Military

Photos: Honor Flight carries Alaska veterans to DC

Twenty-three veterans departed Anchorage Tuesday to participate in the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. The group included 12 veterans of World War II and 11 from the Korean War. One of the men, Johnnie Ticket Sr. of Selawik, served with the Alaska Territorial Guard during World War II.

Ronald Travis, who organizes the Last Frontier Honor Flight as part of the nationwide effort, says 121 Alaskan veterans have taken part over the course of five flights so far. The organization relies on donations from various organizations, including Alaska Airlines, which covers the cost of travel for the veterans.

All the veterans' expenses are covered; they don't pay for anything during the trip. "We don't let them buy coffee," Travis said.

The group will spend a couple of days touring various memorials in D.C, visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an aerospace museum and more before they return to Anchorage at noon Saturday.

The World War II and Korean War memorials are particularly moving, Travis said.

"The World War II Memorial was built 60 years after the war," he said. "So these guys, in their advanced age, they don't have the ability or the wherewithal to make a trip to visit this memorial that was built in their honor. We felt it was important to make that happen."

The stop has proven emotionally overwhelming.

"For a lot of them, it's closure," Travis said. "I mean they actually can put it away. And a lot of them haven't, because they've never really talked about it."

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