Click here to donate to Stars and Stripes Honor Flight as part of WTMJ Cares: Operation Glory! Make sure to check the “WTMJ Cares” button when doing so. Powered by Watry Industries and Premier Aluminum and brought to you by Kaerek Homes.
Korea veteran Joe Debelak began his service when he was sent to San Diego for six weeks of boot camp. After being told he was only going to be there for five weeks due to the war, he figured he was going straight to Korea.
However, they sent him to Camp Lejeune instead.
“Joe, you’re going to leave tomorrow morning and I thought, oh crap, here I go, I’m going to go to Korea”.
Instead, Debelak was told he was going with the Navy to be an officer.
“I benefited from being drafted in the Marine Corps. I really benefited my whole life”.
Debelak had the privilege of going on an Honor Flight this past June.
“That was the biggest, best thing of my life,” Debelak said about the Honor Flight. “I just couldn’t believe it…how we were treated, what it was, what we saw, what we did. It was unbelievable.”
“(I am) very proud to be an American and to serve our country.”
