The 26th Central Valley Honor Flight with 68 veterans and their chaperones returned to Fresno Wednesday evening after a 3-day trip to the nation's capitol.

The 26th Central Valley Honor Flight returned from its three-day visit to Washington, D.C. Wednesday night, greeted by hundreds of family, friends and community members upon its return to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

The flight, which departed Monday, carried with it 68 veterans and their chaperones — called “guardians” — as well as medical staff, support staff and media.

The three-day trip included some of D.C.’s most cherished monuments to U.S. veterans, including the Vietnam, Korean and WW II memorials, as well as service branch memorials. The flight also visited the U.S. Capitol and Arlington National Cemetery.

The return trip to Fresno brought veterans the welcome home some never received from their time in the service, with flags, cheers, singing and laughter resonating throughout the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

“Many WW II veterans did not celebrate the ticker tape parade we see in those historic photos,” said trip leader Joe Fry during a dinner presentation on Tuesday night. “Instead they waited their turn to return to the states, many on crowded ships, and then they quietly traveled by train or bus to the small town that they live in.”

The flight saw 30 veterans from Fresno County, 19 from Tulare County, ten from Madera County and five from Kings County. With an average age of 81 years old, many of the veterans honored had not visited Washington, D.C. since their time in the service.

At least one veteran had not been on an airplane since their return from service.

“We want you to hear over the next three days, two words: ‘thank you,’” said Central Valley Honor Flight founder and local radio broadcaster Paul Loeffler during the departure ceremony on Monday morning. “I hope you hear it a lot, I hope it comes from the heart, because we want to thank you for your service to our country.”

The Central Valley Honor Flight is part of a larger Honor Flight program, which features over 125 hubs for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for veterans. The Central Valley Honor Flight took to the skies for the first time in 2013, and is funded mainly by donations from businesses, organizations and individuals.

For more information, and to donate to the honor flight, visit the website at cvhonorflight.org. The Central Valley Honor Flight will feature one final 2023 trip to D.C. this October, and plans to travel to D.C. at least twice in 2024.