(Le Mars) — A World War II veteran from Le Mars was honored Wednesday morning by participating on a flight aboard a bi-plane from the World War II era. It was all part of what is known as “Dream Flight” and 96-year old Navy veteran William “Bill” Reuter was the honoree. Reuter resides at the Le Mars Accura nursing care center. Accura officials learned about the “Dream Flight” and contacted officials to offer the local veteran a ride of his life. Darryl Fisher is the founder and president of the “Dream Flight” organization. He says they want to honor the “greatest generation.”
Fisher says those first 25 flights were so successful that his wife suggested they continue to provide flights to World War II veterans.
Reuter was assisted in getting into the open cockpit airplane. Prior to departure, Reuter was showing the attending crowd “thumbs up”. Approximately 30 different people consisting of family and friends were at the Le Mars Municipal Airport waving American flags as Reuter was about to take flight. Fisher says the bi-plane used for the “Dream Flights” was used back in the era to help train pilots.
Fisher says the Dream Flight caters to World War II veterans of all military branches. He says this month is a special time for Dream Flight honorees.
The actual flight was about 20 minutes as the “Dream Flight” plane circled Le Mars. Upon landing at the Le Mars airport, Reuter was seen having a broad smile on his face. The U-S Navy electrician that was stationed on an aircraft carrier in the south Pacific says he enjoyed the flight.
Reuter was presented a cap signed by the pilot that expressed appreciation for Reuter’s service to our country. Reuter joined other Dream Flight honorees by signing his autograph on the tail of the plane. Mary Ellensohn of Le Mars is a daughter to Reuter. She says her family is appreciative of the opportunity awarded to her father, but she wasn’t aware of her father’s honor and Wednesday’s event until just last week.
Ellensohn says her father served in the U-S Navy from 1943 until 1946 and he didn’t speak much about his time in the Navy during World War 2 until the children were adults.
Ellensohn says her father entered the Navy between his junior and senior year of high school at St. Joseph’s, now the present day Gehlen Catholic school. She says a Catholic nun sent correspondence to Reuter so he had the opportunity to finish his high school education.
