What began as a single mission to honor WWII veterans by bringing them to see their memorial in 2005 has now honored more than 300,000 veterans in over 129 hubs nationwide. Central Valley Honor Flight lifted off Oct. 13-15 for the 33rd flight with 67 Korean and Vietnam war veterans on board. Their journey took them on a private capitol tour along with visiting the memorials that both honor their military branches and their service. Participation in the Honor Flight allows each veteran, alongside their guardian, to remember the fallen, share their stories and for many, the first time they feel valued and honored for their service. This series highlights many of the unforgettable stories from Central Valley Honor Flight 33.
Mike Dillman, from Ripon, California, was attending Bible college at Bethany College in Santa Cruz, California during the Vietnam War. He went off to serve in the Army from 1968-1971 as the Chaplain’s assistant and bodyguard. While in Vietnam, Dillman continued his studies by correspondence through the University of California, Berkeley. He finished his studies and graduated from Epic Bible College in Sacramento, California, using his post-service GI Bill. With almost 14 months spent in Vietnam, Dillman carries a lifetime of PTSD with a 100% VA disability rating.
As assistant to the Chaplain, Dillman traveled with the Chaplain from Headquarters in Cam Ranh Bay to fire bases throughout Vietnam. Together, they visited both the hospital and the morgue to pray over those who had been brought in from the field. His noble role as Chaplain’s assistant brought comfort and hope to many veterans and their families.
Dillman recounts a point in the war when they were losing 600 men per week, and every available bed was full with men still lying on the floor.
“When I went to Vietnam, I had my ministerial credentials. So I was a minister, but I was the Chaplain’s assistant,” Dillman said. “We would go into the morgue and unzip the body bag and commend the soul of that departed warrior to the hands of the Lord. And then I would go back to the office and send a letter to the families to tell them that the chaplain was with them and that we had prayed over their son, and that was very difficult.”
On the Honor Flight, veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War receive the opportunity to visit memorials in Washington, D.C. that are dedicated to the sacrifices they made for our country. Dillman’s goal was to find 17 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall; four names were men he had prayed over with the Chaplain before they died, and the rest were men he served with or men from his community who had served.
While he may not have met every soldier who is listed on the wall, Dillman feels connected to them through shared sacrifice and service.
“I don’t believe God created us to kill and be killed, but it’s one of the facts of life, and somebody has to do it,” Dillman said. “I was honored to be there, to talk to these men, pray with them, comfort them. So I feel like pretty much every one of the 58,000 names on that wall. I feel like so many of them passed my way, and I’m just so thankful to be free.”
Honor Flight 33 got the opportunity to have the entire Capitol Building to themselves due to the government shutdown. Though there are usually 7,000 people a day going through the building, the Honor Flight veterans were the only group permitted to go in. While they were in the assembly room, they were greeted by Mike Johnson, a speaker of the House of Representatives and a Congress member. The veterans also were able to visit The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the World War II, Navy and Marine Corps memorials.
On the Honor Flight, veterans receive a sense of closure as they revisit their fallen friends and pay their respects to those who didn’t make it back home.
“I like what President Reagan said; he said that these men gave up two lives for their country: the life that they were living and the life that they would have lived,” Dillman said. “They gave up their opportunity to be husbands, grandfathers and fathers. This is what he said that really touched my heart: they gave up their right to be to be revered old men like us.”
The return from the Honor Flight trip is the icing on the cake for these veterans. It is often an extremely emotional experience where the veterans finally receive the welcome home they deserved for their service the first time around.
“That blew me away. I think there had to be at least 500 people there, and they were just so filled with excitement for us, and I felt like when we came home that we were getting what we should have gotten when we came home so many years ago,” Dillman said. “We should have come home to the embrace of a grateful nation, and we didn’t. But boy, those folks sure made up for it when we came back to Fresno and walked among them, and so many of them wanted to hug us and shake our hands. It was overwhelming.”
It is said that history is doomed to repeat itself, and that is why it is so important to be educated on the subject. While the Vietnam war is in the past, the effects and lessons to be learned from it are crucial to the present day understanding of sacrifice and responsibility to one’s country.
“If I had the opportunity to talk to your class of high school students, I would want them to know that when we say freedom is not free, it’s not just a trite few words that we speak,” Dillman said. “But it absolutely, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the very fear fabric of who we are as a people. I would encourage those young people to make good choices, to study hard and to become the very best that they can be, and to take their place in their community, to be leaders and to be examples of what it means to have this cherished gift of freedom.”
In an effort to ensure that the sacrifices made for our country were not taken for granted, Dillman took part in organizing an event called “Not Forgotten” in his hometown of Manteca, California. The volunteer team put out 7,200 crosses to represent the fallen since 9/11 and recreated the Arlington Cemetery. They also showcased multiple memorials, hosted the Wounded Warriors 5K Run, a children’s “Energy Zone” with rides and games, a classic car exhibit, helicopter flyovers, live music and a firework show finale. After 16 successful years, the event was discontinued; however, Dillman says that there are people reaching out who hope to reinstate the annual tradition.
Dillman aims to educate up-and-coming generations in the importance of taking responsibility for what it takes to maintain America’s freedom. He continues to connect with veterans in his community, sharing his story and his faith with those who desire to learn more about the sacrifices these men made at such a young age.
To read more about or donate to the Central Valley Honor Flight, visit their home page.
To read more from The Feather Honor Flight series, visit Honor Flight: Veteran Leonard Kizirian or Honor Flight: Veteran Greg Belemjian.
Meghan Creamier • Jan 29, 2026 at 9:12 am
Your article was incredibly moving! I pray that more veterans are able to experience the Honor Flight!