Honor Flight veterans bring home memories from Washington D.C.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - What was an ordinary Saturday in the Tri-State was an extraordinary day for 86 local veterans and their guardians that took to the skies for Honor Flight.

The alarm clock sounded around 3 a.m. for dozens of veterans across the Tri-State Saturday. They had to be at the airport bright and early to catch a flight.

“All the people are smiling so this is a wonderful gala day,” says Bernard Peter. “It means a lot to me personally to be honored in this manner.”

It was time to load up and away they went.

After the hour and a half flight, the veterans unloaded the plane and were greeted with thankful patriots.

They loaded on the bus and were off to the first stop of the day - The World War II Memorial.

“I’m 79 years of age and I’m on the Honor Flight and I didn’t think I’d make it but here I am,” says veteran Richard Mangel.

The group took in the memorial and got a picture all together to remember the day.

The oldest veteran on the trip was 97-year-old Walter Putnam from Newburgh, who served during WWII in the Army.

Guardians attended with each veteran, some were related, and some weren’t.

“He invited me to go and I thought it would be something cool for me to do so I was pretty excited about it,” explains Daniel Juncker.

They took the longest time at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

“Right now it’s sombering, with the Vietnam having been there,” says Stu. “I’m amazed there are all sorts of conversations going on all around, but when you get down here, things get quiet.”

“I think folks my age haven’t made the sacrifices that Stu’s generation has made and those before him, so it’s hard for us to appreciate what they gave, when they gave and the manner in which they had to give it,” says Kent Scheller.

Many were there to pay respects to friends and family that died in the war. Ronald Rhodes found his 19-year-old brother’s name on the wall for the first time.

“It just brings back a lot of hard memories. In lieu of having a little brother now, I got a name on a wall,” he tells us. “He was 19 and he’s still 19 and I’ve missed him a lot.”

Rhodes was able to take the etching of his name back home to the Tri-State.

“Snoops, that was his nickname,” he says.

Many of these veterans had similar experiences at these walls.

Then, the group traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to watch the Changing of the Guards. The crowds were silent throughout the ceremony.

Afterwards, the only female veteran on the trip, Alice Weisling, a 92-year-old Navy veteran, was entered into the Women’s Military Memorial.

“Wow it’s just so exciting and it’s such a pleasure,” she says.

They loaded back onto the bus and went to visit the Air Force Memorial where a high school band was there to play patriotic songs for the veterans.

Right after, they loaded up to head home where thousands were gathered at the Evansville Regional Airport to welcome home their veterans.

All veterans were greeted with those near and far who were thankful to welcome them home.

“It was fantastic really great, got to see a few memorials I never got to see before and it was really great,” says Edward Maier. “They did a fantastic job. It’s making me tear up really, but it’s awesome.”

It certainly was a day for the memory books for all of them.

One of the volunteers told us that an Honor Flight costs about $130,000 and it is made possible thanks to donations.

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