By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tracey Bannister, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
OWOSSO, Mich. – Petty Officer 1st Class Tracey Bannister, an Owosso, Michigan, resident, served as her veteran father’s guardian on Mid-Michigan Honor Flight Mission 24 to Washington, D.C., Oct. 14-15, 2025.
Bannister’s father, Darryl Burkhardt, a resident of Mainstee, Michigan, was one of 77 veterans who were chosen to take the trip to Washington, honoring their service and sacrifice. The veterans saw many of the historic memorials dedicated to fallen comrades and the different branches of service, including the Vietnam Wall, the World War II Memorial, the Navy Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Mid-Michigan Honor Flight has been providing flights to Washington for veterans since 2014.
The veteran is provided the trip at no cost. There are usually four flights a year, and the waiting list for a flight is approximately three years.
According to Michael Wheaton, one of the directors of the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight organization, it takes between 1,200 and 1,500 volunteer hours per flight to make it all happen. Six medics and one counselor are aboard to handle any emergencies that might arise
Joining this flight were World War II veteran Richard Bukowski and Army veteran Jonathan Turnbull. Turnbull is a former Army major who was injured in a bombing attack in Syria. He was invited to speak at the dinner ceremony after the first day’s events.
Burkhardt served in the Navy as an electrician's mate from 1967 to 1971. He was part of the brown-water Navy serving aboard Landing Craft Utility 1622 in the area of Da Nang during Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. Bannister is following a family tradition of serving in the Navy and is currently assigned to the Navy Office of Community Outreach, headquartered in Millington, Tennessee.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give to my father what he didn’t receive after Vietnam,” said Bannister, a native of Midland. “It was an honor and a privilege to be able to accompany my dad on this
Honor Flight.”
Honor Flight.”
More than 300 people gathered at the Cherry Capitol Airport in Traverse City to welcome the veterans home after their trip with a long line of American flags and cheers from the crowd. The veterans received a traditional mail call with letters from loved ones and grateful citizens. They were also gifted a handmade teddy bear from Project Hero Hugs and a handmade honor quilt
made by the Quilts with Valor Foundation.
“This is the next step in showing them that gratitude,” Turnbull said. “Telling them that what they’ve done has not gone unnoticed, and thanking them the way they should have been thanked at the end of the war.”
“This is the next step in showing them that gratitude,” Turnbull said. “Telling them that what they’ve done has not gone unnoticed, and thanking them the way they should have been thanked at the end of the war.”
Burkhardt was overwhelmed and extremely grateful for all of the people who helped make the
flight possible.
“I’ve never been shown such gratitude, appreciation and respect as I had been in those two days and to share it with my daughter made it so, so special,” Burkhardt said. “The folks who put this on poured their hearts into everything, the accommodations, the beautiful dinner and breakfast, always a, ‘Do you need anything?’ I’ll never forget this trip and was humbled by the generosity
and kindness shown to me.”
Bannister reflected on how rewarding it was to spend time with her father on this flight, being
able to talk about the bond they share with their service to the Navy, and seeing her father
connect with others who served. What her father said at the end of the trip was the best gift of all.
“It was the best two days of my life,” Burkhardt said. “I finally got my welcome home.”
Link to Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1rXBWZwSfg5l1VxaYdkMITYJkafKQZX54