Obama surprises dozens of veterans after their aircraft arrives in Washington for Veterans Day

Washington — It is a Veterans Day they will not quickly overlook. 

On a balmy 70-degree day within the nation’s capital this previous weekend, former President Barack Obama boarded an Honor Flight full of veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars that had simply touched down from Madison, Wisconsin. 

“Good day, everyone,” his voiced boomed over the loud speaker. 

“What!” exclaimed one individual. One other veteran gasped, his mouth large open.

“I simply needed to say thanks,” the previous president continued in a second captured on video.

Seventy-nine veterans and their households made the journey.

Obama shook arms with them as they exited the plane and offered them with a Presidential Problem Coin, a token to precise his private gratitude for his or her sacrifices.

“Forward of Veterans Day, I used to be honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their households as they arrived in D.C.,” Obama mentioned in a press release.  “To all those that bravely served our nation, thanks to you and your loved ones on your extraordinary service. The sacrifices that every one of you made to guard our nation will likely be honored, at present and day by day.”

The Honor Flight Networks is a nationwide non-profit group that gives free flights to veterans to go to Washington-area monuments. It initially targeted on World Struggle II-era veterans however has expanded its mission to incorporate veterans from the Korean and Vietnam Wars and different excursions of responsibility.

“I had tears in my eyes,” mentioned Military veteran Joe Parr. “I simply could not imagine that there have been that many individuals round that remembered us and was there to greet us and it was simply unbelievable!” 

The Honor Flight program has been in operation for 20 years and has served greater than 317,000 veterans, in keeping with its web site.

“It began off very small and now quite a lot of states have their very own hubs and so they elevate their very own cash and so they arrange the entire flights,” mentioned Capt. Mary Quigley, a Navy veteran and Honor Flight volunteer.