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With yesterday having been Veterans Day in the United States , military service personnel past and present descended on Washington DC in order to pay their respects to those lost in conflict at various commemorative ceremonies. For a group traveling from Wisconsin, their journey started with a surprise. This came in the form of a special greeting from former US President Barack Obama, who came on board the aircraft and made a speech thanking the veterans for their years of military service, before shaking their hands as they exited the plane. The journey from Madison to DC had been arranged by the Honor Flight Network, which works together with veterans to transport them to various commemorative ceremonies. A Special Surprise According to The Independent, the flight in question had originated at Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin, and was transporting 79 veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars as well as their families. Upon its arrival at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Monday, those on board were surprised to hear a familiar voice come over the intercom, initially greeting them with "hello, everybody!" The voice in question was that of former US President Barack Obama, who warmly told those on the flight that he "wanted to stop by and just say thank you for your extraordinary service." He added that "to you, your family, the sacrifices that all of you made to protect our country [are] something that will always be honored." The Independent quoted Captain Mary Quigley as explaining that presidential visits are not normal for Honor Flights: "That’s the first time I’ve seen a president greet an Honor Flight. (...) A commander-in-chief, a leader, who is going to show up and tell you that your service was worth something." All About The Honor Flight Network Former US President Barack Obama also took to his Medium page to share a brief write-up of his experience on board the Honor Flight with the world. He explained that, in addition to greeting the military veterans on the plane with a speech and a handshake, he also gave them a Presidential Challenge Coin. This, Obama says, is "a memento that I have handed out to the folks I meet who have served our country or their communities." The special journey from Madison to Washington DC for this year's Veterans Day commemorations was made possible by the Honor Flight Network. According to the group's website, the Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit with the goal of "showing our nation’s veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve" by offering them free travel on organized flights. These trips take them to national military memorials, such as those in Washington DC. Initially dedicated to Second World War veterans, Honor Flight eligibility has since been extended to also include those who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as "veterans of any service era who are critically ill." Funded by generous donations and run by volunteers, the Honor Flight Network also offers a Lone Eagle program, with which it is additionally "able to serve those veterans who live in areas with no local hub." The Honor Flight Network Uses A Wide Variety Of Hubs & Airlines The Honor Flight Network has been in existence for 20 years, and, during this time, it has given more than 317,000 military veterans the opportunity to travel free of charge to and from memorial commemorations, and now manages to transport around 22,500 of them every single year. It has 128 active hubs in 46 different US federal states, with the diversity of its network on this front also reflected in the diversity of airlines operating its flights.
