And already a handful of mid-Missouri veterans on the waiting list for an honor flight have died.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, World War II killed more people, destroyed more property and had more far reaching effects than any other war in history. However, it took 60 years to build a memorial. Unfortunately, that's too late for hundreds of Mid-Missouri veterans.

At the airport, fellow travelers put their hands together and at Arlington, they extended them. And at the World War II memorial, yet another unexpected embrace. War veteran, Jay Finney, was surprised by his two daughters and grandson.

"He has terminal cancer which he has outlived what the doctor's expected," said Finney's daughter, Jacque Oberbeck.

Oberbeck says her dad's living for this honor flight in hopes it's not his final salute.

"He would have stayed in his room and just waited," said Oberbeck. "Just being recognized for what he did. It's just tremendous, I can't describe it. It really made him feel good and it made me feel good to be a part of it."

Byron Johnson was part of his dad's honor flight. Veteran, Ralph Johnson, flew 35 missions in a B-17 during the second World War, then went on to serve in Korea and Vietnam. His final mission was almost his last.

"My father looking out the window of his B-17 with a hole about this big where a shell came in through the bottom of the airplane and came out through the top of the airplane and didn't explode," said Johnson's son.

On his first mission, Ralph Johnson lost his top turret gunner, "how much I owe to all of the people who gave their life for our country."

35 veterans were on board for the second flight. They came from Boonville, Brunswick, Sturgeon, Centralia and Jefferson City. Also on board, a band of brothers. Charles, Bob and Max Bruner all served in the war and together they saw their memorial. They also had a fourth brother; however, he did not live long enough to see his memorial.

"This is really a special day really. It would be even more special if we had one more but that's impossible," said Max Bruner, one of the four brothers to serve in World War II.

Each star on the freedom wall represents 100 lives lost during World War II. The wall contains more than 400,000 in all. As a medic during the war, Pete Peters of Brunswick will never forget his first casualty.

"I don't know if I can tell you this. I don't know if I can or not. Something that's haunted me all these years," Peters said. "I lost the first patient I had after I hit French soil and that's haunted me all these years."

Some veterans survived World War II only to lose family or friends in Vietnam. On the Vietnam Memorial wall a rubbing helps families remember the more than 58,000 lives erased.

"He had only been over there a few months and when he stopped by to see my dad, dad said to himself he'll never make it back. And he didn't," said World War II veteran, Jim Davenport from Columbia.

"I just want them to have one day in their lives that they know we're honoring them," said honor flight volunteer, Tommy Highbarger.

"See how happy these guys are, it's probably the greatest thing that's happened to them in like 20 years," said former Kansas Senator Bob Dole.

A day that was about to get even better. On the plane ride home, something these veterans haven't experienced in 60 years, a mail call.

Letters passed out from family, friends and students with messages like, "You're not only a hero to me, but to our entire country."

And thanking the veteran with a purple heart, the mother who had four sons fighting a war, and the soldier who risked his life in not one but three different conflicts.

On the bus ride home after the trip, an interstate tribute as the patriot guard picked up the escort.

The veterans were gone just 18 hours, only seconds compared to the years some of them spent away from their families.

On the second night of honor flight a homecoming to remember from people who didn't forget.

And remember to watch June 9 for a special half hour edition of Sarah's Stories on the Central Missouri Honor Flight beginning at 6:30 p.m.