SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Honor Flight San Diego received a welcome home fit for heroes as it returned from Washington D.C. Sunday afternoon.
The group of 90 veterans touched down at San Diego International Airport after touring various war memorials dedicated to them and fellow servicemembers.
The veterans also went to Arlington National Cemetery during the three-day trip.
At the airport, veteran after veteran came down Terminal 2's escalators to reach the baggage claim area, where a sea of people greeted them. American flags waved throughout the crowd, signaling support and appreciation for the veterans and their service.
Hundreds of people arrived hours early, with signs in hand.
"We were on the first bus over here," one person told ABC 10News.
Marsha Lizarraga's husband, Lorenzo, was part of the trip of a lifetime. She was eager to welcome him home.
“He said it was very emotional and that makes us emotional… You know, we’re honoring him as well as he’s honoring all the other vets,” Lizarraga said.
Retired Command Sgt. Major Skip Ettinger was moved to tears when he saw the outpouring of support from the crowd. The former Green Beret spent more than 30 years in the Army.
He remembers coming back from Vietnam when the homecoming was starkly different.
"I got spit on, chased down the strip in San Francisco," Ettinger said. "“This is the best thing that anybody could have done to give the Vietnam-era servicemembers their just dues.”
Meanwhile, Lizarraga got the welcome home kiss she was looking for.
This was the first Honor Flight out of San Diego in 2023. There will be another one coming up in September. Veterans who might be interested in seeing America's most treasured war memorials can apply at this link.
