Honor Flight Mission #51: What took you so long?

James (Jim) K. Campbell, Jr. of Wausau is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing for the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, Inc., and a retired Lt. Col. with the United States Marine Corps. These days, one of the first things he asks veterans on these flights is, “What took you so long?”
Many who completed the Never Forgotten Honor Flight Mission #51 on April 14, 2025, “have waited 15 years to apply!”
“About 50% of the qualified veterans—those who served prior to May 7, 1975—haven’t signed up or flown on their Honor Flight,” Campbell said.
He wants veterans who haven’t yet participated in this opportunity to know: “It’s your turn!” he said.
Campbell shared that he often hears the same responses time and again, when he asks the question. But those who do finally sign up for a Never Forgotten Honor Flight often become a source of encouragement for other veterans to do the same. He said there are five common reasons veterans give for not signing up.

Top 5 reasons veterans don’t sign up
1. “I don’t deserve it”
Because “I wasn’t in combat.”
Only 1 in 11 military personnel were combatants—yet every job mattered. “The 1 didn’t fail or die because of the 10 who supported them,” Campbell said. “It’s the 99% of the population who didn’t wear the fabric of our nation’s military who don’t deserve it.”
2. “I’ve been to D.C. before”

“All who’ve been there and then flew on an Honor Flight say the same thing,” Campbell explained. “‘It’s like I was never there!’”
Family vacations, reunions, duty assignments in D.C., or even going as a guardian don’t compare. “Most of the existing memorials hadn’t even been built when you were there before,” he added. And surprisingly, “Seeing the memorials doesn’t even make the top three list of veterans’ most liked experiences on an Honor Flight.”
3. Medical conditions
“If your doctor approves, we will take you,” Campbell said. Some veterans express concern, saying things like, “I don’t walk so good...” But Campbell reassures them: “We’ve taken veterans with no legs. They didn’t walk at all!”
4. Anger
Many veterans—especially those who served in Korea and felt ignored, and those who served in Vietnam and felt blamed for the war—feel this way, Campbell said. “BUT, all who felt this way got closure after going on an Honor Flight.”
5. “I don’t want to relive my experiences”
“Your mind is like a photo album; you won’t ever forget what you experienced,” Campbell said. “But the Honor Flight experience helps keep your mind’s photo album closed more than it’s open. Nightmares disappear. There’s closure after five or more decades.”

Eligible veterans should apply now
“Never Forgotten Honor Flight recognizes you for your sacrifices and achievements by flying you to Washington, D.C., to see YOUR memorials at no cost,” the application site reads. The goal is to provide veterans with a safe, memorable, and rewarding experience—with an emphasis on closure and healing.

“For what you and your comrades have given to us, please consider this a small token of appreciation from all of us at Never Forgotten Honor Flight,” the site adds.
Currently, applications are being accepted for WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans. Priority is given to:
- WWII veterans
- Veterans with a terminal illness
- Followed by Korean War veterans, then Vietnam War veterans
All veterans who served honorably are eligible for an Honor Flight if they served on Active Duty, Active Reserves, National Guard, or Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR)—in any branch of service—before May 7, 1975.
All Never Forgotten Honor Flights depart from Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) in Mosinee, Wis.
For more information, call 715-573-8519 or visit www.neverforgottenhonorflight.org.