Page 13 - Spring 2026

A journey of a lifetime for fellow Alumni, Gerald

“Butch” Riley Jr. and Elwood and Conrad Prosser

Special to the Houlton High School Alumni North Star Magazine

By Karen Eleiott Donato ‘69

This past fall, Jerry Riley ‘63, accompanied by his son,
Jerad joined other veterans flying from Maine to
Washington, D.C. as guests of Honor Flight Maine.
Elwood Prosser, ’69 was also a participant on another
flight last year. His younger brother, Conrad,’80, who had
also served in the Army from 1982-1986, accompanied
him on the trip.

The Honor flight program began several years ago by
Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Air Force captain
working at a VA clinic in Ohio. At that time, Morse
realized many of his patients, in their 80s, could not
travel the distance from their residence or afford to
visit the memorial in Washington, D.C. that had been Gerald Riley, Jr.
constructed to honor them. In 2005, he organized through donations. Each veteran must be accompanied
some private pilots and planes to take a few of the by an able-bodied guardian, which does cost an
veterans to the memorials. About the same time, Jeff individual $500.
Miller was initiating a similar program called Honor Air
in North Carolina. Morse later partnered with Miller Riley spent three years in the United States Army after
and expanded the program to commercial flights. The graduating from Houlton High in 1963. He did his basic
program that initially catered to WWII veterans expanded training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and AIT at Fort Gordon,
Georgia. From there, he served in Viet Nam from March of
’67 to October of ’68-Central Highlands-II Corps. Upon his
If one is interested in learning return stateside he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia
more about the organization or for almost a year until his discharge in August of ’69.

to donate; visit: Returning to Houlton, he spent many years in
www.honorflightmaine.org banking while he and his wife, Glenda, raised their
daughter, Amy, ’93 and Jerad ’95. Since retirement he
has continued to serve his country by volunteering
to include Korean and Viet Nam War participants and to play taps at hundreds of veteran’s funerals from
those veterans who are terminally ill. This nationwide Lincoln to Madawaska. He most recently received the
program provides veterans an experience to be a guest 2025 Adjutant of the year award for his many years of
and escorted to each national monument in the D.C. dedicated loyal service to his community and veterans of
area. The Maine group was established in 2014 with the the state of Maine and the American Legion. He has also
purpose of ensuring these brave men and women have been a longtime participant of McGill’s Community Band.
an opportunity to visit the memorials in Washington,
D.C. Veterans incur no cost and are treated royally. The Back in the 60s, the Prossers lived at the end of the Ross
organization covers the cost of $1,000 for each veteran Ridge in Littleton, not far from me on the Station Road.

www.houltonalumni.com 13