WASHINGTON -- Over 60 veterans from Central Florida took a trip to the nation's capital on Thursday to see the war memorials built in their honor. 

  • Honor Flight takes veterans to Washington
  • They visit Arlington Cemetery, war memorials and monuments
  • 62 veterans from Florida visited Thursday

The one-day journey to Washington D.C. didn’t cost a thing for the 62 veterans making the trip. It’s all part of The Villages Honor Flight.

The group landed at Baltimore Washington International Airport and were greeted by a welcoming committee and passengers, who stood in line for hugs and handshakes. 

"To get veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, to see the surprised looks on their faces, the appreciation they have, it makes my heart flutter," said Frederick Taylor, an Honor Flight volunteer from Catonsville, Maryland. 

William Archibald, 91, a World War II veteran, said he was surprised when he got off the plane. 

"I didn’t expect it. But everywhere I went, people were clapping, waving their arms and I really enjoyed it," he said.

The tour began at the Arlington National Cemetery with the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The veterans then rode over to the National Mall to see the memorials recognizing the wars they fought.

For James Howd, who served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, the warm welcome at the airport couldn't have been more different than his last mobilization. 

“It was very special, not at all like it was when I came back at the end of my first two tours," said Howd. 

The memories still run deep decades later for Howd, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross after making a bold decision in the face of intense enemy fire.  

“The command and control aircraft which was overhead told me to abort the mission before I got shot down, and I couldn’t do that. So I told them no, I've got seven guys trying to get on this aircraft. I leave when I get them all on board," Howd explained. 

The journey on Wednesday from Orlando to Washington was a poignant reminder of those lost on the battlefield. 

“A number of my friends who went there didn’t make it home, and several others came home severely wounded," said Don Thompson, a Navy veteran.

The Honor Flight is a journey many of these war veterans never envisioned taking. At the end of the day, their sacrifice has been recognized and revered.

“I will have memories for the rest of my life. It's a once-in-a-lifetime affair and it's marvelous, unbelievable," Howd said.