Kentucky war veterans to be honored this week with flight to Washington, DC

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — 84 veterans will be honored this week as they take a trip of a lifetime.

Honor Flight Bluegrass will fly World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

They'll get to see memorials honoring their service and sacrifice.

"This is a celebration honoring our veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, often for what we've done, they allow me and you to do the things we do today, and we can't thank our veterans enough, all veterans," Jeff Thoke, Honor Flight Bluegrass chairman, said.

For WWII veteran Russ Fischer, he wasn't sure he qualified because he didn't see combat.

"I was asked before, and I turned it down, and I didn't feel like I was qualified because I wasn't in combat," Fischer said. "There's a lot more people that are qualified than me. Finally, they kept saying, 'you're still part of it even though you weren't in combat,' so I finally gave in. So, here I am going to try it out, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it."

WDRB will also be on this flight our own anchor and reporter Valerie Chinn will be flying with her dad, who is a Vietnam veteran.

The veterans return Tuesday night at the Louisville airport. The public can welcome them back, and are asked to arrive around 9 p.m. with signs and American flags. The veterans are expected to return around 9:30 p.m.

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