Inside Honor Flight Mission 58

Well, as we prepare for Veterans Day tomorrow, we want to take you on a special mission dedicated to honoring our veterans year-round. The Honor Flight Network has been in operation for 21 years, flying veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C. to see our nation's war memorials. We had the privilege of joining West Central Florida's Honor Flight, Mission 58. On a sunny, 70-degree day in Washington, D.C., Seventy-five Tampa Bay Area veterans stepped off tour buses to embark on an experience they've been looking forward to for more than a year. Well, that's beautiful. So glad to be here today. This trip is a first for First Lieutenant Gary Norlander of the renowned 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Well, we made the first combat jump since World War II. That's why we're called the Sky Soldiers. What are you feeling right now as you make your way towards the Vietnam Memorial? Kind of a tightness in my chest and not know what I'm really going to be feeling. That's the thing about core memories. They have a way of rooting themselves into our DNA. A friend of mine, he was also a lieutenant in the artillery. And a short run came in, or actually it was a run from the enemy, came in and killed him. And he just had a baby. It had never, you know, that still sticks with me. Today is about reflection. Has time healed some of those wounds? I don't know if the word would be healed wounds. It sort of covers them up and puts them in the back of your mind. But on days like this, sometimes they come back again. So much harder than I thought it would be. You can't predict how you'll feel once you're here standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. But for one veteran we met who was in a wheelchair, the emotion brought him to his feet. I did the same thing I did. For many of these veterans, all it takes is a simple reminder, a cherished name inscribed on a wall, and they're back in Vietnam as if no time has passed. Tell me what this is like being here today. It's my second time, and this will be my last time. Army veteran James Pierce lost his close friend in the Vietnam War. I'm so grateful that I can make this trip. One last time to see my buddy before we meet later on. Everyone handles emotion differently, and on this honor flight, they all came together. Thank you very much. Thank you for your service. We're going to squeeze your hand hard. Joined by their service to country, united in shared sacrifice. Thank you for being here. Have a great day. New core memories were made on Mission 58. Roll that. Hold on, girl. At 30,000 feet, scribbled words of gratitude, recognition, and appreciation, slowly healing hearts. This is what they should have gotten when they got back originally. It's always just been remarkable and amazing. Capped off with the hero's welcome they always dreamed of. A sea of red, white, and blue. Handshakes, hugs, and thank yous. This time, returning home to a grateful nation. The veterans of Mission 58, never more proud of their service to country. Pretty remarkable experience, and there are 130 active Honor Flight hubs across the U.S. This flight was really a special one, as it marked the 4,000th veteran flown to D.C., so they've been doing it for many years, and I know, Mark, you have been on quite a few of these Honor Flights. It's unbelievable. You take that emotional trip with them. Oh, for sure. Yeah. And I mean, it left an indelible mark on me having that experience and how special that they're flown for free and family members get to tag along as guardians. And I think one of the biggest things I took away from it was that they're trying so hard to get the word out that this exists because so many veterans don't know that this is there and available to them. Especially this Vietnam era, a lot of them find out and they don't want to go because they've They've closed off those memories and they've shut themselves down. But slowly but surely, hopefully they see stories like this, they realize how much it can heal, and family members can convince them. And I know that's happened many times, and we've heard some of those stories. You know what else I was struck by, too? I've probably done at least three of these, and the folks, there was a couple that was holding a sign that says, Welcome Veterans to D.C. That's the same couple that was in the very first one we went to probably three years ago. And those are just volunteers in D.C. Aside from all those great people on a flight of West Central Florida who make it happen, You've got this incredible community that's It's come together to support our veterans and the welcome home is a sight to behold as you know. You know it's a 14, 15 hour day and it is just a roller coaster of emotions and when you get home it's unbelievable the amount of people who show up and that line that you walk through and they're just and it's amazing and it's so deserving and so yes as you were saying if you're thinking about it if you have a loved one a veteran who maybe wants to do it maybe give them a little bit of a shove because. I don't think they'll regret it. Yeah, they will not. Honor Flight of West Central Florida. We appreciate everything that you do. So if you know somebody, look them up too. And they always need guardians, as you said, for small donations. You can go and be a guardian for them.