Honor Flights give veterans opportunity to see war memorials

COLUMBIA — Russell Hellwig always told his family he didn’t do anything important in World War II. He just “played the drums in a jazz band.”

But when his family went through his things after his death, they learned he had earned six Bronze Stars. Hellwig contributed much more than music to his country.

“That’s the thing about these veterans — they just didn’t talk about the war,” said Sarah Hill, Hellwig's granddaughter and a KOMU news anchor.