Jackie Cox

Three women with a family history of military service are passionate about the three Honor Flights that will carry veterans to Washington, D.C., later this year are passionate about the project, and about honoring those who have served our country.
Military service is a tradition for the Ishaug family – starting with DeLyle Ishaug and carried on by daughters Diane Moderow, Susan Schroeder and Lori Ishaug, as well as Diane’s daughters Skyler Muller and Shelby Moderow and Susan’s daughter Gracie The eldest of the Ishaug girls, Lori, is vice president of the Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as coordinator of fundraising for the flights, which carry vets to the nation’s capitol at no charge.
The three sisters flew on the Honor Flight in May and will accompany the group again on Sept. 22-24. Two additional flights, each holding about 100 veterans, will fly from Grand Forks in April 2025, with a third leaving Fargo next May. The number of flights sponsored by the nonprofit, all-volunteer group has been increased to five next year to accommodate the long list of veterans still waiting – close to 900 men and women who have served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.
DeLyle Ishaug and his wife Marlene raised their family in north Moorhead. DeLyle served two years on active duty as a chaplain’s assistant in the U.S. Army, followed by 32 years in the North Dakota Air National Guard. He encouraged his trios of daughters and granddaughters to join. Like him, his daughters have all served in the Guard. While women make up only 17 percent of America’s active forces, the figure is 100 percent for his offspring.
Diane Moderow, the Ishaugs’ middle daughter, joined the Air National Guard as a nurse. She retired from the NDANG as a lieutenant colonel and chief nurse of the Medical Squadron. She worked at the Veterans Administration until her recent retirement.
Her two daughters followed in their mother’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Skyler Muller, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, serves as a dentist at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Lieutenant Shelby Moderow, stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, is a physician’s assistant.
Susan Schroeder joined the Air National Guard’s security force in 1983 as a Happy Hooligan. She began working full time in the finance office in 1989, then moved to the Base Communications Squadron in 2001.
Susan has volunteered with the Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN since 2015, meeting Gen. Colin Powell on one of her flights. During her career she traveled to London with the Air National Guard, where she worked at a USAF base, stayed in a military hotel, and met English veterans who had parachuted in at the Battle at Normandy at a banquet hosted by the queen. After serving a tour of duty in Kuwait, where she helped develop access to outdoor wi-fi for active military, Susan returned to Fargo, and in 2021 retired as a senior master sergeant.
Her daughter, Gracie Schroeder, joined the Air National Guard as a high school senior. She attended basic training in 2023. Taking advantage of the Guard’s excellent educa-tional benefits, she plans to attend the University of North Dakota this fall.
To support the Honor Flights or apply for an upcoming flight , go to veteranshonorflightofndmn.org; search Face-book for “Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN”; or call 218-284-6667.

July 26 weekend: “Vietnam Veterans wall” will make an appearance at the Moorhead American Legion.