[bright music] ANNOUNCER: The following program is a production of Ozarks Public Television NARRATOR: For many, the sacrifices made by our veterans remain distant memories etched in history books and faded photographs.

But for those who lived through these conflicts, the memories are as vivid as the day they were forged.

Honor Flight of the Ozarks is an organization dedicated to honoring these heroes with one last mission and ensuring they receive the recognition and welcome home they deserve.

"In Gratitude - Honor Flight of the Ozarks."

It's 2:00 AM at Springfield-Branson National Airport.

At gate two, a chartered 737 sits ready to carry a select group of US veterans to Washington, DC, to see the memorials created honoring the sacrifice of service to our nation.

They're greeted with warm smiles as they check in, and volunteers get their sugar rush going with coffee and donuts to prepare them for the long day ahead.

This is a day trip, out and back, so their luggage is light.

But some baggage remains unspoken and unseen.

The orchestration and organization of all the elements to make a trip like this possible is no small feat.

That's where the Honor Flight of the Ozarks' talented volunteers excel in making the mission happen.

The mission is to make sure we take our veterans from World War II all the way through the Gulf War to Washington, DC, to see the monuments.

NARRATOR: Locally, Honor Flight of the Ozarks follows a pattern created by grassroots effort in 2005 by retired Air Force captain Earl Morse out of Springfield, Ohio.

And in 2006, efforts by businessman Jeff Miller of Hendersonville, North Carolina.

The two brought their collective efforts together in 2007 with the original goal of getting veterans of the Second World War to see the newly constructed World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, before it was too late.

Today, the Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit of over 125 independent hubs operating to celebrate America's veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation's capital.

In Springfield, Missouri, the first Honor Flight efforts to get World War II veterans to DC began with KY3 Incorporated as Ozarks Honor Flight in 2009.

Over 1,200 area vets were accommodated on 16 flights through 2012 when World War II veteran applications began to wane.

Many in the Ozarks felt the mission was not completed.

So through local grassroots efforts in 2014, a new group began named Honor Flight of the Ozarks.

This organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to continue the mission for all veterans, whether from World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam era, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm.

On this mission, David Snider is the flight coordinator, and he's in charge of getting 81 veterans and their Guardians to and from DC safely and keeping the logistics involved running smoothly.

The mission of Honor Flight of the Ozarks is simply that it is one more mission.

One More mission to give these men and women the day that they will never forget.

The day that they get to go to Washington, DC, and see their memorials.

The things that their blood, their sweat, their tears, and their losses have endured.

That's what Honor Flight is all about.

NARRATOR: The day of the flight is a whirlwind of emotions for the veterans.

For many, it's the first time they've been recognized for their service.

Some have not been on an airplane since their military days.

The average age of veterans on this slide is 83, and with that comes more considerations about medical health and concerns over things that some take for granted.

There's a lot of preparation, a lot of great volunteers that we have that go into preparing for each of the different flights.

But we want to try to make sure that each of the veterans are taken care of with snacks, with rain gear, if necessary.

We want to make sure they have all of their Honor Flight shirts and hats for the trip.

And we also get them backpacks, as well.

And then, of course, obviously, the boarding passes and going through all the TSA requirements, it's all a process.

And it's not any one individual, but a multitude of great volunteers that takes their time out of their personal time.

None of them are with pay.

NARRATOR: Honor Flight of the Ozarks ensures each veteran has a safe and rewarding experience on the trip by having a travel companion, known as a guardian.

We have two different versions of our guardians.

We have our family guardians, who, like I said, it's family.

It could be someone other than a spouse.

But then we have something called unassigned guardians.

This is for the veteran out there that does not have a family member.

So we have guardians that have volunteered there to go, and they pay the fee, and they are paired up with that veteran for the flight.

NARRATOR: The guardians assigned to each veteran are responsible to keep up with them during the flight, ensuring their needs are met.

For some, younger family members serve as guardians, but several are volunteers that get paired up with a veteran in need of a guardian.

While they wait, the long chain of unseen logistics keeps moving to make this trip happen.

With respect to the airport, I contacted our ground crew.

They are going to cordon off places for medical folks and anything we need to address with these guys.

So we should have some seats in there dedicated strictly for our veterans that are in need of medical care at the end of the day.

But that's it.

How many total wheelchairs?

We have 56 wheelchairs going on with us today.

NARRATOR: The challenge of loading a plane with 180 people, many with medical needs, can be daunting.

But this well-oiled machine is prepared.

In my role, I've encountered several different veterans, and some of the hesitancy from the veterans is about going on the flight because of their medical concerns.

And so I'm able to let them know that we're one of the few hubs that actually has medical staff that go.

On each flight, we have eight medical staff, four actual physicians at any one time.

And we are able to offer that peace of mind, that comfort, to them, and saying, if you have something go wrong, we have the staff available, and we have some means available to take care of them.

In addition to that, we also have wheelchairs that we have available to take up there so we don't have to damage theirs.

And then, we also have oxygen that we arrange for them.

And we have that for every veteran that needs any oxygen.

And we also take some extra just in case anything happens, any emergencies.

NARRATOR: As time draws closer to departure, many conversations are taking place discussing what branch of service they were in and where they served.

Some are quietly reflective.

I call roll, introduce everyone, but prior to that, you want to see something exciting, watch the Pledge of Allegiance.

That is cool because when you have 170-some people in a room taking the Pledge of Allegiance with you at 3 o'clock in the morning, that is something else.

ALL: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Because I explain to them, when we begin our tour of duty, you know, we took an oath.

And I would be honored if you would stand to reaffirm your oath.

And then you see these veterans that are in wheelchairs stand up.

That gets you, when they raise that hand.

And not just the veterans in blue, but every veteran in the room-- guardian, medical, bus staff.

I encourage them all.

But to see the looks on their face, and they're all proud, those chests are swole out, that hand comes up, and they say it just like the very first time they did it.

And you talk about pride.

And for me to be able to do that with a World War II veteran, that gets you because that's what it's about.

Repeat after me.

I.

ALL: I. DAVID SNIDER: State your name.

David Snider.

Do solemnly swear.

ALL: Do solemnly swear.

DAVID SNIDER: That I will support and defend.

ALL: That I will support and defend.

DAVID SNIDER: The Constitution of the United States.

ALL: The Constitution of the United States.

While we're talking to him, we have one of our directors, Scott McCrystal come in, and he gives us a prayer.

And you could hear a pin drop in that room.

But once we exit out of that room-- see, while all this is going on, we have one of the local ROTCs come in.

And we actually have invite Willard-- the Navy Junior Reserve officer Training Corps out of Willard high school come in, and they give these men and women a send-off.

And to see them standing in looking sharp on their day off, prior to school, to come out and see these veterans the guardians go through, that's worth it.

NARRATOR: After receiving this honor, everyone is excited to board the plane.

Much like a commercial flight, loading 183 passengers on a plane takes a little while.

But the Honor Flight volunteers make this process flow smoothly, getting everyone on board and tucked in for the flight.

But the pilot will come on board, and he'll say, we have been authorized to water cannon salute.

That right there, that means a lot.

Because some of these guys and girls, they've never seen anything like that.

But a water cannon salute, they've got the fire trucks out there, and you see these arches come across, that is something else.

NARRATOR: As the plane taxis to the runway, the Springfield-Branson National Airport Fire Department provides this tribute to the service of all the veterans on board.

DAVID SNIDER: But you know we go through that water cannon salute, and we're taxiing, and once we make that last turn, you know where you're at.

Springfield airport is not that big, but you know the runway.

And once you're going down, you're running parallel to the building, and you get to the back, and they turn, and once you make that last turn, that plane stops.

And it's just for a second or two, and then he just socks it to it, and we're going to Washington, DC.

[engines roaring] NARRATOR: After a short two-hour direct flight, they arrive at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

As the veterans and guardians disembark the plane, other travelers in the terminal take notice Honor Flight of the Ozarks has arrived.

These fellow travelers begin to cheer and applaud, showing their respect.

They continue through the airport, exchanging smiles and handshakes with the cheering crowd as they head to meet their transportation for the day in front of the historic national terminal building.

We have motor coaches.

So we have bus companies that we deal with out there.

And you folks-- you guys have been there.

You know what it's like.

These aren't shabby coaches.

These aren't raggedy school buses.

These are real nice motor coaches.

And they're built to accommodate our veterans, literally, with the stairways, with the lifts, because we have some veterans that have to utilize a wheelchair.

We have a tour guide on each bus.

They introduce the driver, which they may have done that ahead of time.

But they introduced the driver again, and the tour guide.

And we arrange for these drivers, and we arrange for the tour guides.

I hope I can add a little something to your day, and I'm just glad to spend the day with you.

I've been with Ozarks before.

It's been a while, but it's good to see some friendly faces again.

Because the tour guides give them that insight about the different stops and about the roadways we're traveling, which is something we integrate into our program here.

It's not just about, hey, we're going to take you here and drop you off.

We're going to give you a history lesson, as well.

I have been told by my friend who is a pilot, and also some of the pilots I've met on honor flights, that flying into DCA is really neat.

And the reason is, to control the noise pollution, they make the planes fly down the Potomac River.

That means they can't line up for the runway until the very last minute.

So right as you're coming in, there's this kind of crazy turn to get lined up for the runway, and apparently that makes it fun.

NARRATOR: Anyway after a quick drive through the city, the World War II Memorial comes into view.

As we're pulling around, you know, we cross the bridge, and we're on our way to World War II.

You're seeing all these things that you've only seen on TV.

Some folks never seen these things up close.

You see the Washington Monument, which stands up like a pencil.

You look at World War II.

That is just a phenomenal place to be.

NARRATOR: As the buses arrive, the Honor Flight team goes into action, getting everything ready and keeping everyone hydrated to endure the day.

Coolers of water and a helping hand are ready to meet the basic needs of the group.

And we make sure these veterans and guardians know there's water under there.

Do you need a water now?

Oh, by all means, please drink.

It starts there.

You see this guy standing out there wearing a kilt.

[bagpipes playing] And you see him with bagpipes.

He's got his headdress on.

NARRATOR: JR Arthur, a retired Naval aviator and bagpiper, reached the group playing hymns of the branches of service.

He makes special recognition of any World War II veterans in attendance.

The World War II men and women are just so coveted right now because they're leaving us, and he tries to pay tribute to them.

NARRATOR: On this flight of 81 veterans, two are from World War II era.

As the musical interlude winds down, the group poses for pictures with the guardians and the veterans.

Everyone begins to explore the monument on their own, each finding different aspects meaningful.

The World War II Memorial is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by the greatest generation.

It honors the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the war, and over 400,000 who gave their lives, and the countless millions who supported the war effort from home.

Dedicated on May 29, 2004, the Memorial is situated on a 7.4-acre site and features a large, oval plaza surrounded by a stone wall and the Atlantic and Pacific pavilions representing the two major theaters of the war.

The Freedom Wall is adorned with 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 American lives lost in the war.

On this Honor Flight, World War II veteran Ben Lafon reflects on the monument, mindful how he began his military service and his experiences in the Army Air Corps.

If I hadn't of volunteered, I'd have probably been drafted into the army.

And again, I had mostly flat feet, not real flat, but I didn't want to do a lot of walking.

And I was inclined.

And in the university that I was in, one of my best friends, he had so much interest.

He made model airplanes of all kinds.

And I became very interested in flying.

My interest in flying caused me to volunteer.

When I went in, I went in with the idea of being on B-24s or whatever crew they put me on.

And they did.

They put me on B-24s, our training, since November 1945 to 1946 in June.

Only seven months in Germany.

Never had to carry a rifle.

I had two 50-caliber machine guns.

270 hours on a B-24.

NARRATOR: At the end of his service, like many from the European theater, Ben returned home by ship.

BEN LAFON: We came in to New York City.

There was a big an enormous welcome sign.

We came on a boat, and it was a big boat.

I think there was 4,000 of us.

But the welcome was just tremendous.

NARRATOR: After a lifetime of missionary teaching and travel, Ben's trip on Honor Flight of the Ozarks to see the World War II monument serves to bring him full circle.

BEN LAFON: That was a great joy.

I was happy.

And 97 years old, my strength is not what it was years ago.

But still, the Lord has given me a certain amount of strength.

I wanted to see it all, so we walked around it.

I think that was the outstanding thing to me, above all that.

So many had given their lives.

NARRATOR: While the monument stands for the serious nature of sacrifices given during World War II, there is a well-known element from those days that many service members recognize as a familiar face.

BEN LAFON: When I was growing up, Kilroy was pretty popular.

[laughs] He showed up at a lot of different places.

NARRATOR: While Ben's thoughts were turned to events of almost 80 years ago, his son, Bob, serving as a guardian on the trip, was making his own memories with his father.

It meant a lot because, you know, being there and seeing those things brings out a lot of stories that we've never heard before.

I didn't have any idea of how big of an event it was.

We had not really heard-- I figured maybe a dozen people, a dozen veterans on a flight, or something like that.

I didn't know.

And when we got there and saw there were 81 veterans and 81 guardians and a whole slew of medical and logistical and everybody else, I was blown away that it was such-- and you know, they do this multiple times a year, is it, I think?

And then, we're not the only chapter.

There all over the United States.

I think the orientation has helped him to be a better son.

[laughs] But he's always been a very wonderful son.

His being my escort or guardian meant very much.

I felt free to tell him whatever.

[laughs] NARRATOR: As the visit to the World War II Memorial winds down, the well-choreographed schedule of the mission points toward lunch being the next stop.

DAVID SNIDER: After we have our visit at the World War II Memorial, it's almost lunchtime because a lot of our folks haven't eaten other than the snacks we gave them.

And they didn't even open the snacks on the bus, you know?

They're going to save them for later.

But we have lunch catered in.

Real good sandwiches, by the way.

Holy cow.

Real good food.

But they meet us, and they will try to load their lunches onto the motorcoaches for us.

And then we'll go to FDR Park, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, which is a hidden gem.

And a lot of folks don't realize what it is until they actually get there.

A lot of history right there on the Potomac.

A lot of history.

NARRATOR: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a sprawling tribute to the second president of the United States, divided into four outdoor rooms representing each of his terms, filled with sculptures and quotes that capture the spirit of the country during challenging times.

A unique feature is the inclusion of a statue of FDR in his wheelchair, added in 2001, to accurately portray his life with a disability.

The memorial also includes a variety of other interesting features, such as a bronze sculpture depicting a breadline during the Great Depression, and a sculpture of a man listening to one of FDR's famous fireside chats on the radio.

The opportunity allows the Honor Flight group to walk through some of the most influential years in American history and see the legacy of one of its most significant presidents.

You want to see something neat?

When you're walking through here and you see people in general sitting down, but when you're looking at the backs and you see guardian shirt, veteran shirt, and they're on that bench overlooking the river, holy cow, what a moment.

Knowing that these two are talking, whether it be family guardian or the unassigned guardian, they're talking.

And they're not just sitting there looking.

They're talking.

And you know they're talking because you see a lot of this.

And then you'll see a helicopter fly over.

So they're not looking here, and next thing you know, oh, look at that.

[helicopter whooshing] But to see the conversation taking place and knowing that they're getting something that they'll never get again-- that's priceless.

NARRATOR: Just as FDR held the country together during times of difficulty, the bonds strengthened between the veterans and their guardians at this secluded stop.

DAVID SNIDER: You know, when we leave FDR Park, we have our next major stop which is about a two, two hour, or two-hour-and-20-minute stop because we're theoretically seeing three different memorials.

NARRATOR: The National Mall is one of the most iconic areas of the District of Columbia.

The west end features three distinctive memorials to Abraham Lincoln, Vietnam veterans, and Korean War Veterans.

The reflecting pool serves as a popular tourist destination for visitors and school groups, while locals use the lawns and pathways for jogging and outdoor recreation.

On this day, the sea of blue and red shirts make it clear to all they are in the presence of Honor Flight veterans.

Many begin their walk toward the Korean War Memorial, often referred to as the forgotten war, in which 6.8 million Americans served during the conflict.

The Korean War began June 25, 1950, with the Communist North Korean army's invasion of South Korea.

Perhaps the most iconic feature of the memorial are the 19 stainless steel statues representing the service members who fought in the war.

The statues are about seven feet tall among patches of juniper bushes that symbolize the rice paddies of Korea.

But as you walk up, you have to pay close attention because this represents a squad of soldiers in the paddies.

If you don't know what you're looking for, it's too late.

No matter where you stand as you're walking up, one of these soldiers is looking at you.

Whether you're walking up, there's one looking at you.

If you're walking from the side, there's one looking at you.

If you're coming at it from straight ahead, there's one looking at you.

If you're trying to look up at an angle, there's one looking at you.

And wherever you go, their eyes will follow you.

Is it something that's built to scare you?

No.

It's built to show you what these men faced over there because they always had to have their heads on a swivel.

But that memorial right there is striking.

NARRATOR: For US Army Korea veteran Gus Adams, the familiarity with the figures immediately takes him back to his service in Korea.

What it reminded me of was going out on patrol while I was still in the infantry.

And they were so realistic.

Just unbelievable.

Of course, there are giant size, but if that didn't put you-- if you were in that situation in Korea, the likewise was just unbelievable.

It was realistic.

I mean, you're wearing your poncho.

You're trying to keep your gun dry, or your armour, or whatever you had.

And you're on a patrol.

And that's just exactly what it'll look like.

They want to know what's out there, so you go on patrol.

NARRATOR: While Gus began as an infantryman in Korea, his assignment changed due to some perilous circumstances.

Well, originally, I was-- prior to being in the Army, I was working for the Alaska Road Commission.

And my dad, he was living in San Diego, and he would get these letters from the government saying, immediate induction.

And we got our MOSes for rifleman.

Infantry.

So of course, we got to Korea, and I was put in 7th Division, Eighth Army, 31st infantry, in Company Baker.

And we were put on line.

And there we held off the North Koreans to the very best we could for some time.

And then, we were getting our butts kicked, so they loaded us up and were getting us out of there.

We passed a bulldozer along the road, and you know we were all guys, hanging all over vehicles, trying to get out of there.

And I bumped the sergeant, and I said, you know, that's what I did on the outside.

And when they said that the bridge was blown up ahead of us and to dig in, and-- the ground's all froze.

There's no digging in.

But I told the Sarge, I said, you know, we ought to go take that bulldozer and fix that bridge, and we can get out of here.

And we got the D7 running, went down, and pushed the big rocks over the holes in the bridge and filled it up with some finer stuff, and the water was still running underneath.

Knocked it all down and they started going across.

And from then on, my job was rescuing bulldozers, and they sent me all over Korea.

If they didn't have a bulldozer to rescue, they would just put me wherever they needed me.

And I spent the rest of my time doing that for the 633rd engineers.

And it was unbelievable.

I was glad to get out of there.

NARRATOR: The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1995, featuring a mural wall comprised of over 2000 photographs of service members etched in black granite, consisting of 41 panels and extending 164 feet.

The Wall of Remembrance is a new addition, completed in 2022, featuring the names of 36,574 American service members who died in the war.

GUS ADAMS: And we were trying to find some names of some of the fellows that I had known that had gotten killed in Korea.

We found one.

Victor Alvara was who we were looking for.

NARRATOR: The expression "freedom is not free" is etched in granite on an adjoining wall, denoting the sacrifice of those that lost their lives and the 7,496 still listed as missing in action from the conflict.

Some Americans didn't even know we were gone.

They didn't even know that Korea existed.

It was kind of heartbreaking, after going through what we went through, to be handled-- not handled, but to get the response like that.

It was nothing like the Honor Flight.

Nothing at all.

I mean, the Honor Flight honored you.

If we'd have had something like that when we came home, it would have been unbelievable.

Well, we got it.

It just took 70 years later to get it.

And I really enjoyed that.

NARRATOR: Gus's son, Danny, served as his guardian and made a special trip to be with him on this day.

My son, Danny, he lives in Oceanside, California.

And when we heard that we needed a guardian, so I called my son, Danny.

And he said, boy, he'd love to be my guardian.

He really, really enjoyed.

But of course, he's a contractor.

He flew here one day, he went on the Honor Flight, and he had to fly home the next day.

And bless his heart, he told me later on the phone that he had one of the highlights of his life.

NARRATOR: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, often referred to as the Wall, lies on the north side of the reflecting pool.

DAVID SNIDER: A lot of our Vietnam veterans are very apprehensive about going to the Wall.

We will walk with them.

We've had veterans stop.

I can't go.

Absolutely, I understand.

If you want me to, I'm here.

I've had veterans say, would you walk with me?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And there's no shame.

I'll say, come on, let's go.

And I'll walk with them.

We walk down, and you can feel-- you feel their emotion.

You can feel the trembling with, like I said, specific Vietnam veterans.

There's a lot of things that occurred over there that they won't share.

NARRATOR: On this Honor Flight, Air Force veteran Ron Skywater knows those emotions all too well.

My first time in Vietnam, we were loading up 750-pound bombs for the B-52s.

When we got to Vietnam, you know, they warned us to keep your head low.

And when you hear pop, pop, pop or a boom, take cover.

And that's-- next thing I knew, not even one minute, we heard those, and we took cover.

And we were under conflict right there on the landing strip.

And I was with the B-52s and C-5As, KC-135s, 130s, 133s.

And most of all, I was a crew chief on the C-141A transport.

1972, I was given a mission, and it was a confidential mission to go back to Vietnam.

And we were not told where we were going.

We didn't know our pickup.

Early in the morning, I went back over there to-- if they got done, finished loading it.

And I looked inside.

There were nothing but caskets.

I could not go back in there because I broke down.

My commander, my pilot, came, and said, what's wrong?

I says, look what's inside.

And he felt the same way.

But when we got back into Travis Air Force Base, I met some families that they-- they picked up their sons.

And it was very emotional.

At some point, I couldn't take it, so I left.

Hate started building up in me because of our enemies and what I was bringing back from Vietnam-- our dead comrades.

Up to this day, I have to be honest about it.

I still have mental problems with what I went through.

The war.

I mean, the POWs.

All that I have gone through, all those years, just actually being one of them.

And I have problems right now.

And people don't understand what a veteran really is.

A veteran, to me, is we gave our life for the United States.

We gave our life to America.

Their freedom.

NARRATOR: Ron's homecoming during Vietnam added to the turbulent emotions.

I came home in 1974, I think it was.

And I was only given $275, and that was it.

We weren't given no resources of any kind of help that we might need when we came home.

We were just given the money and just kicked out.

I went back to New Mexico, to my reservation.

I felt-- and people looked at me in the way that I wasn't wanted.

I wasn't needed.

I am not Native no more because all that killing and all that.

I was put aside.

And physically, I did experience it.

Hey, Ron, we would like for you to move-- we would like to-- you know, can you go somewhere else?

Can you do some-- go somewhere else.

Not here.

And that's the way I was treated on the reservation.

So that-- even from my own people, the prejudice.

And because of the war and the military, I wasn't needed and wanted.

So I left the reservation to be here, out here in the world-- white man's world, they call it.

And it's complicated still.

But one day, I was watching TV, and I seen that Honor Flight commercial.

NARRATOR: After seeing the Honor Flight promotion, Ron applied and was accepted to go on this August flight.

Oh!

That was like going to heaven.

I was-- my inside, like, exploded.

I'm going to Washington, DC.

I told everybody here in church, I'm going to Washington.

You are, yes.

And I've waited for years and years, maybe over 20 years, I've been wanting to go to Washington.

And all these monuments that I seen on TV, magazines, newspapers.

I said, I am finally going.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Ron brought with him a list of names he wanted to find at the Wall.

RON SKYWATER: If you haven't seen the Wall or touched the Wall or heard of the Wall, I would encourage people, and to be ready mentally, emotionally, because that is the freedom of America.

NARRATOR: Visitors at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial can get assistance from the National Park's volunteers that work at the site, assisting to find names and help with etchings.

RON SKYWATER: And I really want to thank the Honor Flight, the personnel, for healing and giving me an emotional and a mental-- it's just like taking an eraser and erasing all the bad and putting the new picture on top.

SALLY ATKINSON: And seeing the complete wall, it's overwhelming to them.

But it's also a great release because they may have been holding back all of their feelings about the Vietnam experience overall.

And once they get there, they see some of their buddies that they might have served with that they are able to finally release some of those tears that they've been holding back for so many years.

NARRATOR: One of the Honor Flight of the Ozarks participants had previously served as a volunteer at the Wall, and his story uniquely comes full circle.

Army veteran Ross Giacomo knows the exact location of one particular name on the wall.

What was his name?

Tedford.

Robert Tedford.

Robert Tedford?

He was my crew chief.

He flew every hour and a half, and we'd trade places.

I was in the back of the plane-- er, helicopter.

He was in front.

Well, that last hour that we were going to be-- be out there, I said, I'll just stay back here.

We got shot down.

He got thrown out of the aircraft.

I would have been in his place.

I'm so sorry.

[sobbing] Only decision I ever regretted making.

He said, it should have been me.

It should have been me.

And I didn't know what to do for him but to say, sir, I'm here.

But you hear a lot of "it should have been me."

Oh, man.

They-- they feel it.

It's almost like you can see a transfer of that soul into that person standing there.

What's his name?

Tedford.

Robert Tedford.

Robert Tedford?

Yep.

How about we make that happen for you?

We called him Teddy for short.

Robert Tedford.

Can you see it?

You're going to stay there.

ROSS GIACOMO: That's great.

DAVID SNIDER: I'll tell you, there's nothing that means any more than to help one of these veterans get that name.

Because when you give that name to them on that piece of paper, you know, they will take that paper, and they'll look at you.

They-- they just say, thank you.

And I've done nothing more than rub their name for them.

You know, he's there with a lot of other men.

I have stage IV lung cancer, and it won't be much longer.

I'll be up there with him.

But you're here now.

You good?

Yep.

All right, buddy.

OK.

Thank you.

My guardian was actually my daughter-in-law.

And she's also a registered nurse.

And with my medical problems, I felt that was the best thing for me to do, to take her with me.

But yeah, she was-- she was excited, I think, as much as I was to go.

NARRATOR: During Ross's career in the military, he found himself assigned to the US Army Transportation Agency assigned to the White House in Washington, DC.

ROSS GIACOMO: Well, officially, it was a chauffeur for the presidential staff.

That was the official title.

But I had other duties as assigned.

But most of the time, you were between the White House and Capitol Hill, driving back and forth.

Again, I can't get deep into what we did.

NARRATOR: While serving in DC during his off hours, Ross visited the newly constructed Vietnam Wall.

ROSS GIACOMO: You know, I was standing there, and I was looking at different things on the wall.

And this park ranger came up to me and he asked, have you been here before?

Were you in Vietnam?

That kind of stuff.

And he said, why don't you volunteer to be a guide here?

Because you can give firsthand knowledge of what you experienced here.

I was like, OK, I can do that.

And I did it for over five years.

One of the last things I got to do was this young group of girls that looked to be know 16-ish.

15, 16.

They said, we're looking for a name.

And I said, well, panel and line number?

So they said, panel 28-W. And I went, oh.

What line?

And so they told me, line 15.

I just said, you're looking for Tedford?

And their mouths dropped.

They were his-- in essence, would be his granddaughters.

And they were just flabbergasted that I knew him.

So of course, we swapped phone numbers.

And I got to talk to his wife.

Anyway, I only got to do it once, but it meant so much to them that they now had a connection to their grandfather.

NARRATOR: More than 58,000 names are inscribed on the wall, and more than 5 million people visit the memorial each year.

The memories and stories, much like Ross and Ron have shared, are why these monuments exist and serve as a connecting point for many to glean a deeper understanding of the sacrifice made by all those that have served.

Many veterans from various campaigns since Korea have mentioned the shared challenges they faced when they returned to civilian life.

And when we got home, we got off the ship, there was no band.

There was no welcoming.

I actually kissed the ground.

I was happy to be home.

We were told to wear your civilian clothes, and then come in late night flights, if you could, so it'd prevent conflicts.

When I came back to Oakland airport, and I was spit at.

And then I got to LA because I was headed to Phoenix.

I got to LA airport, and I was called a baby killer and this kind of stuff.

I've known a lot of individual guys that have had conflict, especially the Marines and the Army guys were yelled at, spit upon.

And that just goes all over people that are-- they're just there trying to do their job.

NARRATOR: The Honor Flight of the Ozarks honors veterans and helps provide healing for these invisible wounds, providing an opportunity to gain closure.

DAVE THATER: And then they sleep better now.

We've had guys come up and tell us that it's the first good night's sleep I've had and 46 years.

And it just-- I mean, it's just-- it's touching.

I have done, I believe, more good in the Honor Flight working with veterans than I ever did when I was in the service being a welder.

NARRATOR: Honor Flight of the Ozarks is a volunteer-run organization, many of whom are veterans themselves.

They know the importance of the mission they aim to achieve.

A year ago, we had 125 veterans on a waiting list.

Today, we have 500 veterans on a waiting list.

NARRATOR: To serve all these veterans, it takes financial support.

DAVE THATER: East flight's about $176,000 for the plane, the fuel, the buses, the food.

And that's expensive.

DAVID SNIDER: A lot of folks want to know what it costs.

I'll tell you now-- the veterans already paid.

A veteran, when they put their name on that line and they took that oath, they paid.

It doesn't cost a veteran a dime.

A guardianship, however, it does.

Right now, it costs $500.

And some people say, well, that's a lot of money.

It's not.

Not for what you see and what you learn and what you keep in here.

NARRATOR: After the long visit to the memorials along the National Mall, the buses load up and head to the next stop at the Air Force Memorial, located just outside of DC in Arlington, Virginia.

The three stainless steel spires of the Air Force Memorial are meant to symbolize the contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they perform their signature bomb burst maneuver, appearing as a moment frozen in time.

The names of Air Force Medal of Honor recipients are inscribed on a wall located on the north side of the memorial, opposite of statues of an honor guard detachment standing watch.

DAVID SNIDER: The Air Force Memorial is-- it's cool.

It's the way it's put together.

The Air Force, they do things in style.

I'll give them that.

They have a real good memorial, the three spires that extend up into the air.

Almost 300 feet these guys go.

Oh, those are overwhelming.

They're awesome.

I love looking up at them and having to almost lay down on the ground in order to be able to see the top of those spears.

It's very welcoming.

We get to the rail and you overlook the Pentagon.

And you look at the very point where an airplane crashed into the side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

And at the other end, you look at the Air Force.

You look at those four soldiers standing there-- our airmen, I should say.

I don't want to get beat up by the Air Force guys now.

But you look at them, and they look sharp.

A lot of work went into that memorial, and they're very proud of it, as they should be.

As I was going through the wall-- their wall, the Air Force wall-- and there was three missions on there that I knew about that and I was in.

It was such a joy to see those three missions on that wall.

And I was so overjoyed.

Look, my God.

Look, that's where I was.

That's the first time in all these years since 1974 that I have ever seen on that wall.

Not on my military records.

They're all blacked out.

But it was on the wall.

NARRATOR: The next stop of the day is just around the corner, the most hallowed ground in the United States-- Arlington National Cemetery.

DAVID SNIDER: Oh my.

Arlington National Cemetery.

You read about it.

You see it on TV.

But until you get inside and you see what's going on there, you have a newfound respect for it.

And again, that's one of those times that we have our itinerary.

We have a specific time.

We have to meet in order to get inside to go to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

NARRATOR: Arlington National Cemetery was established during the Civil War on the grounds of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's former home, and has grown to 639 acres.

It's the final resting place of over 400,000 service members.

The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by elite members of the third US Infantry Regiment, also known as the old guard.

The changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a solemn and precise ritual, with guards taking 21 steps during their walk, symbolizing the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor.

As Honor Flight veterans file into the amphitheater to watch the changing of the guard, they get the distinct privilege of having a front row seat to witness the ceremony.

And all the guardians, the medical staff, majority of them will go up on the steps of the amphitheater on the back side.

There will be a couple of folks of our staff that will remain with the veterans.

But when you're up on the steps and you're looking over at the sentinel, and that sentinel is marching, and then you look at the veterans-- those veterans right there, he's walking for them.

And a lot of people don't realize as the changing occurs, when that sergeant of the guard comes out, he'll scrape his heels.

[shoes scraping] When he scrape his heel, it's not because he's clumsy.

He's showing respect to let these veterans know he acknowledges that they're there.

That right there speaks more than just volumes.

That's an entire library of information right there.

[heels click] I was amazed and how they handled those rifles.

[metallic clinking] The faithfulness, it stood out, especially to the changing of the guard and the respect of the Unknown Soldier.

Right.

Shoulder.

Arms.

Post.

Right face.

Forward march.

GUS ADAMS: The changing of the guard is something beautiful to see.

And we were all impressed.

I mean, every one of them were impressed.

I mean, from what we had already gone through that morning and what we'd already got to see, and then here's the changing of the guard.

I mean-- I've seen a number of pictures where the guard's standing there and he's got two inches of snow on his hat.

Knowing that it was probably below freezing, and also knowing he's probably got 11 layers of clothing on to keep him warm, or as warm as possible, but to know that there's other guys out there, other veterans, that have the same diligence of duty.

They're willing to put themselves in that situation to where you get frostbite on your fingers.

But it's good to know that that thought hasn't died off.

Watching these sentinels work because they're still guarding someone in that tomb.

They don't falter.

They don't quit.

And those veterans, they know it.

But that is one of the highlights of their day, is to witness changing of the guard.

I mean, the excellence of execution is just-- it's paramount.

That is the top notch right there.

And it speaks a lot.

And when these guys and girls leave there, they have a newfound respect for that tomb and that sentinel walking that mat.

It means a lot.

BEN LAFON: And somebody being on hand all the time, that was a symbol.

NARRATOR: Concluding the events at Arlington, the group heads for the last monument on their tour.

DAVID SNIDER: Iwo Jima, the Marine Corps Memorial, to me, is probably the most impressive.

Now because it's Iwo Jima.

Not because of the Marine Corps.

But the way it was built.

Every one of these memorials have some significance, and they're all special to me.

But as you're coming around the flag as they're planted down, the Marines are pushing up.

As you go around, that flag looks like it's standing straight up.

That says a lot.

And the sheer size is just phenomenal.

You don't realize how big it is till you're standing next to it.

The 32-foot-tall bronze statues are based on the famous photograph, "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" by Joe Rosenthal, which captured the moment six Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.

The base of the memorial features a quote from Admiral Chester Nimitz.

"Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

This quote pays tribute to the bravery and determination of the Marines who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The Memorial was dedicated on November 10th, 1954, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

While the travelers take in the Iwo Jima Memorial, back in Springfield, the mission of Honor Flight of the Ozarks continues with preparations for the welcome home celebration for the travelers and continued fundraising for the next flight.

Oh, it's a tremendous amount of work.

Without our volunteers that we have serving with us throughout the community, we would never be able to pull it off.

We have 104 volunteers, and they're up at 2:30 in the morning out at the airport, handing out donuts and coffee, setting the chairs up, getting the wheelchairs ready.

It's not a perpetual motion machine.

Everybody works and does something.

Something is accomplished.

Somebody has to do something.

There's 1,001 moving parts.

The coordination that Dave Snider, our flight coordinator, and Sean does to get everybody happy, both here and in DC, is just-- it's incredible how much-- and you can't let one ball hit the ground.

It's all got to be there.

And of course, they delegate well with the captains and lieutenants at the buses, but we all know our jobs.

We all know our duties.

And if somebody is not getting it done, somebody else will pitch in.

But if you ask a volunteer to do something, they don't question it.

They go, OK, put me in, coach.

You can't buy that.

Also, 97% of the money that we bring in goes directly back to make sure we are able to fly our veterans to Washington, DC.

DAVE THATER: And we're doing our best to hold the costs down, so we literally beat our brains out with fundraisers, skeet shoots, the radiothons, and just thank God for Zimmer Communications and the Dove, and KWTO, and Jock, and Real Country, because they just turn their station over to us for the full day.

And that makes a big difference for us.

It's amazing that people think so much of the veterans that they go to this effort to make sure that we see and appreciate what we have fought for.

The radiothon was brought about in part because I am on the Honor Flight board.

And we discussed doing a radiothon, well, hey, Reynolds, don't you have association with the station that also does radiothons for the Honor Flight elsewhere?

Yeah, I do.

Don, who is this young man that you have in the studio with us this morning?

Well, I'd like to introduce my father, Donald E. Louzader.

And he will be 90 years young in January, and he is a Korean veteran who served in Japan.

And I'll kind of let him talk about his story.

And Dad, we want to talk about the Honor Flight experience?

You went as a vet in the October flight this past year, and I was your guardian.

And I know it was a meaningful experience for me, and I think probably for you.

You said that it was one of the most meaningful experiences of your life, right?

I would say that, in all of my experiences, I rank the Honor Flight to go into Washington, DC, is number two.

The first one is having a family.

But number-- that's number two in my lifetime.

When they're listening to these stories-- I hope, anyway-- that our radio listeners are able to encompass in their own minds, hey, you know, I have family members who may have done this, or I may have done this myself.

And I think probably that helps to generate in them a spark.

June of 1944.

And all of a sudden, I find myself going to a beach.

But it wasn't Virginia Beach.

It wasn't Florida Beach.

It was Omaha Beach.

Jack Hamlin.

First of all, to paint some of the background, I've known Jack for over 50 years.

Still going, 102 years old, and just as mentally intact as he always had been.

Jack is a true-- not American Hero-- world hero for what he did.

He doesn't realize it.

He kind of shrugs it off.

But the thing about Jack is that when World War II erupted, he immediately went down and joined the Army.

They wouldn't take him because he'd had rheumatic fever.

When it was made available to him, the Coast Guard is what he joined.

JACK HAMLIN: Well, we were stationed in Poole, England.

And when the invasion started, we had no idea until our commanding officer told us we were going to be part of the invasion, that we would have to follow the LSTs and the LCVP, which were carrying the soldiers of the 29th Division.

And we just followed them all across the channel.

We had 60 Coast Guard cutters going over, all divided up at the five beaches.

We were 15 cutters sent to Omaha.

And as I say, we would follow the LSTs and LCVPs in.

And one day, they were hit by a shell, and the crew was in the water.

They would put a rope around me, and then also there was another swimmer on my little cutter by the name of Jack Turk.

And they put a line around him.

And we would jump in the water and pull the bodies out of the water.

NARRATOR: During the D-day invasion of Normandy, Jack and the members of his boat crew pulled several troops from the frigid water.

On the next day, June 7, Jack would jump into action when two lone German Luftwaffe planes began strafing troops on Utah Beach.

Well, on board our cutter, we had a 20-millimeter gun.

I had only fired it one time.

That was in a practice round when I was stationed at Newport, Rhode Island, in the United States.

I had only fired it one time.

Well, at the time, this German planes were coming over.

There were just two of them.

Our other swimmer, the gunner-- actually, the gunner-- was in the water at that time.

They said, Jack, here comes the plane.

You've been on there.

You've shot that gun.

Get on there and shoot that gun.

Gentlemen, I can't lie to you.

I can hardly remember anything about it at all.

All I know is I took aim at it, and they said, Jack, you shot it down.

One of your bullets went through the fuselage of the German plane.

And there was an article in the Springfield paper.

When I got back to Springfield, everybody thanked me that I shot down a German airplane.

I had forgotten all about it.

I got what they called the Legion of Honor.

That's presented by the French government.

I was invited to come back to France after D-day to receive your honor.

And of all the people that I'm sitting with, a lady-- and I didn't know at all who she was at first.

It turned out to be Helen Patton, General Patton's granddaughter.

We became friends from that day.

But every veteran should talk to the young generation.

Let them know what war is all about.

Let them hear firsthand.

You can read a book.

You can see it in the picture show.

That's real, in a way.

They do a good job at it.

But until you talk to a veteran and hear him talk, then history comes to them in real life.

They'll never forget it.

NARRATOR: Jack's own personal experience of going on an Honor Flight has led him to become an advocate of the organization.

JACK HAMLIN: The Honor Flight is something that everybody should appreciate.

I mean, it's all over the United States in certain communities for the Honor Flight.

But it is a privilege and an honor to participate and to tell the people in our community they should if they can, in any way, contribute and help another veteran go back to see his memorial.

NARRATOR: Back in DC, the Honor Flight of the Ozarks participants are wrapping up their visit to the US Marine Corps War Memorial.

The arrival of several motorcycles and police cruisers from the Arlington County Police Department draws everyone's attention.

Well, let me tell you a story.

Any time you go anywhere in Washington, DC, you know, there's traffic.

So arranging to get from point A to B to C to D to E can be a task in itself.

Reaching out to these guys with Arlington County PD, they help us get to where we're going.

They come in, they park those motors, they park the cars.

Those officers get out.

And not just rank and file officers.

I'm talking slick sleeves, corporals, sergeants.

We even had the chief out there.

They would come out and they would interact with the veterans.

And you want to see veterans get goo-goo eyed, they do.

But they're looking at police officers the same way the police officers are looking at them.

They're looking at them as heroes.

But they interact and they allow these veterans to get on their motors.

They allow the guardians to interact with them, get on the motors.

But the fellowship that they engage in is just fantastic because they're just like we are.

We're talking.

And they want to.

They want to be there.

They don't have to be there.

They want to be there.

And that's a huge difference for them.

But I just-- I respect them.

And the fact that they give our veterans one heck of a ride home, it's not just the ride.

Because once we load up in those four motor coaches, you see the lights come on on the motors, and you see the lights come on the chase cars.

And all of a sudden, a few of them have disappeared.

Well, we're wondering where they have gone.

They're shutting the highway down for us.

They're waiting because there's a curve that comes off the highway right there.

They're shutting that down because we're not getting run over when we come out.

So when we do eventually start our little speed coming out, we've got our four motors in the front.

We've got additional motors in the back, and our chase cars.

That highway is ours.

ROSS GIACOMO: So that brought memories of-- of motorcades with the president.

But yeah, I realized we got there in just a matter of just minutes, where it would have taken a half hour, you know, if you drove it by yourself.

NARRATOR: The journey back to Reagan National Airport through the heart of rush hour traffic takes only a few minutes thanks to the police escort.

But it's worth it.

There is no other way to put it.

It is worth it, seeing this stuff unfold like it is.

And it is-- it's out of respect.

But coming into that airport, this is coming to the end of the beginning of their going home.

You know, we're out there.

Once we get on the runway, they know we're going home.

A lot of them don't know what to expect.

They just know they're going home.

We take off.

But once we get airborne and everyone thinks it's quiet and it's dark on the airplane, Yeah, no.

No, that's the next big part of their final trip home.

We slept.

I just dropped off to sleep the minute I got on the plane.

But I was very much awake when the lights came on.

[laughs] But each one of these veterans, they get an old fashioned military mail call.

And that's exactly the way we do it on the airplane.

ROSS GIACOMO: On the plane, when they say, what was the most important thing that a military person likes to hear is a mail call, you know, we all yelled it out.

And when they handed me my bag, I-- wow, I got a lot of mail.

And I cried through every one of them.

That meant a lot to do that.

DAVID SNIDER: So flight staff, medical staff, stand up.

They're down in the middle of the airplane.

And I start calling names.

I'm thinking, well, nobody knows me.

I'm not going to get any mail.

Who hands it out?

Dave Snider, with a smile on his face.

And he handed it out to everybody.

And here's a big envelope that thick of letters.

And to get that done, talk about organization.

Man, they had to talk to a lot of people a long time ago to get that kind of a response of so many people out.

And everybody got an envelope.

DAVID SNIDER: Because they pull these letters out, and they start reading, and they'll stop.

And it'll get you while you're sitting there looking at them, and you see tears rolling down.

And you see them, and they're shaking.

And you want to laugh so bad because you're laughing out of happiness for them.

But they look up, and they're like, oh, I can't read this now.

They get another one out.

They pull the other one out, and it's written by a first grader in crayon.

That gets them worse than the other one did.

But they open these, and this is stuff that means so much to a service member, getting mail from home.

It was real-- tears came out of my eyes reading those cards from little kids in their honor-ness to us.

And every day when I feel kind of awkward-like or don't feel good, I open up my thick envelope right here, and I look through them and all the thank-yous.

It was another blessing that I always-- it's always here to read.

That was beautiful, too.

NARRATOR: As the Honor Flight arrives back home at the Springfield-Branson National Airport, the participants are eager to be home after the long day.

DAVID SNIDER: Go to the top of the ramp and I step off and I say, we're home.

And I greet the folks that are there and let them know.

And then we start deplaning.

And deplaning is probably-- it's next to the hardest thing that I'll do because as we're watching them come up the ramp, it's time to say goodbye.

It really is.

But it means a lot because I shake their hand and thank them for giving me their day, letting me be part of their life.

Last flight, I had one that got me.

97-year-old, World War II.

David Snider was there.

And I told him, I said, David, I need to hug your neck.

I don't know when I've gotten a Big Bear hug like he gave me, but I will always remember that.

DAVID SNIDER: He came up to the top of the ramp, and I looked down at him.

And he looked at me, and he grabbed me.

And I had his hand, and he said, thank you for giving me the best day of my life.

And I'm thinking to myself, no, sir.

Thank you for giving me the best day of your life.

NARRATOR: Practically all of the travelers are ready to wind up their day.

However, the Honor Flight of the Ozarks has yet one more gift to bestow on these veterans.

DAVID SNIDER: Tell them, hey, we got to let everybody go at once.

It's protocol.

We can't do this.

Trying to keep what's fixing to happen to them, the pinnacle of their day, hid.

And we line them all up, and we get to say, literally, our final farewell.

And I bid you a sincerest welcome home.

This is your day.

[applause] [us national anthem playing] [applause, cheering] NARRATOR: Hundreds of cheering voices fill the terminal, along with sounds of patriotic band music, as the veterans and guardians filter through the crowd.

The simple message and earnest feeling of being welcomed home is conveyed in every hug, handshake, and salute along the way.

The veterans are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, and many leak the tears of the heartfelt welcome they receive.

The veterans receive an overwhelming reception from family, friends, and the community at large.

Thank you for your service, sir.

Welcome home.

They opened the door and, my God, here's a band.

Here's people saluting you.

Here's somebody hollering my name.

People.

And it just humbled you.

I mean, it made me cry.

I-- I shook people's hands for, I don't know, a half hour.

And it was just overwhelming.

BEN LAFON: We had friends that had come to the airport and were there at 9:30 at night, which I was not expecting at all.

And there could have been as many as 1,000 or more people at the airport to greet us at night.

People running up to you, thanking you, hugging you.

And that was so awesome, so colorful, to come back to and be honored like that.

That erased what we came back from Vietnam was.

All those raw eggs and stuff, and being called-- that changed it.

I changed that to that, what our welcome home parade was about.

It was such a blessing to be honored like that.

ROSS GIACOMO: Like I said, I thought there was only, like, 1,000 people there.

And then I was told, no, it was, like, 2,500.

And little kids and older adults and police officers and firefighters and high school kids.

And when we go outside, there's a poster out here hanging up that my daughter made that it says "Welcome Home."

And she's a graphic artist, and she designed that.

And when we got-- when we came back to Springfield, they were holding it up for me to see.

So that meant a lot.

NARRATOR: Honor Flight of the Ozarks' mission is a powerful reminder of the importance of honoring our veterans.

It isn't just a plane ride.

It's the passion that they get, and the love that they get, and the support that they get when they get an opportunity to come home again.

I've been on 16 flights, and I've been doing it eight years.

Before I retired, I wanted to do something to give back.

So I went as a guardian.

I was a bus lieutenant.

And I just got enthralled with it.

I want to do more.

I want to help.

Well, we all have a duty.

We're citizens here, and you all have a duty to give back.

Now, it doesn't necessarily have to be in the service or the military.

It doesn't have to be that way.

But giving back to the public's good is what we are all charged with doing.

NARRATOR: The last mission for these 81 veterans on this Honor Flight is now accomplished.

The bonds they have made with each other, the inner peace they have achieved with themselves, and the stories they have shared signify the important task Honor Flight of the Ozarks serves to fulfill.

BEN LAFON: Very deep respect.

And allowing us to see the memorials that I don't think any of us, if we went alone, we wouldn't see all of the memorials like we saw.

But to have a police escort to get us to the buses, and then to bus us to each one of those memorials, the planning and everything that went into the Honor Flight, I will always be grateful, I think.

Yes, yes.

Always.

Yes.

You go back and think of what you went through, and that changes right away.

The tears you shed, the touch you shed, and all that.

It's a healing process for any PTSD, stress, depression, whatever you're going through.

This is a healing experience.

Yeah, I'm eternally grateful I mean.

And my daughter-in-law's grateful that she got to go.

Well, I would like to say that if you see this and you're a vet and you don't go, you've really missed something in your life because they show you pride and class that's unbelievable.

It's unmatched with any other organization, with any other group.

They won.

You'll miss something that is just unbelievable.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Honor Flight of the Ozarks is preparing for their next mission.

[upbeat music] [triumphant music]