Honor. Thank. Inspire. An Honor Flight Chicago Podcast

Ed Bales was a top-secret crypto officer aboard the USS Beale, patrolling the Caribbean in the early 1960s. Not only did his ship serve as an escort for the merchant freighter Houston during the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Beale also participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade. In one particular incident during that blockage, the Beale dropped a depth charge on a Russian submarine that brought the world as close to nuclear war as it has ever been. Bales tells the story in this must-listen episode!

Ray Ariaz served in Vietnam, as did his brother, Edward. When Edward was killed, it was Ray who accompanied his brother home to Chicago. In the aftermath of the war, Ray turned to music for healing, but not just for himself. For decades, he has traveled to Hines VA multiple times per week to play for his fellow Veterans, walking the halls with a song and a smile.

Harry and Larry Hartigan were known to their family as simply "The Twins." Both joined the Navy during the Vietnam War. Harry was stationed in Pearl Harbor. Larry was a corpsman attached to a Marine unit in Vietnam, where he was killed in early 1969. The Twins returned home together, with Harry accompanying his brother's body back to the States. Harry has worked to keep Larry's memory alive ever since.

When Rex Miller's draft notice came, he went to his physical in Detroit, Michigan, before slipping into Canada with some buddies. He called home, and his WWII Veteran father told him in no uncertain terms to get back to the States. Rex inevitably went to war in Vietnam, but the biggest shock of all was how he was treated upon his return to "The World" following his tour. Then, decades later, Honor Flight Chicago flipped the script.

In the jungles of Vietnam, Frank Trout took a bullet to the head. He was discovered by a unit that was not his own, bandaged, and evacuated. At some point during this process, he clinically died. Most remarkably, he knew none of this until a chance meeting at a reunion 40 years later. Frank's humor—and many adventures in life—make his story a perfect fit for this podcast's landmark 100th episode.

Carl Brader served in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief aboard high-risk missions transporting Special Forces into Laos and Cambodia for assignments that remained classified for long after the war. 

Ken Duggar was badly wounded in Vietnam. He was hospitalized for months and came home to recuperate before his guilt at leaving his brothers-in-arms behind in the field led him to re-enlist. He got as far as Germany before complications from his original wounds led to his death. Because he died away from Vietnam, his sister, Phyllis, had to fight for years to have Ken's name added to the Wall. She won. This is her story.

Marine Corps Veteran Michael Bubacz did two tours in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, assigned to train and serve alongside South Vietnamese Marines during helicopter missions into Laos and Cambodia. Three times Hueys he was aboard were shot down. The final instance led to more than two weeks of a wounded Bubacz surviving alone in the jungle, waiting for rescue.

Hayley Ermer volunteers with Honor Flight Chicago as a "red shirt:" a medical professional who gives of their time and expertise to ensure a safe and comfortable day for our Veterans. Hayley's own father served in Vietnam, and her work with HFC's heroes has helped her understand her dad's experience in war and the resulting PTSD he brought home with him.

In the Spring of 1971, Gary Holian surprised his family by coming home for his R&R from Vietnam. The Gary who arrived at their doorstep was quite unlike the Gary they knew before he left for war. Three months later, Gary was killed when his Huey gunship was shot down over the DMZ. His sisters, Jody and Lory, traveled on Honor Flight Chicago's Mission 125 in September of 2025 to honor his memory. They share their family's story here.