04-06-2025
Veterans welcomed home to Sioux City following Midwest Honor Flight trip
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Veterans who joined the most recent Midwest Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. found a crowd of Siouxlanders waiting for them when they landed in Sioux City Tuesday evening. The event was the culmination of what had been an emotional day for much of the group.
For some of the veterans, the moment served as a 'welcome home' celebration that was long overdue.
'This is a lot different than the one I had the first time, when I came home from Vietnam,' said Keith Nicks, a Vietnam veteran from Remsen, Iowa. 'It was, oh! It was a beautiful day.'
Others emphasize that they hope more veterans can also take part in the experience. 'If they get an opportunity to do this, every veteran needs to go on this trip,' said Doug Conrad, a Vietnam veteran from Sioux City.
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The flight took off early Tuesday morning from the Sioux Gateway Airport, the first Midwest Honor Flight to depart from the Sioux City airport since 2010. Once they landed in D.C., the group was able to visit several of the war memorials in the nation's capital, including those built in honor of the wars in which they served themselves.
The CEO of Midwest Honor Flight, Aaron Van Beek, said it's thanks to the community that these trips can take place. 'It was a great day,' he said. 'We are so thankful for so many supporters throughout the community area, here in the Siouxland area, who give their time, their efforts, their donations to make it possible for this flight today, for so many veterans to have the chance to see their memorials in Washington, D.C.'
With the help of the community, Midwest Honor Flight raised nearly $200,000 to make Tuesday's flight happen.
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Van Beek added, so many Siouxlanders turning out to welcome the group home made for an incredible end to the day. 'It was quite a crowd to see,' he said. 'We didn't know if there'd be 12 people or 1,200 people that showed up tonight, and Siouxland certainly showed up to make this welcome home a special event for our veterans on flight today.'
If you're interested in learning more about Midwest Honor Flight, supporting their mission, or even applying to join a future trip, you can find more information on their website here.
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