated.”

The veterans were greeted at Midway with a water cannon salute from the Chicago Fire Department, the tarmac lined with personnel saluting the veterans as they disembarked. For Mulhena, this was the perfect end to the day.

“Bob had told me we just had to do this and he was right. I highly recommend this experience to all veterans. This Honor Flight really meant a lot to me - it means a great deal to know that people appreciate your life and your service.”