Former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance, speaking to dozens of Korean and Vietnam War vets after their plane arrived in Washington, DC on Saturday (Nov 8).
Moments after an Honor Flight, flying in from Madison, Wisconsin, landed at the nation’s capital, Obama’s voice could be heard on the loud speaker.
In a social media video, veterans’ faces can be seen, stunned after hearing the familiar voice.
“Hello, everybody,” his voiced boomed over the speaker.
“What!” exclaimed one person. Another veteran gasped, his mouth wide open.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” the former president continued in a moment captured on video.
Obama shook hands with them as they exited the aircraft and presented them with a Presidential Challenge Coin, a token to express his personal gratitude for their sacrifices.
“Ahead of Veterans Day, I was honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their families as they arrived in D.C.,” Obama said in a statement. “To all those who bravely served our country, thank you to you and your family for your extraordinary service. The sacrifices that all of you made to protect our country will be honored, today and every day.”
Seventy-nine veterans and their families made the trip.
“When you come to greet our Honor Flight Veterans at DCA, you never know who might be there. On Saturday, our Veterans from Badger Honor Flight were surprised when Barack Obama showed up to greet them when they arrived at DCA,” said a post on the Honor Flight Facebook page on Saturday. “He boarded the plane after it landed and addressed the group, then shook every hand and presented each with a presidential challenge coin!”
What is an Honor Flight?
Honor Flight DCA is a volunteer organization that flies veterans to Washington from over 100 hubs across the U.S. The organization brings the veterans to D.C. to visit the memorials for the wars they fought in, free of charge.