'I wish they were back with me': Veterans take Honor Flight

'I wish they were back with me': Veterans take Honor Flight to visit war memorials

IN OUR STORY SINCE 2005, HONOR FLIGHT HAS BEEN TAKING VETERANS TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO HONOR THOSE WHO NEVER MADE IT BACK HOME AND TO REMEMBER WHAT THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN THROUGH. YESTERDAY WENT ALONG FOR THE RIDE WITH 85 MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN OUR MILITARY. WE MET AT CVG AT 5 A.M. AND WE RETURN SAME DAY 9 P.M. TO A HERO’S WELCOME. ALL WE’VE GOT, HOWARD PAYING SERGEANT A TRIP TO HONOR THOSE WHO NEVER MADE IT HOME. HE HAD TEN DAYS TO GO AND THEY MADE HIM GO WITH US. AND HE GOT KILLED THE FIRST DAY. TEN DAYS, HE WOULD HAVE GONE ON A JOURNEY FRAUGHT WITH REFLECTION FOR 16 HOURS. TIME STANDS STILL AS 85 VETERANS OF WORLD WAR TWO, KOREA. VIETNAM. TAKE A BREATH FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE LIVED YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR FALLEN BROTHERS AND FRIENDS. YEAH. I THINK ABOUT IT OFTEN AND I WISH THEY WERE BACK WITH ME. BUT CAN’T BE. SO I’LL JUST HAVE TO ENJOY IT. FOR ALL OF US, BASICALLY AT THE TIME TO KIND OF GET THOSE FEELINGS OUT. I’VE GOT A FEW FRIENDS ON THE WALL, BUT HONOR FLIGHT IS ALSO ABOUT CEREMONY. SONG. THE HONOR AND CELEBRATE. A DAY AWAY FROM LIFE’S DAILY GRIND FOR SOME FAMILY TIME WITH A SON OR DAUGHTER. WELL, I THINK IT’S A REAL TREAT. UNEXPECTED. AND I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I WAS GOING TO TRY TO DO THIS. BUT THEN I PUT IN FOR IT AND BECAUSE I’M 81, YOU GET CHOSEN PRETTY QUICKLY. IT’S OVERWHELMING. IT REALLY IS VERY SPECIAL, VERY DIFFERENT THAN MY RECEPTION WHEN I GOT HOME FROM VIETNAM. FROM THE WATERS OF THE NAVY MEMORIAL. AND I THINK EVERYBODY THAT’S RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS TODAY TO THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA. IT WAS DEDICATED ON NOVEMBER TEN. ALL THE MARINES KNOW WHAT NOVEMBER 10TH IS FOR FIRST TIMERS. SO MUCH IS UNKNOWN UNTIL YOU SEE THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS DOWN AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. THE EMOTION OF THE MEMORIALS AND THE WALL OF REMEMBRANCE. I WAS IN KOREA AND I TOOK ANOTHER YEAR. SO WAS THERE 18 MONTHS IN WHEN HE WENT TO AND DIDN’T COME HOME AND THEN BACK TO CINCINNATI? HE SAW THE WELCOME HOME MANY VETERANS NEVER GOT THE FIRST TIME. YES, HONOR FLIGHT HAS BEEN HONORING OUR VETERANS FOR 18 YEARS. AND THESE TRIPS WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE SUN TO SHINE ON OUR HEROES. AND WHAT A DAY IT WAS. THERE ARE 124 HUBS ALL ACROSS AMERICA, INCLUDING CVG CHERYL POP IS THE CEO FOR HONOR FLIGHT TRISTAR. HER HUSBAND, TOM, IS THE CEO. THEY HAVE TAKEN 82 HONOR FLIGHTS EACH OVER THE YEARS. THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS, THEY SAY, TO ACCOMPANY THOSE VETERANS. AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, THERE’S A LINK TO MY STORY ON OU

'I wish they were back with me': Veterans take Honor Flight to visit war memorials

Since 2005, Honor Flight has been taking veterans to Washington, D.C., to honor those who never made it back home and remember what this country has been through.Yesterday, a reporter from our sister station WLWT in Cincinnati, Ohio, had the opportunity to fly along. Vietnam veteran Richard Kuhlman got emotional at the Vietnam Wall of Remembrance talking about Sgt. Howard Pigg. "He had 10 days to go and they made him go with us and he got killed on the first day. Ten days and he would have been home," Kuhlman said. It's a journey wrought with reflection. For 16 hours, time stands still, as 85 veterans �� from World War II, Korea and Vietnam �� take a breath for those who can't. Vietnam veteran Albert Genetti said he thinks about the country's fallen heroes often.World War II veteran James Spicer feels the same way. "I wish they were back with me, but can't be. So I'll just have to enjoy it for all of us," Spicer said.Video below: Veterans in Wisconsin take part in the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight Prince Johnson served during the Vietnam War. He knows it's time to let the tears fly. "Basically a time to get those feelings out. I've got a few friends on the wall," Johnson said. Honor Flight is also about ceremony. That can be seen through the high fives, hugs and bagpipes during the early morning sendoff at CVG. And the choir that greeted the Honor Flight when they landed at Reagan National in Northern Virginia across the Potomac from our nation's capital. It's also a day away from life's daily grind. For some, family time with a son or daughter.Vietnam veteran Richard DuMont was accompanied by his son. "I think it's a real treat. Unexpected," DuMont said. "I didn't know I was going to try to do this. I put in for it and because I'm 81. You get chosen pretty quickly." Fellow Vietnam veteran Mike Biere spent the day with his daughter. "It's overwhelming, it really is. Very special. Very different than my reception when I got home from Vietnam," Biere said. From the Iwo Jima Memorial to the waters of the Navy Memorial, Korean War veteran Elise Faye is grateful. "I thank everybody who's responsible for all of this," Faye said. Honor Flight has been honoring veterans for 18 years. There are 124 hubs across America.

Since 2005, Honor Flight has been taking veterans to Washington, D.C., to honor those who never made it back home and remember what this country has been through.

Yesterday, a reporter from our sister station WLWT in Cincinnati, Ohio, had the opportunity to fly along.

Vietnam veteran Richard Kuhlman got emotional at the Vietnam Wall of Remembrance talking about Sgt. Howard Pigg.

"He had 10 days to go and they made him go with us and he got killed on the first day. Ten days and he would have been home," Kuhlman said.

It's a journey wrought with reflection. For 16 hours, time stands still, as 85 veterans �� from World War II, Korea and Vietnam �� take a breath for those who can't.

Vietnam veteran Albert Genetti said he thinks about the country's fallen heroes often.

World War II veteran James Spicer feels the same way.

"I wish they were back with me, but can't be. So I'll just have to enjoy it for all of us," Spicer said.

Video below: Veterans in Wisconsin take part in the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight

Prince Johnson served during the Vietnam War. He knows it's time to let the tears fly.

"Basically a time to get those feelings out. I've got a few friends on the wall," Johnson said.

Honor Flight is also about ceremony. That can be seen through the high fives, hugs and bagpipes during the early morning sendoff at CVG. And the choir that greeted the Honor Flight when they landed at Reagan National in Northern Virginia across the Potomac from our nation's capital.

It's also a day away from life's daily grind. For some, family time with a son or daughter.

Vietnam veteran Richard DuMont was accompanied by his son.

"I think it's a real treat. Unexpected," DuMont said. "I didn't know I was going to try to do this. I put in for it and because I'm 81. You get chosen pretty quickly."

Fellow Vietnam veteran Mike Biere spent the day with his daughter.

"It's overwhelming, it really is. Very special. Very different than my reception when I got home from Vietnam," Biere said.

From the Iwo Jima Memorial to the waters of the Navy Memorial, Korean War veteran Elise Faye is grateful.

"I thank everybody who's responsible for all of this," Faye said.

Honor Flight has been honoring veterans for 18 years. There are 124 hubs across America.

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'I wish they were back with me': Veterans take Honor Flight to visit war memorials

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