In Wisconsin

(crowd cheering) A HEROES' WELCOME HOME FOR THESE WISCONSIN VETERANS. I WAS WONDERING A WHILE AGO IF I WAS THE ONLY GUY THAT HAD TEARS IN MY EYES THERE. THEY ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SO-CALLED BADGER HONOR FLIGHT. A CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT FLYS THOUSANDS OF VETS TO WASHINGTON, D.C. FREE OF CHARGE TO SEE THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL AND OTHER SITES. "IN WISCONSIN" REPORTER FREDERICA FRIEBURG, ALONG WITH VIDEOGRAPHER AND VETERAN BUTCH SOETENGA, TAKE YOU ALONG FOR AN EMOTIONAL DAY-LONG JOURNEY TO OUR NATION'S CAPITOL AND BACK HOME AGAIN. (Reveille played on bugle) GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR SERVING. - THANK YOU. ROLL CALL MIGHT BE EARLY FOR THIS HONOR FLIGHT. BUT FOR MANY OF THESE VETS, IT WAS HARD TO SLEEP ANYWAY.

COULDN'T EVEN SLEEP. WE GOT IN AT 1

00. HE'S JUST BEEN SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS DAY. LOOKING FORWARD TO A CELEBRATION WITH THEIR NAME ON IT. SACRIFICE FOR THIS COUNTRY WAS EXTRAORDINARY AND YOU ARE THE GREATEST GENERATION THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. THANK YOU. (applause) EVERY STEP FOR THE DAY IS ABOUT HONORING AND THANKING THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID. AND IT JUST KEEPS BUILDING. OH, YOU BETCHA! ALL RIGHT! (chuckles) (applause and cheers) SO, WELCOME TO THE NATION'S CAPITOL. WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING! WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS. - AND THANK YOU, YOU GUYS, TOO. A MILITARY RECEIVING LINE GREETS MEMBERS OF WISCONSIN'S GREATEST GENERATION. ONE AIR FORCE SERGEANT VISIBLY MOVED BY THE MOMENT. TO BE ABLE TO THANK THEM PERSONALLY FOR THEIR SERVICE AND FOR MAKING A WAY FOR US, FOR THIS GENERATION, IT'S JUST VERY, VERY ENDEARING. (applause and cheers) AND IT JUST KEEPS BUILDING. THIS IS A TIME FOR YOU! NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. IT'S WONDERFUL. (siren announces escort) UPON ARRIVAL, A FULL LIGHTS AND SIREN POLICE ESCORT WISKS THE 100 OR SO VETERANS THROUGH WASHINGTON, D.C. ON THEIR WAY TO THE SITES THEY CAME TO SEE. THE IMPRESSIVE ICONIC LOCATIONS IN OUR NATION'S CAPITOL AND THE WAR MEMORIALS ERECTED IN THEIR HONOR. (trumpet blaring "Taps") (Marine Corps hymn played) NEVER SEEN THIS MEMORIAL BEFORE. IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS TO GET TO SEE THIS MEMORIAL. I WAS THERE WHEN THE FLAG WAS RAISED. IT WAS ON THE ISLAND FOR 30 SOME DAYS. PROBABLY 35. OUR COMPANY, THE COMPANY THAT I WAS WITH, WE CAME OFF OF THE FRONT LINE WITH SEVEN MEN OUT OF THE WHOLE COMPANY THAT WAS LEFT. THERE'S STORIES THAT I COULD TELL. SO MANY DECADES LATER, THE MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. HE'S REALLY EMOTIONAL. HE WAS IN IWO JIMA AND WOUNDED. ANOTHER GREAT AMERICAN! THANK YOU! DEEP EMOTION OVERLAID WITH THE DEEP AND VOCAL APPRECIATION OF OTHERS. AT EVERY STOP, CITIZENS TURN OUT TO WELCOME AND THANK VETERANS COMING IN ON HONOR FLIGHTS LIKE THESE WISCONSIN VETERANS WHO COME TO SEE THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL. (applause) HOW ARE YOU SIR? WELCOME TO D.C. I'M LOOKING FOR KILL ROY. HE RAN OFF WITH MY WIFE. I WANTED TO THANK HIM. -(laughter) FOR ME, IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE WITH HIM TO SHARE THIS MOMENT. HERE WE GO GUYS. (overlapping conversations) AND IT'S VERY SPECIAL TO BE HERE WITH HIM. HEY, DAD, DIDN'T GET IT YET. (overlapping conversations) IS IT EMOTIONAL? HMM, I SUPPOSE IT IS. IT'S GETTING TO ME A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN, BEAUTIFUL. IS IT MEANINGFUL TO YOU? IT SURE IS. - WHY? WELL, JUST BEING RIGHT THERE AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS AND SO FORTH. IT MEANT A LOT TO ME. OF COURSE THE MEMORIAL MEANS A LOT TO HIM. MEL JACOBS SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS. A WARTIME TRAGEDY THAT REPRESENTED THE GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE AT SEA IN THE U.S. NAVY. OF THE NEARLY TWELVE HUNDRED ON BOARD, JUST 316 SURVIVED AFTER FOUR DAYS FENDING OFF SHARK ATTACKS, EXPOSURE AND DEHYDRATION WAITING FOR RESCUE ON THE HIGH SEA. I GOT A LOT OF MEMORIES COMING BACK TO ME FROM VISITING A PLACE LIKE THIS. 64 YEARS. OH, FOR GOD SAKE. THIS IS MY WIFE, IRENE. - HI, GOOD MORNING. GOOD TO MEET YOU. - GOOD TO MEET YOU. BY GOSH, I KNEW THIS GUY FROM 100 YEARS AGO. FOR ONE FAMILY, THE PAST BUMPED INTO THE PRESENT. A SURPRISE REUNION AS MEDAL HONOR RECIPIENT U.S. SENATOR DANIEL INOUYE STEPS OUT OF HIS SEDAN TO GREET AN OLD FRIEND AND FELLOW INFANTRYMAN FROM BARABOO, JOHN GAGAN. JOHN'S AN OLD BUDDY OF MINE. WE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL TOGETHER, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN. AND I WANTED THE FOLKS TO KNOW THAT HE BEHAVED HIMSELF. (laughter) SO MY FATHER DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE SENATOR WAS COMING. HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT MY BROTHER AND I WERE COMING. SO, IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY. HE JUST SAID, "THIS IS THE BEST DAY THAT I HAD FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS." AND HE'S HAD A LOT OF GOOD DAYS. IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL AND A COMPLETE SURPRISE. OF COURSE, THE WHOLE DAY HAS BEEN. AND, IT'S AMAZING. (joyful laughter) THERE IT IS. (man chuckles) YOU CAN TELL BY THE SMILES ON THEIR FACES AND YOU TALK TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF THEIR LIFE. THIS IS LIKE A FINALTY FOR A LOT OF THEM AS FAR A CLOSURE FOR WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED IN THE WAR. AND IT JUST KEEPS BUILDING. (Big Band music plays) AS THE DEPARTURE GATE AT REAGAN NATIONAL TURNS INTO A DANCE FLOOR FOR THE VETERANS WHOSE WARTIME TUNES TENDED TO BIG BANDS. AND IF ANYONE THOUGHT THE FLIGHT HOME WOULD RESULT IN A LETDOWN, THEN COMES ANOTHER BLAST FROM THE PAST. ROBERT ACTON, MICHAEL ELS, MELVIN JACOBS. SOMETHING REEMBERED BY VETS AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF ANY DAY. MAIL CALL. TWO HOURS IN THE AIR MEANS SAVORING PACKETS OF LETTERS AND CARDS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HAZEL REMLEY. THOMAS RUNKEL, JR. ERNEST SLOVAC. ROBERT CHEMERY. EDWARD WALLETS. RAYMOND WILLIAMS, JR. MARVIN SEVERSEN. (Big Band music continues) (groups chattering) ONCE WHEELS DOWN IN MADISON, TRIP REVIEWS. THE HIGHLIGHT WAS EVERYTHING. JUST WONDERFUL FROM BEGINNING TO END. JUST TERRIFIC. THE RIDE WE HAD IN WASHINGTON. THE BAND. THE PEOPLE. TERRIFIC. BUT PERHAPS THE BEST IS STILL YET TO COME. AS THEY RIDE DOWN THE AIRPORT ESCALATOR TOWARD PARKING AND HOME, THE CROWD AND MUSIC ERUPT. THE BIGGEST WELCOME OF THE DAY COMES AS A WELCOME HOME. (music fanfare playing) MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE AND A 25-PIECE BAND PACKED THE AIRPORT IN ONE FINAL THANK YOU FOR THESE BARGER HONOR FLIGHT VETERANS WHOSE SMILES, SURPRISE AND GRATITUDE SAY IT ALL. (band music plays) (cheers and applause) A FITTING TRIBUTE FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. THERE ARE FIVE HUB CITIES ACROSS WISCONSIN THAT HOST THE HONOR FLIGHTS. THE NEXT BADGER FLIGHT OUT OF MADISON IS EXPECTED THIS FALL AND 300 VETS ARE ON THE WAITING LIST. THE FLIGHTS, THAT COST ABOUT $100,000 EACH ARE PRIMARILY MADE POSSIBLE BY DONATIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONWIDE HONOR FLIGHT PROGRAM AND THE FLIGHTS ORGANIZED HERE IN WISCONSIN, JUST GO OUR WEB PAGE AT wpt.org THEN CLICK ON "IN WISCONSIN."