KRDO NewsChannel 13 Special Report

heroes – that’s the mission behind a group of volunteers in colorado springs. they’re back from the “honor flight”… a trip to washington, d.c… which gives veterans a chance to see the memorials dedicated to their service. but that trip turned out to be much more than any of them expected. krdo newschannel 13’s greg miller went with those veterans. it’s a story you’ll only see here. james and heather such a privelege to go on the honor flight. the veterans boarded their plane… and as you can see by their facial expressions it was the flight of a lifetime. as these veterans were treated like the heroes they truly are. with every step, and every stop, nat sot – thank you for your service. they are treated like celebrities… praised for their heroism. i feel like a politician, my right hand is so numb now nats – people gathered clapping each site – brings a flood of memories. i’m very appreciative that it’s here. we won that war. it was pretty bleak of awhile. this is overwhelming. they are the men and women of the eighth honor flight of southern colorado. called the greatest generation, these veterans who served in world war ii and korea – have the chance to see the memorials built for them and their bretheren. friends of mine that aren’t here anymore. lost a lot of friends during the war. johnny inman may have served with the flying tigers in china as a fighter pilot from 1944- 1945, but he still remembers his service, like it was yesterday. people in those days had a lot of pride in their country. a pride so strong – women in the 1940s even joined the fight. at the time, there was a lot of, uh, concern, about women being in the service helen leahy joined the naval reserve after finishing college in 1944 – working in the judge advocate general’s office. it was the honorable thing to do. from friends to family, she too, lost a lot of people during the war. seeing each of these stars at the world war two memorial – which represents soldiers killed – is almost too much. she lost many family members to the war. a couple of them were shot down, never found. it was the pressure of war. all of those names are coming up. standup: honor flight organizers say they’re trying to get as many world war ii veterans out to these memorials as fast as possible. they realize the generation is dying and they want this experience to be shared by as many as possible. the honor flight raises money to send these veterans to d.c. free of charge. i was a battery clerk. i had to send guys over. and i knew half of them would be killed. that’s why i wanted to come be here. to see ita lmost real. i can almost see them move. even in the pouring rain – they salute their country. guardians go with them twice a year, watching their safety. 2:30 whoever foots the bill for this trip i want to thank them. honoring these heroes. 3:54 i think people really appreciate it now, more than they did then. …for all they gave in the name of freedom. if you know of a veteran who wants to go on this trip, go to our website krdo-dot-com we have contact information under the hot button. we also want to see pictures of your veterans, you can submit them to a slideshow as well. you can also find more stories of the veterans who went on the trip online, too.