DENVER — It was an early morning wake-up call for a group of veterans Thursday to catch the flight of a lifetime.
The Denver-based nonprofit Rocky Mountain Honor Flight set out with a group of Vietnam veterans on a three-day trip to tour America's national monuments in Washington, D.C. erected in their honor – all free of charge.
The group runs on volunteers and donations to make these special moments become a reality for the men and women who fought for our country.
Even before take-off, the honor flight received a hero's send-off. Denver firefighters positioned themselves on the flight line to shoot a water arch with their firefighting hoses. Making the moment even more special, one of the firefighters was sending off his father, who had a seat on the flight.
When the group arrived in Washington, eager to visit the nation's capital, they were greeted with a heartfelt "Thank you for your service," as they exited the jetway. The heroes were welcomed by a cheering crowd, filled with applause and handshakes, and a celebratory ringing bell.
A man in the crowd greeted the veterans with a handshake and a "Welcome home. We made it home, brother," he said. He thanked the crew of the honor flight for making the special flight happen.
9NEWS partnered with Rocky Mountain Honor Flight in April to fundraise for the trip. Rocky Mountain Honor Flight is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and receives no government funding. Honor flight funding comes from private donations.
Each trip of three days and two nights, for which the veterans pay nothing, costs $60,000 to $65,000. The nonprofit has taken about 1,350 veterans to Washington.
The first Rocky Mountain Honor Flight was in 2008. Since then, the chapter has made more than 45 trips with more than 1,000 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans.
Top priority is given to the most senior heroes, as well as those who are terminally ill. According to the organization, it is estimated that less than 500,000 World War II veterans are alive today, with more than 500 passing away each day.