Honor Flight takes 75 Tampa Bay veterans to nation’s capital to see war memorials

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A group of local veterans got the chance to spend the day visiting war memorials in Washington D.C. on an Honor Flight.

The flight took off Tuesday morning from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport thanks to Honor Flight of West Central Florida, in partnership with Achieva Credit Union.

Approximately 75 area veterans, many of them veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, took part in the journey to our nation’s capital to visit the monuments and war memorials.

“It’s to show the appreciation, you know, to the Vietnam veterans. We never got a welcome home so this sort of helps out a little bit,” said David Warren, and Army veteran who served in Vietnam.

“It gives me a great sense of patriotism to have a chance to see all of these monuments that are dedicated to so very many of us,” said John Foster, an Air Force veteran.

The veterans were accompanied by veteran guardians from Achieva Credit Union who have all also served our country.

“The outpouring of love and appreciation it almost tears me up when I think about it. To be a part of something like that to say thank you, its special on both sides,” said Russ Chittick, an Achieva Guardian.

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