by Mari Radtke
September 18, 2024 ended an 8-month wait. Dennis Koehlmoos, a Viet Nam era United States veteran from Paullina flew to Washington D. C. on one of the two 2024 Honor Flights.
Koehlmoos was drafted during the time the United States was fighting in Viet Nam. His basic training was served at Fort Lewis, Washington and lasted 2 months. He spent 9 months at the Presidio, located on the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. At the time, The Presidio was Sixth Army headquarters. There, he served on a base with 3,000 offices and hospitals for returning soldiers. Over 400 MPs were recuperating from injuries there. He served as a pall bearer for lost soldiers. “I saw the insides of many churches, mosques or synagogues,” Dennis said. His MOS was 30th MP Battalion Presidio.
The July levy came. That is the time when those stationed at the Presidio were given orders for another duty station. “The company clerk was from Spencer. He told me he thought I was headed for Viet Nam,” Koelhmoos explained. The first 14 soldiers went to Viet Nam; the next 2 to Guam and I went to Korea. He spent 14 months near the DMZ (demilitarized zone). Before shipping out to Korea, he enjoyed a two week leave at home in Paullina. While home he got to see the moon landing! He flew to Seoul, South Korea in early August. He was stationed at Pyong Song at 8th Army Headquarters. Dennis shared stories of life there, guarding 19 gates to the base. The MPs there worked 12 hours shifts, 7 days per week for 3 months. One such story included a loud nighttime BOOM! while they were playing cards. It was early November. The Korean climate is similar to Iowa’s. The BOOM was thunder snow – and a big relief. It was in Korea where Koehlmoos saw a young guy in a wheelchair. He had a small frame and was badly disfigured from his injuries. That young man was there spending time at the hospital for leg and foot injuries. That was Dennis’ first realization of what war can mean.
Fast forward to 2024 when U.S. Citizens show gratitude to our veterans. A banquet two weeks earlier oriented the group to how the trip would go. They were given their shirts, tickets, badges, shirts and other necessary documents. The Honor Flight Koehlmoos took in September left Fort Dodge on the 18 and returned later that night. There were 180 veterans, escorts and medical personnel onboard. The group arrived in D.C. at about 8:30am to Dulles Airport. The group disembarked onto 3 busses. Everything they did from then until their return keyed off their seat number.
His bus first went to the Air Force Memorial, which is “fairly new.” It has 3 spires going up 300 feet and spreading in a manor to reflect the flights of the Blue Angels. The memorial is right in line with the flight path of the plane that hit the Pentagon on 9/11. The Pentagon is visible from the Air Force Memorial.
Arlington National Cemetery was their next destination. They attended a “Changing of the Guards.” The rain changed nothing. As the bus moved throught he Cemetery, they drove by Audie Murphy’s gravesite. Their guide said it is the most visited grave at Arlington. The Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Wall and the Korean Memorial followed. “I thought it was very well done.” The Korean Memorial was an outer ring of names for those Killed In Action (KIA). Statues at the site were posed in their rain gear and appeared to be slogging through the mud, walking through a field. It was designed to give image to the conditions of a soldier during that conflict. The World War II and Washington Monuments were in the area.
As the group drove, they got as close to the White House as possible. They were able to get a glance at the front of it. One thing Dennis noted about the trip and tours, “We never went up or down a step!” He went on to say, “ it was all well done, but the Korea Memorial was the best of the bunch.”
Upon returning home from the trip, the group was honored with salutes and handshakes from the firemen and youngsters at the airport. An exchange of gratitude for the different kinds of service were exchanged. After returning to Fort Dodge, they were awarded an Honor Flight Certificate. His wife, Esther and one of their sons met him at the airport. On the flight home, several veterans were given an envelope. His contained “Letters from Home.” That was a pre-arranged gift with the spouses or family members. Kids and grandkids had the option to give a letter, pictures or other special items. “It was nice,” Dennis said.
The Honor Flights out of Fort Dodge are sponsored by Bushy Creek. They fully fund the entire trip, two each year from private fundraising. No tax dollars are used. Koehlmoos was given an application from a friend.