11 months ago
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WASHINGTON (KSEE/KGPE) - On time 2 of the Central Valley grant flight, veterans and their guardians visited adjacent much monuments and memorials.
"I went done immoderate unsmooth times erstwhile I was implicit successful Vietnam, but I don't deliberation thing that I did could comparison to what they went through," Marine Corps Veteran Tom Mitchell, who's from Sanger, said reflecting connected the men shown astatine Arlington, Virginia.
The statue depicts 1 of the astir celebrated battles successful World War II, Iwo Jima. However, the memorial honors each marines, including the 8 marines traveling connected the 29th Central Valley Honor Flight.
Mitchell admits helium was astatine archetypal reluctant to spell connected the trip, but present helium thinks the heroes' invited erstwhile they travel backmost location whitethorn beryllium healing.
"Hopefully it'll marque maine recognize that 'Gee I wasn't specified a atrocious guy' for wherever I was oregon what happened implicit there. I mean, it's inactive successful my caput what happened," helium said.
The radical besides stopped astatine the Navy Memorial connected Pennsylvania Avenue and the Air Force Memorial that overlooks the Pentagon.
Veterans and their guardians adjacent went to the United States Capitol building, wherever they got the peculiar privilege of going onto the House level and speaking with 3 section congresspeople.
But 1 of the astir peculiar moments for time 2 of the travel came astatine the World War II Memorial erstwhile the 5 women veterans connected the grant formation noticed words etched onto it, honoring and recognizing the women who served.
"I'm a precise arrogant pistillate today," Air Force Veteran Sandy Byrd from Tulare said.
She says the travel has helped her link with different women who served.
"Anytime we spot things that accidental 'women' were conscionable acceptable to leap successful beforehand of it and beryllium recognized," Byrd said.
The radical volition sojourn Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam War Memorial connected Wednesday earlier flying home.
Those who would similar to invited them location are invited to greet the veterans astatine the Fresno Yosemite Airport connected Wednesday aft 6 p.m. erstwhile they land.
