Honor Flight Mission 58: Tampa Bay veterans visit Washington memorials

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - More than 70 Tampa Bay area military veterans traveled to Washington to confront painful war memories and receive long-delayed gratitude during West Central Florida’s Honor Flight Mission 58.

Veterans tour Washington memorials

Big picture view:

A group of 75 local veterans landed on a sunny, 70-degree September afternoon in Washington to see national war memorials. The Honor Flight Network covered all travel costs as part of its ongoing 21-year mission to honor military service.

Army 1st Lt. Gary Norlander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team made his first visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Norlander reflected on the emotional toll as he approached the monument wall.

"Kind of a tightness in my chest. Not knowing what I’m really going to be feeling, you know what I mean? It’s kind of a nervous feeling and kind of brings me back to talking with the fellas back when," Norlander said.

Powerful memories bring reflection

What they're saying:

Norlander lost a close friend who served as an artillery lieutenant and left behind a newborn baby. When asked about emotional recovery, Norlander noted that time merely buries past trauma rather than erasing it.

"I don’t know if the word would be healed wounds. It sort of covers them up, puts them in the back of your mind, but on days like this sometimes, they come back again," Norlander said.

Army veteran James Pierce made his final trip to the wall to see the engraved name of a dear friend killed in Vietnam.

"I’m so grateful that I could make this trip one last time to see my buddy before we meet later on. He was a good guy, full of life, loved life and cut down way too soon," Pierce said.

A hero's welcome home

The backstory:

During the return flight to St. Petersburg, organizers handed each veteran packets filled with handwritten letters from schoolchildren, family members and community organizations. Guardian Denise Ankenbauer, who accompanied her father, said the warm tribute brought tears to her eyes.

"This is what they should have gotten when they got back originally. So, it’s just been remarkable and amazing," Ankenbauer said.

The group arrived back home to cheering crowds waving red, white and blue flags, sharing handshakes and offering long-overdue hugs.

Flight milestones by numbers

By the numbers:

Honor Flight operates across 130 active regional hubs throughout the country. Mission 58 marked a major network milestone by safely transporting its 4,000th veteran to Washington.

Getting involved with veterans

What you can do:

Community members can volunteer, register to become a traveling guardian or apply for an upcoming journey. Detailed sign-up forms and organization updates are available on the group's website.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Allie Corey, who traveled alongside veterans to document the trip. It includes interviews with different veterans who were on Mission 58.