Milwaukee VA Medical Center

They were soldiers once and young … Peter Lovinus, far left, poses with buddies during the Korean War. “That’s Miekler, that’s Dennis … and I can’t remember this guy’s name,” he says. “I don’t remember his name, but he was Catholic. You can see because he’s wearing the Rosary.”

● See the photo essay here   ● Korean War: From frontlines to family

His hair is white. He’s hard of hearing. It sometimes takes him a moment to recall life events.

But when Pete Lovinus sees photos taken 62 years ago with friends from the Korean War his eyes shine bright. His hair is black and wavy. He cracks a joke and remembers most of their names.

“That’s Miekler, that’s Dennis … and I can’t remember this guy’s name,” he says. “I don’t remember his name, but he was Catholic. You can see because he’s wearing the Rosary.”

He picks up another photo.

“This one is Lynch. We called him Near-Sighted Lynch. He went out on perimeter check one night, and when we went back to see what he shot, we found two fence posts and a dead cow.”

The photos of the infantrymen are faded black and white.

In Lovinus’ mind and in his stories, it’s all vivid color.

Now, more than 60 years after he came home to a country that didn’t seem to care, Lovinus was thanked for his service with a whirlwind Stars & Stripes Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., followed by a welcome he never received when he first came back from war.

Lovinus, 81, gets his care at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and comes to Adult Day Health Care twice a week. His granddaughter, Erin Bullock, is a clinical case manager and master social worker for the Iraq and Afghanistan transition and care management team. Soon after she started at VA seven years ago, she found out about the Honor Flight and hoped her grandfather could one day make the trip. 

Honor Flight is a non-profit organization that operates throughout the U.S. and takes Veterans at no cost to see their memorials in Washington, D.C. It includes plenty of pomp with bands and large crowds cheering along the way. For years, the Honor Flight focused on World War II Veterans, but recently opened flights to the Korean War generation.

“I knew there was a long waiting list,” Bullock said. “I sent in the application on Memorial Day 2013, and we got the call that he was on the flight in October 2014.”

She and her grandfather would be on the Nov. 1 flight to Washington, D.C.

“It was really exciting.” Lovinus said. “I’ve never been there to see the (Korean War) memorial. I was flabbergasted. I forgot I was on the list.”      

Bullock and her grandmother, Betty Lovinus, immediately went to work, enlisting family and friends to write letters that would be handed to her grandfather for the “mail call” upon his return. She contacted her cousin, Peter, a West Point cadet, to see if he could surprise his grandfather in D.C. They even found a replica Korean War uniform for the trip.

“The night before, Grandma was still sewing patches on the uniform,” Bullock said.

Peter’s wife, Betty, helps him with his uniform and his Stars & Stripes Honor Flight jacket about 4 a.m. at his home. The jacket says, “Every Day Is a Bonus.” He was accompanied by his granddaughter, Erin Bullock, on the journey. The two called the trip one of the most emotional experiences of their lives.

Early in the morning Nov. 1, about 4 a.m., Betty helped her husband button his uniform before Bullock whisked him to the airport.

Lovinus sat directly in front of Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy on the plane. Lucroy accompanied the Veterans as a special Honor Flight guest.

“I was really elated to meet him. It was truly so neat that he could do this,” Lovinus smiled. “He’s a funny guy and told a lot of jokes.”

Bullock said Lucroy took a genuine interest in her grandfather.

“He was very polite and funny, and matched my grandpa wit for wit,” she said. “As we landed, Lucroy leaned over to him and said, ‘I don’t know anything about the Korean War. What can you tell me?’ They had about a 15-minute conversation.”

The celebration began within minutes of landing in Washington, D.C., as Miss District of Columbia, Girl Scouts and hundreds of others held up signs to welcome the Veterans.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Lovinus said. “It was very nice.”

But it was just a small part of what he would experience the rest of the day, Bullock added.

“Even on the tour of the memorials, when people would find out who we were, they would come up to shake his hand and say, ‘Thanks.’ Grandpa must have shook 200 hands that day,” Bullock said. “By the end of the day, he switched to fist bumps.”

While he was living in the moment, Bullock was texting to make sure others were ready to surprise him.

First stop on the trip was the World War II memorial.

Gary and Jan Peterson, family friends for more than 35 years, happened to be in Washington, D.C., on their own vacation and were on the lookout. They spotted their old friend, Lovinus, and greeted him at soon as he got off the bus.

But the biggest surprise was yet to come.

As the group posed for photos in front of the World War II memorial, Lovinus thought he spied his grandson, Peter Zeidler, across the way.

“I think that’s Peter over there,” he told Bullock.

“No, that’s not him. We have to get our group picture,” she told him.

Then his grandson came over with a big grin on his face.

“Holy cow! I was speechless, which is pretty rare!” Lovinus said.

His grandson, Peter – named after his grandfather – is a cadet sergeant in his junior year at West Point. He got special permission to make the nearly six-hour trip for the surprise reunion.

“Cousin Erin has worked really hard to make sure Grandpa Pete gets all his disability benefits,” Zeidler said. “She’s the one who put this together and helped set up the dates.

“I put in for a pass, and had to get a special exception to policy. West Point was playing Air Force that weekend, and football games are mandatory, but they heard I wanted to meet my grandpa who is a combat veteran. All of the officers and (noncommissioned officers) here have combat experience. They understand.”

Zeidler showed up with his best friend from West Point, Alex Velazquez, both in dress uniform. Velazquez, who is from Puerto Rico, already knew the family from when he stayed with them over the holidays last year.

Grandson and grandfather embraced at the World War II Memorial. For the next 90 minutes they toured the memorials before the cadets headed back to school.

As the bus pulled away, Zeidler and Velazquez snapped a salute to Grandpa Pete and the rest of the Veterans. Grandpa Pete returned the honor.

He wiped a tear from his eye as he turned to his granddaughter.

“He got me,” Lovinus told her.

He beams at the memory.

“There are just too many adjectives you can use for that feeling,” Lovinus said. “I am so proud of those two, and proud to salute my two cadets.”

By 6 p.m., the tour was done. In a matter of hours, Lovinus saw the memorials for World War II, The Air Force, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Vietnam, and, of course, the Korean War – a haunting tribute to soldiers in ponchos trudging through the rugged and wet terrain.

“Those guys were taller than me,” Lovinus joked, referring to the solid steel Korean War soldier-statues that stretch more than seven feet into the sky.

Lovinus said the memorial was exactly like it was in war.

“Got there in March of ’52. You don’t forget that,” he said. “We did a lot of sleeping on the ground. It rained once for 17 days straight. After a day or two, it was raining as hard in the tents as it was outside.”

Back on the airplane ride home, Lucroy called out each Veteran’s name for the mail call – personal letters from family, friends and politicians.

Bullock made sure her grandpa had plenty to read.

“He got about a third of the way through and said he’d read the rest of them at home,” she said.

"I didn’t want to show tears,” her grandfather said. “I’m still a macho guy. But I got letters from every child, every grandchild, kids I coached in Little League who told me I made a difference. It was amazing.”

West Point Cadet Sgts. Alex Velazquez (left) and Pete Zeidler surprise Lovinus and other Veterans with a salute as the bus pulls away from one of the memorials. Lovinus returns the honor, then turned to his granddaughter with a tear in his eye. “He got me,” he said. It was a moment that stunned the entire busload of Veterans. Zeidler said he used to play dress-up with Grandpa Pete’s old Army uniforms. The salute, he said, was to thank him for encouraging him to join the military. Lovinus said he returned the salute since his grandson is continuing the military legacy. This photo was posted on Facebook shortly after the Honor Flight and was viewed by more than 250,000 people with 48 hours. Lovinus said this is one of his favorite photographs from the trip. He shook his head and through trembling lips said, “That. That is what this is all about. I am very proud of those boys. That is it.” You can view the photo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeVA/photos/pb.343819917119.-2207520000.1415998605./10152377875607120/?type=3&theater

If Lovinus was moved by the welcome to Washington, D.C., it didn’t compare to what he saw back in Milwaukee.

Besides the 30 family members from around the U.S. on hand to welcome him home, the airport terminal was lined with more than 3,500 people – yelling, screaming, clapping and crying.

Eileen Wilson, a secretary in VA’s mental health department who sits on the Honor Flight board of directors, has been at each homecoming, and said there’s nothing like it.

“You have church groups, scout groups, bikers, family and more just all coming together. The Veterans have no idea that is going to happen,” she said. “You come out to one of these homecomings, and you are hooked. The people who do this realize the importance. We’re not talking about history, we’re talking to history.”

It’s a far cry from Lovinus’ welcome home 62 years ago from Korea.

"Came home and there was nothing,” he shrugged. “They ran out of donuts and coffee. There was no one to greet us.”

This time, two young ladies dressed in 1950s garb greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

“That’s my battle scar,” he said, of the lipstick they left behind. “I was just so taken aback by all the people.”

Lovinus couldn’t believe the fuss people made.

“There are no words to describe that feeling,” he said. “I felt like a celebrity. But I didn’t take this trip for just me. This was for all of the Veterans who never had anyone to greet them, and those who might not get this chance, and all of those men and women still serving.

“I don’t know how to say this, but this is an honor for all of them. I don’t think they get enough accolades. I salute all the men and women serving and thank them for their service. I know what it’s like. I did it for country, and they do it for their country, and if I had to do it again, I would.”

Welcome home, soldier.