Ron Newsum, Charlie Walker, Russ Naden, Mary Lou Walker, Barb Schulze, Mel Schroeder, and Rhonda Chambers were honored Tuesday morning at an event at Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino in Altoona.

Newsum, who conceived the idea of a local Honor Flight, is the president of the committee that organizes the flights.

Naden, Schroeder and Charlie Walker are original members of that committee. Mary Lou Walker is an active volunteer who helps with all aspects of planning the flights. Schulze organizes the welcome home ceremony conducted at Fort Dodge Regional Airport when the flights return from Washington, D.C. Chambers is the director of aviation at Fort Dodge Regional Airport.

Reflecting on the award presentation Wednesday, Newsum said “It was quite an honor.”

Honor Flight is a national program that takes veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the nation’s war memorials.

Newsum wanted to get his father, the late Clem Hentges, a Navy veteran of World War II, to Washington, and thought a local Honor Flight would be a way to get him and other local World War II veterans there. He assembled a committee, and that group set out with the goal to get enough money and veterans to have one flight.

That first flight was in 2010.

The committee succeeded beyond its wildest dreams, and the 27th flight will take off on May 7.

Since 2010, about 3,500 veterans have traveled on the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight.

The first five flights were exclusively for World War II veterans. Veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War and peacetime duty between the wars are now also invited on the flights. Vietnam War era veterans have accounted for most of the passengers on the recent flights.

The group honored Tuesday were nominated by Peggy Dettman, a member of the Honor Flight committee.