Honor Flight Connecticut honors veterans with special Washington, D.C. trip

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (WWLP) – Dozens of local veterans will return home Saturday night after a meaningful send-off and journey to Washington, D.C., organized by Honor Flight Connecticut.

The veterans took part in a send-off Saturday morning with family and friends at Bradley International Airport, where they were celebrated for their service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War.

“Not only weren’t we there, but we don’t think some of the sentiment that you came back to was indicative of this whole country,” said Dan Sparks, organizer of Honor Flight Connecticut.

Among the veterans, one was recognized for serving in all the mentioned conflicts, earning the nickname ‘trifecta.’ Pat Lambardo, a U.S. veteran from Connecticut, reflected on his service, saying, “I had friends that spoke to me about what they were doing and I wanted to join in with them and we always went in together.”

The veterans, wearing matching blue shirts with the phrase ‘Land of the Free Because of the Brave,’ expressed emotions of joy in anticipation of the trip.

Jim Dooley, who attended Honor Flight Connecticut in the past, shared, “It’s an event that’s too late and coming, but it’s really appreciated. It’s truly an awesome experience and anybody that I know that is a veteran, I try and tell them to do this.”

During their visit to Washington D.C., the veterans joined nine other Honor Flights and visited significant sites such as Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

This event for local veterans marks a moment of recognition and appreciation for their service, with many expressing gratitude for the opportunity to participate in Honor Flight Connecticut.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.