In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month in November, the Caresfield Cares program donated to the Honor Flight Network. The network provides trips for World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans to visit Washington D.C. to visit war memorials. Over 250,000 veterans travelled through the program since its inception in 2005.
For Wade Blom, Caresfield director of supply chain and operations, the donation had a very personal connection. Blom’s grandfather, Rodger, was a veteran of the Korean War.
“That trip meant a lot to my grandfather. He fought in Korea and was the last one alive,” Blom said. “It was one of the only times I saw him show emotion in his life.”
Rodger Blom’s Service
Rodger Blom fought as a member of the 7th and 31st Infantries in the Korean War. Originally assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Japan, Rodger was part of two amphibious landings in Korea before fighting in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. A machine gunner, Rodger was one of the few survivors of his unit. Throughout the war he suffered severe frostbite, burns across his arm and other injuries.
“The battle was brutal,” Wade said. “My grandfather saw a lot of hand-to-hand combat and wound up serving through the entire war. He suffered from PTSD and rarely spoke of the experience.”
Caresfield’s donation to Honor Flight Network was deeply personal for the Bloms, as Rodger travelled to Washington D.C. with the program on Dec. 21, 2017.
Honor Flight Network
Made up of 128 local hubs throughout the country, the Honor Flight Network brings 22,000 veterans a year to see monuments and memorials dedicated to their service. According to the network, 6,525 veterans made the trip in 2021:
- World War II: 276
- Korean War: 1,016
- Vietnam: 5,029
- Other: 204
According to Honor Flight Twin Cities, it costs approximately $500 to sponsor a World War II veteran.
Caresfield Cares
Each month, the Caresfield Cares program supports an initiative to help the communities we serve. View the 2022 schedule.
