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Episode 3161 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the three Illinois veterans who went on an Honor Flight. The featured story is titled: ‘A Memory I Will Remember Forever’: Lemont Veterans Marvel At Honor Flight Experience. It appeared on the Patch website and was submitted by Andrea Earnest.
Earnest reported that Honor Flight Chicago’s final journey of 2025—its 126th flight—carried three Lemont veterans to Washington, D.C., offering them a long-awaited day of honor and reflection. While the program recognizes service members from World War II and Korea, this year overwhelmingly celebrated the extraordinary Vietnam Veteran generation, honoring 748 Vietnam Veterans whose courage and perseverance continue to shape the nation’s understanding of service.
Among the Lemont participants was 90-year-old Cold War Army veteran Anthony Trekas, who traveled with his daughter and praised the flawless coordination of the day. But it was Vietnam Veteran Mark Liset, who served in-country from 1970 to 1972, and Navy veteran Glen Missaggia, who served during the Vietnam era, who embodied the quiet strength and dignity of their generation. Both men were moved by the outpouring of gratitude—something Vietnam Veterans were too often denied upon returning home decades earlier.
The day in Washington brought these veterans to the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and—most poignantly—the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They witnessed the solemn Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a moment Trekas said left him in awe. All three men were especially struck by the police escort that shut down the highway for their arrival, a symbolic gesture of long-overdue respect.
The emotional pinnacle came with their return to Chicago: bagpipers, salutes, flags, mail call, and hundreds of cheering supporters. For these veterans—especially the Vietnam generation who once faced hostility instead of gratitude—the reception was profoundly healing. As Missaggia put it, the memory will last forever, honoring a generation whose service and sacrifice will never again go unrecognized.
Listen to Episode 3161 and discover more about the three Illinois veterans who went on an Honor Flight.
