Getting 80 veterans to Washington, DC and back in one day takes much more than just booking their tickets. Inside the room there are 80 American heroes like the neighbor you never knew had a purple heart and the grandmother you never knew was a marine.

"I was in special weapons. I was on standby at Iwo Jima in the water," said World War II Veteran Lawrence Diggs.

"I was in Japan before Macarthur was," stated Paul Schlapper."It means so much more to go with the other veterans who feel the same way I do," explained World War II Veteran.

This week, Central Missouri Honor Flight will take off with about 80 veterans and 30 guardians including younger veterans, paramedics and doctors. Noraleen Hord of Jefferson City is a nurse and is also accompanying her dad. "I was afraid that he wouldn't get to come. He says,"I hope I don't have to wait till October because I may not make it. So, I was glad that they asked him to go in September, " Hord.

At this pre flight briefing veterans and their family members gathered to learn the itinerary. Getting all these veterans there and back in one day is no vacation. There are a lot of canes, wheelchairs and walkers."Name tags, roll call sheets. Snack bags for snacks during the day. To try to make sure that we have every avenue covered for oxygen needs. Do I have enough oxygen bottles. Do I have enough tubing. Do I have enough Band-Aids. Do I have enough rubber gloves, sunscreen, hand sanitizer," said Central Missouri Honor Flight Volunteer Sharon Paulsell.

This is a trip some of these veterans almost didn't get to take. Art Finney of Jefferson City saw his memorial on an honor flight this spring. Mr. Finney passed away this summer. One of the estimated twenty World War II Veterans Missouri loses each day. Mr. Finney's family says his honor flight kept him living just a little longer.