News : Honor Flight Returns to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening with grateful Veterans

Mike Demmel upon his return from the Honor Flight with his niece Nikki Hotz who is also a Veteran

Judy Demmel, Janet Kearns, Pate Neve, Cadee Redlinger, Addison Redlinger, Mary Jones

Mark Liebe is pictured here with Mike

Mike Demmel

Mike said this is his gang!

Cadee and Addy

Roger Hopwood, Mike Demmel

Two area veterans made the trip to Washington D.C. aboard the Eastern Iowa Honor Flights.

Mike Demmel a member of the Army's 101st Airborne Assault Helicopter Brigade serving as a mechanic for the two years he served in Vietnam.

Roger Hopwood an Air Force veteran also went along on the trip.

Mike said of his trip that he was most surprised by the size of Arlington Cemetery and enjoyed visiting the Korean and of course the Vietnam Memorial. 

Mike was encouraged to take the trip by both Roger Uthofff and Mark Liebe who went along to accompany Mike.

Some of the most touching parts of the trip for Mike, "I'm just an old truck driver and they treated us like royalty, escorting us through Washington D.C." he said. And he said he held it together until he got to the airport, and even then he was doing fine until he saw his niece Nikki Hotz and then he said, he lost it. 

Nikki spent 11 months deployed with the 960th QM Company as a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Sergeant, serving under Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield. As a civilian, she now serves in the Marion Police Department as a patrol officer with additional duties as a crime scene investigator, Mobile Field Force, and multi-unit surveillance member. She will be heading to the FBI Hazardous Devices School to complete her certification as a bomb technician in the spring of 2020.

Nikki said of her uncle that he has always been an amazing role model for her. "It was easy to talk with Uncle Mike about my time overseas because he served in Vietnam and understood the stress that comes with deployment and the emotions of being away from home for so long. Having him and aunt Judy send the care packages always made me look forward to mail call," she said of the couple.

The family was sure to return the favor so that when he had "mail call" on the flight home, the family was sure to stuff as many letters as they could in for Mike to read, even one that had been written on a paper plate.

Nikki expressed also her appreciation for the Honor Flight program and what they do, so that Mike could experience a proper welcome home.