Honor Flight Austin takes 48 veterans to D.C.

AUSTIN, Texas - Honor Flight Austin hosted 48 Vietnam War and Cold War veterans for a trip to Washington D.C. Those vets marched down the terminal on Friday morning to embark on a trip of a lifetime.

"Really excited seeing all these fine gentlemen around me and some gals going to Washington," said Marco Cordon.

Cordon served in the Vietnam War. He is one of the vets heading to Washington D.C. with Honor Flight Austin to visit the memorials that honor his service. He hopes to look up his friends’ names on the memorial.

"In June, from the spring of 1972 to the summer, the unit fought a really large battle in the town which was being attacked by the North Vietnamese, and we lost eight pilots in a very short time," he said.

Stories like Cordons are just one of many Nancy Maxwell looks forward to hearing on this honor flight trip. Her family is sponsoring this trip. It is something they have been doing here and there since 2015.

"I mean, people are thanking us, but this is us thanking them for their service, their sacrifice," she said.

She says the most important part of this trip is just showing these vets they are appreciated.

"It gives us so much joy. At times, it gives me sadness when they say this is the first time anyone's thanked me. It just breaks my heart, but I am so glad that we are here to be able to do that for them and give them what they are finally getting after so many years," she said.