Forty-four veterans of World War II and the Korean War are spending their Father's Day together and will bond in a special way.
The elderly veterans will be flying down to Washington, D.C. to spend the day with one another to see memorials built in their honor. The trip is made possible thanks to Honor Flight New England.
"There's not a dry eye," said Sheila Peters, an Honor Flight volunteer. "They don't know they're heroes and they are. These heroes are just amazing men -- and women. We have one woman with us today."
The stories of these veterans range from father and son combinations from Stoughton and Peabody, to a 103-year-old World War II veteran from Lowell.
Henry Salvas, 96, served in World War II and will be on Sunday's flight.
"I was a scout in the infantry and I got hit and I ended up going to Brazil," he said. "After I got hit they sent me to Brazil for seven months."
The veterans are flying into BWI and will be welcomed by school and veteran groups thanking them for their service.
U.S. & World
Robert Corman, a 90-year-old Korean War vet, said that thinking about the soldiers that didn't make it is what makes him emotional.
"I thank god I made it," Corman said.
The number of World War II veterans still alive, in particular, continues to dwindle. Fewer than 500,000 of the 16 million Americans who served are still alive.
"It’s sad that they’re passing away," Peters said. "It's very very sad, everyone needs to know about these guys. The younger children, the whole world needs to know about these heroes that are alive right now and what they did for us, it's overwhelming."
