Utah’s First All Female Utah Honor Flight Takes Off For D.C.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On the 75^th Anniversary of D-Day some Utah Veterans were honored in a very special way, the first all women Veteran’s group is Headed to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor.

The morning send-off ceremony was all part of Utah Honor Flight’s first all-female flight leaving Utah and only the second all female veteran flight in the nation.

The flight was made possible by the Denman family who donated $30,000 after Vernon Denman, a veteran wanted to honor the vets who helped him recover after being wounded during his time in the service.

“I was so elated, just so excited when they called me and told me that I was going and I’ve been on cloud nine since” said LaRetta Duncan, a who served during the Korean War and is proudly representing Utah and her hometown of Provo.

Duncan is one of 23 ladies to go see the women’s Memorial built in their honor in Washington D.C., but she’s the only Korean War Vet in the group and served right out of high school.“ I’ve been disciplined, organizational skills, those have carried me through all of these years.”

The other 22 women are all Vietnam Veterans. Mary Caruthers served during the Vietnam Era as a clerk typist, but after nearly a year she faced her own battle.

“Back then if a woman got married she could still stay in but if she got pregnant she had to get out so I had to get out because of pregnancy,” said Caruthers.

Caruthers returned to the military 9 years later and served in Germany.

Making the trip even more special, two sisters and former sergeants during the Vietnam era, Sara Garcia Beck and Barbara Garcia Beck are now taking this once in a lifetime trip together.

“That’s what it’s all about, sharing the love and the patriotism and seeing each other at the wall the era that we served that is just overwhelming.”

The Veteran’s will return home on Saturday for a welcome home celebration at the National Guard Readiness Center.