This was a very busy weekend for 78 Tallahassee area military veterans. They were passengers aboard the Third Annual Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
The veterans received a heroes' welcome upon their return to Tallahassee Saturday night.
Army Vet Verle Weicht, who served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, said the trip's emotional impact was incalculable.
“I couldn’t measure it,” he said amidst the homecoming festivities in the Flightline hanger at the Tallahassee Regional Airport. “Everything was exciting. From the time we took off, ‘til we got to Washington…it’s an emotional day for me.”
Each vet had a guardian on the trip. One of them happened to be North Florida Congresswoman Gwen Graham.
“I was honored to be with Brian Staub, a World War II veteran, and had the experience of seeing the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial; we went all over the place,” Graham. I have a friend and a family member for life now.”
Honor Flight Tallahassee is part of the National Honor Flight Network. Its purpose is to make it possible for World War Two and Korean vets to see the monuments and memorials honoring them at the Nation's Capital at no cost to themselves.
