JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The time has come for another First Coast Honor Flight out of Jacksonville International on Saturday.
The First Coast Honor Flight is celebrations, cheering and applause that follow veterans as they make their way to Washington, D.C.
Twenty-two veterans of the Korea and Vietnam wars will be on the flight this weekend. It's all free to the veterans, as they're taken to the nation's capital to see memorials and monuments, the Arlington National Cemetery and other sites all around town.
And it's all done in one day, there and back in a whirlwind trip.
It’s stories like those of George Taylor, a Navy veteran who served in Korea, who gave so much of his own life to service that makes these trips so important. But, Taylor gave even more after he retired, when his son, Keith, followed in his footsteps and joined the Navy, serving in Iraq.
"On January 29, 2005, we got the call," Taylor said. "My daughter-in-law said, ‘Dad, Keith was killed today,’ and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. He was my oldest. I went and got his picture and I held onto his picture."
Taylor told First Coast News he will be bringing his son's photograph with him to Washington, D.C. for the Honor Flight. He added that he does so as an extremely proud father.
"I think our country deserves our sacrifice," he said.
And these selfless men and women deserve to be honored.
If you’d like to send the nearly two dozen veterans off for their flight, or welcome them back home, you can be a part of the celebration Saturday at Jacksonville International Airport.
To send them off, be there no later than 5:15 a.m. To welcome them home, bring your signs, flags and cheering voices at 6:20 p.m.
Also, be sure to keep in mind that parking has changed at JIA, so plan accordingly.
For more information about First Coast Honor Flight, click here.