Honor Flight Chicago carries another 90 veterans to Washington D.C.

At the time it was jumping into chin-deep water in the dark, holding a rifle and gas mask over his head. Then it was the two days on Utah Beach under German fire.

Later it was missing the buddies who did not make it. Still later, regretting that such a devastating war occurred.

Now, William Schoepke, a longtime resident of Arlington Heights, is relishing the day he spent with other veterans visiting the World War II memorial in Washington D.C.

On Wednesday, he was one of 90 veterans aged 81 to 97 who flew to Washington on an Honor Flight.

The day revolved around a ceremony at the World War II Memorial and ended with a raucous homecoming Wednesday night at Midway Airport that was so lively the 86-year-old Schoepke shook off the exhaustion of an 18-hour day and danced to music from the 40s.

Schoepke, who worked for Paddock Publications for 54 years and retired as vice-president of production in 1996, was drafted into the Army at 18 and served in an engineering unit.

His entire war action were two hellacious days during the D-Day invasion, where his job on Utah Beach was to help make a port so trucks and other heavy equipment could be unloaded from Allied ships.

After those two days on the beach, his unit walked 12 miles to Cherbourg, where one of his most vivid memories is stealing food from the PX to give to a family of 14 children with a disabled father.

He didn't return to Normandy for 50 years, but when he did go back for an anniversary ceremony he got to see the LeJeunes again.

For Schoepke, the most moving part of his Honor Flight trip was a simple thing.

“When we as a group of veterans arrived at the Washington airport at least 30 citizens greeted us, he said. “That was nice of them. In a way that was a highlight of my trip.

Honor Flight Chicago was founded two years ago after Mary Pettinato learned that seeing the World War II memorial was an end-of-life wish for her father.

“It broke my heart, said Pettinato, who joined other women to start the local group so her father and others could make the trip.

Hundreds of volunteers work on each event, and the group makes as many trips as it can afford with the donations it receives 11 are planned in 2010.

In two years it has taken nearly 1,300 veterans to view the memorial, while another 1,300 are on the waiting list the average age of whom is 87.

There are an estimated 25,000 World War II vets in the Chicago area, who could all be gone in 5-7 years, Pettinato says. Information on Honor Flight Chicago is at honorflightchicago.org/index.html.

Bill Schoepke danced all his life until a few recent strokes. He even met his late wife, Katherine, dancing at the Aragon Ballroom soon after getting home from Europe.

So Schoepke's son, Mike, was excited to see his father, who had been in a wheelchair much of the trip, get up and dance at the Midway reception.

“He was totally exhausted from an 18-hour day, and he has a chance to dance like he used to dance in the 1940s, Mike Schoepke marveled. “He didn't dance very fast."

Bill Schoepke's daughters, Cathy Wloch of South Barrington, and Linda Fine of Deerfield, and many of his grandchildren were among the thousands of people who gathered at Midway to welcome the veterans home Wednesday night.

“It's America at its finest," said Wloch. “It restores your faith in humanity. There were hundreds of people there who didn't even know any of the vets, just saying ‘Thanks for doing what you did. My life is better for what you did.'"

For Mike Schoepke, who took a different flight to Washington to share the day with his dad, the most amazing sight were the thousands of gold stars at the World War II memorial each representing 100 American lives lost in the conflict.

“It was very, very touching," said Mike Schoepke, who like his father works in production for Paddock Publications.

William Schoepke, with the perspective of more than 60 years, looks at those stars and mourns all his compatriots, especially the 3,000 Americans and allies who died on D-Day.

“It's too bad the Germans didn't do something about Hitler, like vote him out or whatever it took, he says.

Mike Schoepke thinks there's a powerful lesson for future generations in the story told by the memorial.

“I was so honored to be able to be there," he said. “I think it's important for all Americans to keep our history current so that the youth of America can truly understand the toils of what has created the country we love so much."