World War II veterans make once-in-a-lifetime journey

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A group of 26 men gathered at Hobby Airport on Saturday for a trip they will likely only make once. They are World War II veterans and advancing in years so much so that this may be their last chance to see the memorial dedicated to their service in Washington D.C.

L.T. Lloyd was an Army medic, and has mixed emotions about his service. He said, "Most of them are good memories, but when you think about what happened, it's bad. I was in Europe, I went through Normandy, and I went through the Battle of the Bulge."

Honor Flight Houston is a non-profit which pays for the trip, and it is setting up flights as quickly as possible for World War II veterans, many of which are already 90 years old, or older. The group believes every veteran should see the memorial built to the war in which they served, and for that reason, the older World War II vets are taking priority.

"We lose these guys from this earth at a rapid rate, everyday. I think the Department of Veterans Affairs says about 640 a day," said Ashley French, the chair of Honor Flight Houston.

The non-profit takes as many veterans as possible to Washington D.C., paying for the journey through private donations to the group. The plans for this weekend include, not only seeing the World War II Memorial, but also Arlington National Cemetery, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and the National Air and Space Museum.

French said, "They deserve all the accolades that we can give them, and this is just a very small way to say thank you."

For information on donating to Honor Flight Houston or to apply for a veteran flight, check out the website www.honorflighthouston.org.