This is a special day for 135 Nebraska veterans. Early Monday morning they boarded a plane at Eppley Airfield and flew to Washington D.C. This is the latest in a series of honor flights organized by Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha.
In recent years they have sent 3,500 veterans to see the memorials and other sights in the nation's capitol. But the one that took off Monday was the first ever female veterans flight.
These brave women fought overseas to defend the red, white and blue. The 747 took off from Eppley Airfield at 4 a.m. Monday. "It's just an honor and a privilege to be a part of it," said Ruth Schuster, who was a part of Operation Desert Storm in 1990 to 1991.
When they land in Washington D.C., the women will visit ten memorials. "They had the Vietnam memorial and the WWII and all the memorials and... I would be surprised if we didn't have a few tears. I mean, it's heartwarming," Schuster said.
The women will honor their sisters, nationwide, that fought for the flag. The flight will return around 8:30 p.m. Monday night after a full day in Washington D.C.
There will be a welcome home ceremony at Eppley Airfield once the veterans land. NewsRadio 1110 KFAB's Karla James is on the flight and you can see video and updates throughout the day on KFAB's Facebook page.
(Picture: Edith Peterson. WWII nurse from Council Bluffs.)