Local veteran makes trip to D.C. as part of Freedom Honor Flight

by Beth Kraft

Freedom Honor Flights offer veterans from conflicts such as World War II and the Korean War a chance to see the memorials that have been placed in our nation’s capitol in their honor, but Gilmanton-area resident and WWII vet Vilas Hovey almost didn’t go.

His brother, Delaine Hovey, an area native who also served in WWII, asked him to make the flight with him from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Washington D.C. as part of a Twin Cities Honor Flight Network trip that took place Oct. 11.

Vilas was very interested in making the trip to D.C., but he hesitated. The U.S. Army vet who served his country for nearly two years suffers from macular degeneration, a condition that hampers his vision, limiting his mobility. He says he didn’t want to be a burden on anyone, “but whoever I talked to said, ‘go.’ I’m glad I went; I enjoyed the trip,” reflected Hovey.

The day of the Honor Flight was a busy one for the Hovey brothers.

Once they landed in Washington D.C., greeted by somewhat rainy weather, the group boarded a bus to visit landmark locations such as the WWII memorial, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean and Vietnam war memorials.

Vilas says he is thankful for his guardian, Steve, who cared for him during the trip, allowing him to fully enjoy the opportunity.

Vilas Hovey, Pfc, was drafted on June 29, 1944, and spent 16 weeks at Camp Croft in South Carolina before heading overseas. He was then stationed in Naples, Italy, for eight months where he served with the 10th Mountain Division.

Pointing out a fun fact, Hovey notes the group camped on a dairy farm owned by Italian leader Benito Mussolini’s son-in-law for a few months.

He was scheduled to head to the South Pacific from there as the war in the European Theatre wound down, but a scheduled 30-day furlough sent Hovey back to the States for good. He served out the remainder of his time with the Army on bases in Colorado and Texas, earning an honorable discharge on April 12, 1946.

His brother, Delaine Hovey, is also a U.S. Army veteran, serving for 21 months as a Technician—Fifth Grade with the 807th Division of the Military Police.

Delaine was scheduled to ship out to Japan from Fort Ord, located on the California coast, but the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima the night before he was scheduled to leave. He was then sent to Trinidad and Tobago instead.

While stationed at the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on MP duty, Delaine escorted equipment and high-ranking military officers from the airport into the country’s capitol. He was honorably discharged on Nov. 26, 1946.

Both Vilas and Delaine Hovey lived their first years in Bennett Valley in central Buffalo County before the family moved closer to Gilmanton.

Vilas has now spent 60 years on that farm, operating it as a 50-60 cow dairy until the 1980s. His son has since taken over running the farm.

Delaine moved to the Twin Cities area in the ‘60s.

Vilas Hovey urged other local veterans who haven’t yet taken part in a Freedom Honor Flight to make sure they do at some point.

“People should not hesitate,” he said. “We sure were taken care of during the flight.”

Currently, WWII and Korean War veterans have priority status for Freedom Honor Flights. The local organization, based in La Crosse, expected to be able to serve all WWII vets on the waiting list this year. However, officials estimate there are still a few thousand WWII veterans who reside in the Northwest/Central Wisconsin hub that haven’t yet participated in an Honor Flight. Those individuals are encouraged to apply.

Freedom Honor Flight has offered two flights per year from La Crosse to Washington D.C. since 2008 to allow local veterans the chance to visit the memorials that stand in their honor.

To learn more about the Freedom Honor Flight organization, please visit www.freedomhonorflight.org.