These are the guys and gals from the September 9th Central Missouri flight.

Honor flight sends aging and terminally ill World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., at no cost to them.

Veterans ate and swapped photos and stories about their honor flight. But perhaps one of their most memorable experiences didn't happen in Washington, D,C.

At Arlington National Cemetery, the honor flight veterans passed some of the 300,000 people buried in the World War II repatriation section. The flags at Arlington fly at half staff immediately before and after funerals, which occur more than 100 times each week on average.

At the Vietnam memorial, a book catalogues the names and locations of the people listed on the Vietnam wall.

One Vietnam veteran from Camdenton came to say goodbye to a friend.  Like so many who have turned those worn pages, his search began with a book full of endings - 58,000 of them.

Greg Shafer served with a canine unit in the Philippines during the Vietnam War.  He wore a bracelet honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.

"When I came home, I wore it on occasions such as Memorial Day and Veteran's Day," Shafer said.

In 1974, Shafer escorted one of the last known POWs at that time out of Vietnam. Emmet Kay's plane crashed in Laos.  He survived 17 months in captivity.  Thankful to the man who helped him, Kay slipped a note under Shafer's door, signing it from a "grateful American."

Kay died in 1998, but on the day Shafer visited the memorial, he returned the note and left his POW bracelet.

"I think enough time has gone by," Shafer said. "I'm never going to forget him or any one of those guys. It was just time to turn loose of that, too, not only for me but for everyone who comes here who has some connection to this wall to look deep into those granite panels and know their prize was paid."

High above Washington, D.C., honor flight volunteers prepared their own mail call.  Tucked inside a duffle bag sat nearly 400 postcards, drawings and letters for 80 former soldiers who rarely got any word from home during the war.

Jenny Gardner is a great-grandchild of one of the veterans.

"Dear Paw Paw," Gardner wrote, "I hope you had a great flight home. I hope you met a lot of new friends. Love, Jenny."

Letters also came from fellow veterans who may never get the chance to see their memorial.

Veteran Bobbie Stuckey currently resides at the Jefferson City Correctional Center.

"As someone sitting in a maximum security prison for more than 20 years," Stuckey wrote, "I just now realize how precious my freedom really is."

JCCC inmate George Kniest expressed his gratitude to the veterans as well.

"Thank you for your service to our country," Kniest wrote. "Thank you for recognizing the true value of freedom. The value of what I once had wasn't truly appreciated [until] it was taken away."

Noraleen Hord is the daughter of a veteran, and she shared her appreciation, too.

"Not only are you a hero because you have served our country and fought for the freedom we enjoy," Hord wrote, "You are also our hero because you have always been a wonderful father and grandfather. We respect you and love you more than we will ever know."

On the way home, Patriot Guard Riders surrounded the bus.  Parents brought their kids in their pajamas on a school night to welcome the vets home.

Each one of the veterans received a bundle of mail attached to a single flower.

Inmates at the JCCC made these tissue paper flowers.

The inmates said they chose the color red to remember the veteran's sacrifice, yellow because they will be missed and white to bring the veterans peace.

Another 75 veterans will make the next honor flight on Oct. 13.

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Oct. 17 Honor Ball

Tickets:  centralmissourihonorball@gmail.com

(573)289-3799

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To apply or volunteer:  www.centralmissourihonorflight.com

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Honor Flight Homecoming:

Buses arrive at 11pm at Courtyard by Marriott- Columbia on Oct. 13