ELK RUN HEIGHTS - Thirteen stripes and 50 stars are safely under glass and easily John Wingert's most prized possession.

"To me it's No. 1," Wingert said.

The World War II veteran from Elk Run Heights said he couldn't talk after his grandsons, Andrew and Aaron Nugent, handed him a flag on Thanksgiving. To Wingert, the flag is more than just a present. It's a symbol of freedom and sacrifice.

On Thursday, he was still having trouble communicating his gratitude.

"I was too choked up to think about anything," Wingert said.

"It's just an honor to see the respect the boys have shown him," Sharon Wingert said, finishing her husband's thought.

When the Nugents, both members of the 132nd Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard based in Des Moines, heard about their unit's flag program, they thought it was the perfect gift. The brothers served together earlier this year in Iraq.

Members can give a flag flown on base or in battle to loved ones to say thanks for their support and sacrifice. Wingert's flag flew in a F-16 during an air combat mission over Iraq on July 4. A plaque stating as much came with the flag.

"It's a meaningful thing to do," Andrew said, a junior elementary education major at the University of Northern Iowa. "We couldn't even imagine what it was like for (grandpa) in World War II. We wanted to say thanks for what he did for our country and family."

Andrew and Aaron are crew chiefs for Fighting Falcons and want to become pilots. During downtime on base, Andrew said they would often talk about family, especially their grandfather.

The 84-year-old joined the military at 18 and served from March 1943 to March 1946. Attached to the 738th Field Artillery Battalion of the 3rd Army in Europe, Wingert was a cook, truck driver and machine gunner.

He was part of the third wave of the D-Day invasion. The unit's 8-inch Howitzers helped liberate Europe from the clutches of Adolph Hitler.

Hot food, communication with home, a working bathroom and a hot shower was a luxury during their march to Germany, Wingert said. The danger level was always high.

Crossing the Rhine River was particularly scary, he said. The Germans strafed and bombed his unit, using explosives filled with nails and glass.

"It was just like the Fourth of July, with bullets flying," Wingert said. "We were told to get across, park anywhere and dig fox holes. The next day, of the 10 tires on the truck, only four were up."

Andrew Nugent said their air base in Balad, Iraq received occasional mortar fire. The brothers had access to phones and the Internet to keep in touch back home, electricity and a hot shower and food was available.

"They (grandfather's unit) definitely had rougher circumstances," Andrew said. "We're doing it (serving in the military) for our country. That's how I was raised."

Wingert's patriotism rubbed off on his family. His daughter, Pamela Nugent, served in the Army for a year. Her husband, James, retired last month from the Iowa Air National Guard. Their children - Aaron, Andrew and Kelsey - are all members of the 132nd Fighter Wing.

John Wingert is battling bladder cancer for the third time. The Nugent brothers said honoring their ailing grandfather who started the family's military tradition was the least they could do.

"The flag is one thing that ties all our generations together," Andrew said. "It's one thing that hasn't changed. It means just as much to me as it does to him."

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.