A salute and a sendoff, with just ten tiny steps to the bus. These are great strides for veterans who otherwise might not have seen their memorial, some of whom are in wheelchairs.

"He would have never been able to do this without this opportunity," one veteran's daughter, Jan Holden said.

Family and fraternity brothers who helped finance the trip didn't need revele to get up in the middle of the night. Many woke up as early as 1:00 A.M. to see the veterans off in Columbia at the Holiday Inn Executive Center.

35 mid missouri World War II veterans were on board, as well as a doctor, nurses and 25 guardians. And an unexpected guest named Murphy - Murphy's Law, that is.

A belt broke on the bus and at 4:00 in the morning, and veterans and guardians found themselves without a ride to the St. Louis airport. It appeared the very first Honor Flight was grounded, but then came a replacement bus.

A glimmer of hope beamed through the bus windows, the veterans held tight to the possibility of making it, but the group of about 60 and their wheelchairs still had to make it through security in time.

That's when Honor Flight volunteer Ted Jacobs made a personal plea to the Southwest Airlines pilot.

"I kept asking for mile markers to figure out where you were," Jacobs said.

Captain James Scully of SWA held the plane and its 50 other passengers so the Honor Flight veterans could board.

"He basically said it doesn't matter how long it's gonna take, we're gonna hold the plane for you," Jacobs said.

"We had a lot of very anxious guys on the bus who were really looking forward to this and things worked out," Central Missouri Honor Flight vice president Steve Paulsell said.

Some of the mid-Missouri veterans have been on a waiting list for more than a year, waiting for someone in central Missouri to create an Honor Flight. 

Two more veterans were supposed to be on the first flight, but passed away before they got the chance to see their memorial.  A handful of others were too sick to go.

"It kinds of makes me cry to think about the ones over there that we don't give credit to. We're lucky to be here and when I think about those fellas, it sure breaks my heart," Jefferson City veteran Ralph McElvain said.

The vets came to see their memorial, but nearly missing the plane wasn't their only surprise. Fire trucks greeted the plane on the tarmac. Not an emergency though, but a water salute just for them.

After arriving late, you'd expect fellow plane passengers to grumble, but the reception for the honor flight veterans at the airport brought tears to their eyes.  More than 200 people filled the terminal.  Some waved American flags.  Others whistled and applauded. 

It costs $300 to send a veteran to Washington, DC to see their memorial.  If you would like to adopt a veteran, you can send your donations to Central Missouri Honor Flight, c/o KOMU-TV  Highway 63 South, Columbia, MO 65201.  You can find veteran and guardian applications by clicking the 'Honor Flight' link on the main page of KOMU.com.  Priority is given to aging and terminally ill veterans.