Willie Skala receives 2026 Honoring Our Veterans Award
GRAND ISLAND – Willie Skala of Grand Island received the 2026 Honoring Our Veterans Award Nov. 10 for his work on starting the Hall County History Flight project.
The award was given during the second annual Grand Generation Center Appreciation Lunch for Veterans that started at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10 at the Grand Generation Center.
The first Hall County History Flight occurred in approximately 2010, and there were 10 flights taken, Skala said.
The program initially included World War II veterans in the trips to Washington, D.C., to visit military memorials and other historic sites.
The program covered veterans’ expenses, including airfare, lodging, meals, and other expenses. Each veteran had an escort go with the veteran on the trip.
Skala received an award approximately one foot tall with a bald eagle with its wings extended perched on top of a United States flag. The eagle is a gold metallic color, and the flag is red, white, and blue. Brandon Warner and Jennifer Heaton presented the award to Skala.
Skala, a veteran, first went to Kearney to learn about History Flight. It was suggested to him that when he returned to Grand Island, his first stop should be at The Grand Island Independent to get the newspaper’s support. Skala talked to Don Smith, who was the newspaper’s publisher at that time, and Smith pledged the newspaper’s support for the project.
Speakers at the event were Randy Lonowski, cemetery administrator at the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island; John Larson, Hall County Warriors Memorial Committee; State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City; Nancy Klimek, retired activities director at the Nebraska Veterans Home in Grand Island and Kearney; and featured speaker Major Patrick Linehan of the Nebraska Army National Guard.
Tina Johnson presented the Quilt of Honor to Norman Petersen, 93, of Grand Island, a Korean War veteran. He served from 1953 to 1955.
Lonowski said that there have been 85 internments at the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island. Burial options are burial in a casket, burial for an in-ground cremation urn; and a columbarium that holds cremated remains in urns.
Lonowski warned veterans to beware of people asking them to pay several hundred dollars to help them set up their funeral arrangements. Those arrangements can be made with information available at Lonowski’s office and the Hall County Veterans Service office.
One project not yet completed at the cemetery is a 48-foot tall carillon tower. It should be in place by the end of the year and features digital sound, Lonowski said.
The next speaker was John Larson with the Hall County Warriors Memorial Committee. The committee was established in February 2021. The group has made efforts to add items at the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park to honor veterans. The first project was a 8-foot stainless steel dome, created at Dramco Tool, dedicated in 2024. It honors people who served in all branches of the military.
The next project was installation of an M60 A-1 60-ton tank used in the Vietnam War. Larson credited Dan Naranjo, owner of All Faiths Funeral Home, for donating at 2016 Jeep Wrangler to help raise money for the project. More than $30,000 was raised for that project.
The group’s latest project is to raise approximately $16,000 to purchase a 50-foot by 80-foot United States flag that MRL Crane Service of Grand Island can use. The business donates its services and displays a United States flag attached to a tall crane. Currently, the business is using a 30-foot by 50-foot United States flag.
The group has raised money through donated scrap metal, donations, and sales of personalized bricks. The group’s Facebook page is titled, “Hall County Warriors Memorial.” Its email address is: hallcounty [email protected]
State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City served in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years and achieved the rank of Captain. He then was a pilot for Delta Air Lines for 30 years.
Lippincott said that his father served during World War II. He has a brother who served in the U.S. Navy and another brother who served in the U.S. Army.
He said that people in the military have a “servant’s heart,” and their service helps keep them humble.
Lillincott referred to a famous quote, “The pride of greatness is responsibility,” from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Nancy Klimek of Grand Island worked as the activities director at the Nebraska Veterans Home in Grand Island and Kearney for 40 years.
“It was my life’s work,” Klimek said.
When she first started working at the Nebraska Veterans Home, there was a resident who was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Since that time, she met veterans who served in wars and other times past then.
When the Nebraska Veterans Home was in Grand Island, Klimek noted that students from Walnut Middle School and Grand Island Senior HIgh School, as well as the high school’s band, participated in a Veterans Day Parade where they walked to the Veterans Home and back to their schools. Students carried homemade signs and made cards for veterans. She remembered one year that some students wore Korean War uniforms and posed as if they were in the statue for an extended period of time on the Nebraska Veterans Home property.
Major Patrick Linehan with the Nebraska Army National Guard was the featured speaker. He is the Army National Guard Flight Facility Commander in Grand Island. He said that the Nebraska Army National Guard is part of the community. The National Guard has a Readiness Center and an adjacent Army Aviation Support Facility located on the grounds of the Central Nebraska Regional Airport.
“Most of us live in Central Nebraska,” Linehan said.
Linehan spent 10 years in the Marines and has served the last 10 years in the Army National Guard.
Linehan said that the Nebraska Army National Guard has assisted people in the state during natural disasters such as the 2019 flooding and recent wildfires.
“It’s the National Guard that gets called,” he said.
A year ago, the local National Guard experienced a hardship with a government shutdown. Military personnel went up to three months without paychecks. He credited local residents for their assistance, such as making donations for a food bank.
Linehan urged people to treat others with dignity and respect and to be dependable. He suggested that people do good “when no one is watching.” He encouraged people to listen to veterans tell their stories about their military service.
Approximately 200 people attended the event. Students from Grand Island Central Catholic volunteered and helped deliver plates of food to tables. The menu included a hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy, fruit cocktail, and cake.
After the event ended, Skala commented about the Hall County History Flight.
Skala said he became aware of a History Flight project in Omaha, and another in Kearney. He visited with people who organized the Kearney event, then came back to Grand island to start a Hall County History Flight.
“I thought about it for a while and started moving forward with it,” Skala said.
After receiving a pledge of support from Don Smith, who was then publisher of The Grand Island Independent, a committee was formed. The first History Flight was with World War II veterans, flying out of Omaha. After that, Hall County History Flight was able to arrange a direct flight from Grand Island to Washington, D.C., with Alegent. It was a three-day stay in Washington, D.C.
“It was the most gratifying thing I’ve ever been able to be associated with,” Skala said. “It wasn’t anything about me. It was all about the veterans and the people in the community who supported it.”
Skala said that anywhere from 60 to 80 veterans were on each of the 10 flights, along with their “associates,” (one person per veteran), who assisted the veterans during the trip.
Skala said that the Hall County Hero Flight group became involved in getting the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island located here.