Honor Flight Austin marking special milestone

Honor Flight Austin is marking a special milestone. The nonprofit is flying its 2,000th veteran to our nation's capital.

Eight World War II veterans headed to D.C.  The group left on September 1 after a procession through the airport which includes the TSA Honor Guard and APD's Bag Pipes & Drum Corps.

The veterans will return tomorrow (9/2) night around 8 p.m. The public is invited to welcome them home at ABIA.

Besides the veteran milestone, this is also the 35th Austin Honor Flight and the fifth this year.

Honor Flight Austin provides free trips for veterans to see the memorials that commemorate their service to our country. Top priority is given to senior veterans, like those from World War II, along with other veterans who may be terminally ill.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 World War II veterans die each day. For many these trips serve as a chance to reflect and gain closure.

Next month Honor Flight Austin will have an all female flight to D.C. It will include women who served in World War II, Vietnam and Korea.

The trips are all paid for by donations. To help send more veterans one one of these special trips you can go to Honor Flight Austin's website here.