William Portalski and Fred Mysliwiec didn’t know each other before a few weeks ago, but both men now say they’ll be lifelong friends after the once-in-a-lifetime Lake County Honor Flight veteran’s experience in Washington, DC.
LCHF18 Trip Video from Lake County Honor Flight on Vimeo.
William goes by Bill and is a life-long resident of Lake County, IL. He raised his sons in Fox Lake and the Fox Lake school systems and has been active within the community as a firefighter, school board member and more to this day.
He is also a Vietnam War Army Veteran - now in his 70s and wheelchair-bound. Until a few weeks ago, he had never been to DC to see the monuments that honored his service.
Fred Mysliwiec, or “Fearless Freddy” as Bill nicknamed him, is also a lifelong Lake County resident, active community member, and trusted Grand installer for more than 20 years. In fact, he’s currently the Lead Installer and often responsible for the most premium, custom applications. Meet Fred
Also, like Bill, Fred is a veteran. And - evidently - the perfect person for the GRAND Foundation to partner with Bill for a first-class, all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC with the Lake County Honor Flight.
Lake County Honor Flight works with community members and organizations like the GRAND Foundation to pair veterans like Bill and Fred for an experience neither participant will ever forget.
Bill described a non-stop tribute that started with an airport escort that included dozens of police cars from precincts all over Lake County and just as many supporters on motorcycles and continued throughout the 2-day, 1-night event.
“There wasn’t a soul on the trip that wasn’t elated to be there.” Said Bill after the event. “I hope every veteran, every one of them, gets to experience the Honor Flight”
Fred admitted he was hesitant at first. “After meeting Bill last month I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it. I called my mom…she brought me to my senses.”
And thank goodness she did. Fred glowed about the experience and spoke of “wiping tears…because of the men and women I have met that defended, protected, and gave us freedom.”
Bill also spoke of how honored he felt at each stage in the tour. “I don’t get awed often, but this did it” he said as he spoke about the tote bag he received with 100s of notes from community members, many he didn’t even know.
When they weren’t talking about the VIP experience and touching moments, they were talking about each other. It was clear both men felt they had a new friend for life.
And they aren't wasting any time! “We’re having dinner on Friday!” said BIll.
Past Honor Flight
This is the second Honor Flight the GRAND Foundation has sponsored. The first was before COVID when Veteran Paul Lewis and long-time Grand team member Rob Black made the same journey and had much the same experience.
Like Bill, Paul is a Vietnam War Army Veteran and long-time Lake County resident. He was also active in the community as a firefighter for the Zion Fire Department and enjoys giving back to his community through hard work and leadership.
We asked Rob what the Honor Flight meant to him and he spoke first and foremost of Paul.
“Paul is a great friend and I speak with him on a regular basis,” Rob said. “We share the same view on a lot of things in life.”
He also spoke about the honor of accompanying Paul and paying tribute to his family members that were veterans including “...my Dad, who was also in the Navy in Vietnam.”
He reminisced about the most impactful experiences including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary and the Wall of Fall Soldiers at the Vietnam War Memorial. “That meant so much to our group of Veterans” Rob recalled.
And he spoke at great length about his feelings for the Lake County Honor Flight and the GRAND Foundation’s participation.
“The opportunity to not only represent our company but give back to these Veterans was a no-brainer…I take great pride in knowing that our Company is involved with the Lake County Honor Flight.”
The amazing experiences described above were made possible by the great work being done by the GRAND Foundation in cooperation with the Lake County Honor Flight. Follow the links below to learn more about these organizations and be sure to like and follow them on social media.