As a former commercial pilot, Prior Lake resident Tim “T.J.” Mannion flew in and out of Washington, D.C., many times. On Oct. 6, he again headed to the nation’s capital for a one-day trip of a lifetime.

Mannion and his daughter, Leslie Hagen, were on an “Honor Flight,” a nationwide program established 20 years ago to bring surviving veterans to visit national memorials in Washington that are dedicated to those who served. Priority is given according to age and a participant’s ability to make the trip. They joined 188 other veterans, their guardians and medical personnel who gathered that day at 5 a.m. at the Hubert H. Humphrey airport terminal.

During the flight to D.C., they had the opportunity to visit with other veterans, 51 of whom had served in Vietnam, including one woman who recruited more than 300 nurses to provide medical care for the wounded. One World War II soldier was part of the entourage, while 23 were Korean veterans and eight had served in the Cold War. Each was accompanied by a guardian who usually was a family member.

The Honor Flight program was originally created for those who served in World War II. It was later expanded to include those who served in the Korean, Cold and Vietnam wars. Today, the Honor Flight program also accepts applications from veterans of any service era who are critically ill. Nearly 320,000 men and women have traveled free of charge as part of the non-profit program.

The Minnesota group was met at Reagan International Airport by outbound passengers and local Honor Flight volunteers who clapped and cheered for the arriving veterans. Four charter buses then took them to the national monuments located throughout the city, including the Women’s Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the memorials dedicated to the various military branches. A group photo was taken at the World War II Memorial. While the Air Force Memorial is still being built, Mannion took note that the Pentagon located nearby now has two distinct colors of granite as part of its facade following the reconstruction necessitated by the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.

Mannion, now 84, served in the U.S. Navy for a total of 20 years, 7-1/2 of which were in active duty. He admits he originally didn’t have much of a plan once he graduated from Creighton University. Just prior to graduation, he was recruited by a friend to take the test developed for potential pilots and took a train to Olathe, Kan., for a physical. He passed both his test and physical and was accepted into the Navy pilot training program.

Immediately after his college graduation ceremony, his parents took him to the airport, where he boarded his first-ever flight bound for Pensacola, Fla. The last thing his mother told him before he got on the plane was to get a haircut, on which he spent his last $1.50, not realizing the Navy would give him one free upon his arrival.

Mannion spent 18 months in flight school, and committed to serving another 3-1/2 years after “getting his wings.” He was eventually stationed on the USS Enterprise, which launched in 1961 as the world’s first nuclear aircraft carrier and is among the largest floating military vessels ever built. Its deck covered nearly five acres and could park up to 90 airplanes.

“Who would have thought that a poor kid from Omaha would end up on the Enterprise,” Mannion said with a smile. “It was the newest ship at the time and had many capabilities no other ship had.”

The Enterprise was stationed approximately 40 miles off the coast of Vietnam and designated as “Yankee Station.” Among its many functions, the ship had a detachment aboard that specialized in electronic warfare during an international conflict. Mannion and two other servicemen went through A-1 training together. Mannion was then charged with picking up radar signals and jamming the signals aimed at our attack aircraft.

He later learned that Charlie Fryer, one of his fellow trainees, was shot down and lost his life serving his country.

The visit to the Vietnam Memorial was particularly poignant for Mannion. It was there he found Fryer’s name engraved on the expansive granite wall that pays tribute to the fallen. A volunteer offered to do a “rubbing” of his friend’s name and presented it to him. It is now a treasured memento from the trip.

Oct. 6 proved to be a whirlwind of a day, and the trip ended close to midnight upon arrival back in Minneapolis. The passengers were met with enthusiastic greeters who waved “Welcome Home” signs at the airport. Seven were Mannion’s neighbors and family members. The entire day was extremely rewarding, he said, and those who have not gone on an Honor Flight should strongly consider doing so.

The experience gave him an opportunity to reflect on his time spent serving in the Navy. Mannion believes the U.S. military does many things right. He says he’s proud of his service to his country, and has encouraged his children and grandchildren to consider applying for admission into a military academy.

His one regret from long ago was that he didn’t write his mother as much as he should have while he was in the service, acknowledging communication was much slower 60 years ago and she probably spent much time worrying about her son’s safety.

Even with the passing of a few weeks, the Honor Flight continues to bring back many memories for the Prior Lake veteran.

“For all of the time I spent in D.C. as a pilot, this was such an emotional reward,” Mannion said. “But the best part of the day was still spending it with my daughter.”