Dozens of veterans visit Washington for mid-September honor flights

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Dozens of veterans from the Cincinnati and Eastern Iowa areas flew into the nation’s capital on Wednesday aboard honor flights to see national war memorials built in their honor.

The trips are a chance for the veterans to experience an unforgettable day, that can be both exciting and sometimes difficult as they look back on their time serving the country.

“I’m jumping with joy here. Everybody is so nice, and everything is just so beautiful,” said Vernon Christensen, a World War II veteran who flew in with the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight.

Eastern Iowa Honor Flight has now taken nearly 5,000 veterans on the trips since it started 15 years ago.

“These veterans, a lot of them did not receive the proper thank you. And I think this is a way for us to tell them thank you for their service and sacrifice,” said Lynette Voss, President of Eastern Iowa Honor Flight.

The veterans on both honor flights got to see several memorials including the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Navy Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

“We really are happy to be able to say thank you from a grateful nation and to make them the rock stars that we can, for one day,” said Cheryl Popp, Director of the Cincinnati-based Honor Flight Tri-State.

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