Honor Flight veterans share their war stories with Doppler

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - More than two dozen El Paso and Las Cruces veterans took a trip to the nation's capital to visit the Korean and Vietnam War Veteran Memorials this week.

ABC 7's Doppler Dave Speelman joined the group and got to witness the veterans reaction to their visits thanks to Nusenda. 

One Korean War Veteran and 30 Vietnam War Veterans made the trip provided by the Rio Grande Honor Flight which transports veterans from WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars to Washington D.C. 

At the memorials while looking at the thousands of names, a medic during the Vietnam War said, "If you multiple all these names by 14 that's how many we picked up during the war, 900,000". Michael Lewis added he knew it was just a percentage of those he helped.

The group was sent off with a special escort and received by a multitude of supporters upon arrival.  

ABC-7's Doppler Dave Speelman provided coverage of the flight and visits and shared the story of Vietnam War Veteran George Want.

Want is a 20-year veteran of the navy who decided to take the trip after doppler told him his service qualified him for the flight. 

"Emotional, emotions...especially when I placed the wreath under New Mexico," said Vietnam War Veteran Ralph Geck.  

During their trip, the veterans group visited the Korean and Vietnam memorials, Arlington National Cemetery and witnessed the changing of the guard.

The veterans shared many memories and stories from the war as they glanced at all the names in those memorials. "The chopper went down, and he was keeping them off and the gunner behind me I turned around to talk to him and his head was gone," shared Mike Gibbs a U.S. Army Vet who served in Vietnam.