Honor Flight 2024: Veterans receive warm welcome home after day in DC
WASHINGTON, D.C (WBOY) — While many of the 178 veterans on this past weekend's Clarksburg Honor Flight started as total strangers, they finished the journey with newly forged friendships.
Every Honor Flight has to come to an end, and there is no better way to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime journey than with a heartfelt welcome home that these veterans earned.
"To all of our World War II veterans, thank you for our freedom. To all of our Korean War veterans, you will not be forgotten, and to all of our Vietnam veterans, welcome home," Honor Flight Hub Director Amy Johnson said.
Hundreds of friends and family members rolled out the red carpet late Saturday night as they welcomed these heroes home.
"It's awesome I mean, it's breathtaking. I can't believe all these people was here at this time of night to see us," USMC veteran David Lazier said.
"I never expected all that, that just surprised me. I just, it was overwhelming, overwhelming, brought me to tears," U.S. Army veteran Bill Ware said.
Other Honor Flight Stories...
Honor Flight 2024: Veterans receive 'mail call' during trip to Washington, DC
Honor Flight 2024: West Virginia Korean War vets visit 'The Forgotten War' memorial
Honor Flight 2024: Catching up with veterans on the morning of the flight
This welcome home is extra special for these veterans as this will be the first time they received the welcome home they truly deserve.
"Didn't get it before but this feels great to finally get a little recognition from the kids," U.S. Army veteran John Stewart said.
Many veterans who went on the trip emphasized that it's something they'll never forget, and encouraged other veterans to go as well.
"Go...Go, I turned it down before and I decided to go this time, it was worth it," Stewart said.
"I'm 94 years old and this was the highlight of my life right today," Ware said.
While this Honor Flight was special for the veterans who went on it, it, and others like it, wouldn't happen without donations.
"I want to thank these people and I want to find out where you donate, I want to pay somebody's way," U.S. Army veteran Asa Bollinger said.
Honor Flight officials are already fundraising for next year's flight, so if you are interested in donating, you can send donations here:
Honor FlightClarksburg, WV 26301
For all of us here at 12 News, we would like to thank each and every veteran for their service and sacrifice.
