Five Callaway County veterans are among the 68 veterans traveling together today on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., to tour the World War II Memorial and other memorials dedicated to military service.
The veterans are scheduled to leave Columbia at 2 a.m. today by bus to Lambert St. Louis Airport for the trip to Washington and return to the same airport later today and be bused back to Columbia, arriving at about 11:30 p.m., barring weather delays.
The free all-day round trip is made possible for the 20th time by donations to Central Missouri Honor Flight organization.
Because they are generally the oldest, surviving World War II veterans have the highest priority for the donated flights. Today's flight will include several Marines who saw action in the South Pacific, members of the 82nd Airborne and several Navy corpsmen.
The flight also will include United States military veterans of wars in Korea and Vietnam.
The all-volunteer Central Missouri Honor Flight program started in 2009 and so far has flown a total of 1,180 Central Missouri veterans to the nation's capital and back on the same day in 19 previous flights.
Traveling with the veterans will be a medical team as well as volunteer guardians who assist veterans with wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen and companionship during the flight.