ND veterans pay respects at war memorials, honored for service

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KFYR) – A special honor for four North Dakota veterans Sunday.

Major General Robert Schulte, George Masters, Dave Liebig and Thomas Schneider were chosen to lay a wreath during the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

More than 100 North Dakota veterans are in Washington, D.C. Sunday and Monday for the Western North Dakota Honor Flight.

Also at Arlington National Cemetery, two women veterans on the Honor Flight were recognized for their service.

Linda Fournier signed up for the Marines after high school and served in Vietnam. She served from 1968 to 1971

Cindy Torpen enlisted in the Army in 1971. She served until 1975.

The group stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial, also known as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. It was dedicated in 1954 to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

The group’s final stop of the day was at the Vietnam and Korean War memorials.

For many, it was a chance to find the names of friends lost in the war and the reason they wanted to make this trip.

“You look at this wall, there are 59,000 names of young men. I was lucky,” said Vietnam veteran Rodney Miller.

Miller was able to find the names of two friends he lost during the Vietnam War.

Monday, the group will tour the U.S. Capitol before returning home.

The public is invited to welcome them home. They’re scheduled to arrive at the Bismarck airport at 7 p.m. Monday.

Previous Coverage: ND veterans welcomed to DC on Western ND Honor Flight

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