A sunny send off for the 100 veterans and about 50 volunteers who headed out on Honor Flight Northland on Saturday morning from the Duluth airport.

Now part of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, the event brings veterans to Washington D.C. for one day, to see their war memorials.

Members of the 148th Fighter Wing helped send them off. So did the Duluth Honor Guard and the Patriot Guard.

Charlie Olson is an 89-year-old Air Force vet from Aurora. “I’ve never been to D.C.,” he told us. “And I never thought I’d get to go.”

Two other veterans on the flight are married. Becky and James Robertshaw met while in the Army. “We just celebrated 50 years of marriage,” she shared.

James said they heard about Honor Flight from a friend, who raved about it. “We are elated and honored, seriously,” he said.

The public is invited to give them a heroes welcome on Saturday evening around 9pm at the airport.