Veterans Fly from PDX to Washington D.C. to See Memorials Built in Their Honor

October 22, 2019 by KATU

PORTLAND, Ore. – Fifteen veterans and their family members left the Portland International Airport Monday morning, bound for Washington D.C. on a Journey of Heroes trip.

It’s the largest group yet for the Journey of Heroes, which gives veterans a chance to visit the war memorials made in their honor.

“I can hardly talk! I’m so excited!” said WWII Veteran William Mangold, about to board an airplane for the first time in 35 years. “This is one chance in my life where I’ll get to see something like this, you know? And it couldn’t be a better place to go.”

The Journey of Heroes project is put together by the non-profit groups Vital Life Foundation and Wish of a Lifetime.

“A lot of them are not with us anymore and all of them are over 90 years old. So we lose some every day, and a lot of them have not seen the memorials built in their honor,” said Laurie Thomas with Journey of Heroes.

Read the full article on KATU