Honor Flight Arizona: Valley veterans head to Washington, D.C.

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Honor Flight Arizona prepared for takeoff this morning out of Sky Harbor International Airport, where military veterans will embark on a three-day journey to Washington, D.C. where they'll take a tour of historical military sites.

Local vets filled Terminal 4 and got ready for a trip they'll never forget.

"Oh, we get so excited," said Diana Franzese of Honor Flight Arizona. "You know, this is the journey of their life, and we want it to be a remembrance journey for them.

Honor Flight Arizona sent off its 17th flight since 2009, with dozens of veteran passengers on board.

Age is nothing but a number to these brave "young" men, as the average passenger is 91 years old!

The cost of the trip? No charge. The non-profit will take the veterans to a number of historical sites, including a number of war memorials and museums.

"People don't realize the dedication and commitment that some people have made just to keep us free," Mervin Freeman said. "Freedom costs money. It costs lives and I support everybody that's in that area, no matter what they did, they were all important."