Honor Flight Tri-State is bringing 88 local veterans to Washington D.C. Tuesday to visit their war memorials. The Cincinnati nonprofit provides free trips for veterans several times each year.
"Some of them are very nervous because maybe there whole battalion’s on that wall, their names are on the wall and they can't bring themselves to do it, to go down and see their names,” said Cheryl Popp, the Executive Director of Honor Flight Tri-State. ”That makes it makes it too real. Then the other ones are so excited to finally close a chapter"
The group met at CVG Airport before 5 a.m. Before the flight, veterans were each given the chance to touch a large American flag.
"It's going to be nice to see, see some of my friends who didn't have the luck to make it back, so it’s going to be nice to see that,” said Wayne Fromm, who served in Vietnam.
They’ll return Tuesday night around 9:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend the flight’s “Welcome Home Rally” at CVG.
Veterans on the trip served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and during the Cold War era. The oldest veteran joining the trip is 95 years-old.
While in D.C., the group will visit war memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.
