Montevideo Vets

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Stories from May 7th Saturday's Worthington Daily Globe


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Montevideo Veterans at WW 2 Memorial

Last weekend an excited group of smiling World War 2 veterans from Southwest Minnesota hopped aboard an "Honor Flight" headed for our nation's capital . The big airplane loaded with "Heroes" departed from Sioux Falls early Friday April 29th and landed at the Baltimore airport around 11 am. For the next two days the veterans were given tours of several military service monuments in Washington DC. Throughout the day they were all given the well deserved heroes reception that they had earned through their dedicated service to our country during the war years of 1941-1945. As the veterans lingered around the WW 2 memorial many young school children greeted the them with big smiles, handshakes and hand made thank you cards. "Thanks for keeping us free" was one received by Verdi Gilbertson.

The Montevideo neighborhood of North fifth street, fourth street and sixth street was well represented.

Three of the vets, Verdi Gilbertson, Conrad Stai and Stan Folkestad live within a block of each other and George Stai is just around the corner on 4th, Milt Hoidahl is on north sixth while John Handeen lives in the country in the former house of Verdi Gilbertson's maternal grandmother.

Verdi was joined by his sons, Keith, Greg and his grandsons Eric and Matthew. Conrad's son Jerry escorted him and George's son Doug escorted him on the trip. Stan's son in law Gary Heikes traveled along with him.

News Stories from April 2011 Honor Flight

News Stories Worthington

Editorial from Worthington Daily Globe

Check back on Saturday May 7th for more photos and stories about the Honor Flight.

Cliff Gilbertson Nobles County

Verdi Gilbertson

Gilbertson trained in Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and New York before being sent overseas as an infantryman.

“We backpacked across France and Germany,” he said.

While a few of their war stories were shared on the Honor Flight journey, Gilbertson said they don’t talk about them much at home.

“Nobody believes them anymore anyway,” he said with a laugh.

100th Division Page

SOB

Photo Collection by Keith

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George Stai

Links USS Flint Photos
USS Flint


We were with Admiral Halsey’s tourist fleet,” George Stai said. “He was quite a tour guide. I started the war in the Philippines, then went to Iwo Jima, Okinawa and a few other places.” George Stai



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Stan Folkestad

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School Kids at the World War II Memorial

Conrad Stai