Five Austin-area veterans visit White House courtesy of Honor Flight Austin

Some Central Texas veterans took the trip of a lifetime this week.

Honor Flight Austin took a small group to Washington DC to visit and experience the memorials built in their honor...and to tour The White House.

First thing’s first let’s introduce the gentlemen who fought for our freedom: World War II Veterans Warren Ables, Spencer Landes and George Haflin.  Bill Rust, Korea.  And John Blair, Vietnam.

When you’re an American hero, you ride in style.  When the vets hopped on the bus in DC Tuesday morning a police escort parted the traffic like the Red Sea.  

From there—a tour not everyone gets the chance to go on these days: The White House.  The halls of the East Wing were decked with the spirit of Christmas.

Later our Veterans braved the cold to see the “changing of the guard” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.

Then on to the memorials: WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

John Blair spent 3 years in the Army.  One of those years was spent in Vietnam.

“I’ve got a high school friend that’s name is on the wall there and...it’s brought back a lot of memories today,” Blair said.

Blair has been to DC before.  But this time it was different.

“When I filled out the paperwork for it I never thought it would mean so much to me until I went to the airport yesterday.  Both airports...all the people were clapping and saying ‘thank you’ and it really means a lot,” Blair said.

If you know of a WWII, Korea or Vietnam veteran who might want to go on an honor Flight, visit www.honorflightaustin.org