Retired U.S. Army Air Corp radio operator gunner Fred Zelinka never sought accolades for his World War II service.

Zelinka said he did what was expected of him: fight for his country.

On Oct. 18, he joined 17 other veterans and 15 “Rosie the Riveters,” the name given female employees in factories and shipyards during the war, to the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.

Honor Flight Arizona sponsored the three-day trip to recognize World War II and Korean War veterans for their sacrifices and achievements.

It was the first trip to the World War II memorial for Zelinka, 91, of Cavern Drive. The memorial opened in 2004 between the Lincoln and Washington memorials.

When he was an engineer for Motorola, Zelinka frequently traveled to the nation’s capital on Department of Defense business but never had time to sightsee.

His middle son, David of Scottsdale, accompanied him. Fred and his wife, Roberta (Bobbie), have two other sons, Fred and John.

Honor Flight transports the vets, provides meals and overnight lodging at no cost to the veterans. The trip costs $900 per veteran, money that the non-profit organization raises.

According to the Veteran’s Administration, World War II vets are dying at a rate of approximately 492 daily.

Approximately 855,070 veterans remain out of the 16 million who served the nation in World War II. Korean conflict veterans are now eligible for the Honor Flights.

Zelinka said the trip renewed his faith in the United States.

“It was overwhelming to me,” he said.

He praised Southwest Airlines and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel who handled flight and boarding details without a hitch.

At the memorial sites, school groups greeted the veterans, shook their hands and thanked everyone for their service.

“These young people meant what they were saying. They looked me in the eye and thanked me. I thought that was beautiful,” said Zelinka. “It was all about our country and how people remember what happened such a long time ago.”

On the return flight to Phoenix, each veteran received “mail call,” a bag of notes and greeting cards from relatives and friends praising their military service.

Included in Zelinka’s mail were hand-written thank-you letters from his three grandchildren, Katherine, Andrew and Chloe.

Work and military

Zelinka joined the service after high school graduation, attended radio school in Sioux Falls, and went to gunnery school in Yuma.

He was assigned to the 81st Bomb Group. He remembers leaving West Palm Beach, Florida, in a brand new B-25 bound for Burma. He was stationed in India when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. His military unit went to China, where their mission was to transfer Chinese soldiers after they disarmed the Japanese.

Upon his discharge in 1946, Zelinka enrolled at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the G.I. Bill of Rights and earned an engineering degree.

Motorola transferred him from Seguin, Texas, to Arizona. He retired in 1981.