Tuesday, November 11, marked Veterans Day. Through the non-profit Honor Flight Network, Veterans from all over the country traveled to Washington, DC to take part in Veterans Day, and they got quite the welcome.

When a flight of Korean and Vietnam War veterans touched down in the capital, they were surprised by former President Obama.Former President Barack Obama gave this group of war heroes a surprise they will never forget as they touched down in Washington, DC, for Veterans Day.

Per ABC News, Obama surprised Korean and Vietnam War veterans on the flight arriving from Madison, Wisconsin, ahead of Veterans Day. When arriving at the gate, Barack Obama stepped onboard and surprised the war heroes with an emotional message on the intercom.

Former President Barack Obama surprised war heroes for Veterans Day
“Hello, everybody. As we approach Veterans Day, I wanted to stop by and just say thank you for your extraordinary service. To you, your family, the sacrifices that all of you made to protect our country is something that will always be honored, and we are very grateful,” Obama said.

The reaction from the war heroes was nothing short of fantastic. Non-profit organization Honor Flight Network provided the veterans with the flight. They help veterans and their families nationwide get flights to visit monuments in Washington, DC.

In the past 20 years, they have flown over 300,000 veterans to the capital.

“Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, remember the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. Honored veterans always travel free of charge, thanks to generous donations to our organization,” Honor Flight Network’s website reads.

“Thank you to you and your family for your extraordinary service.”
President Obama later wrote on Medium about the experience of welcoming the veterans, which he branded an “honor.”

“Ahead of Veterans Day, I was honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their families as they arrived in Washington, DC,” Barack Obama wrote.

“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 have made to protect our country will be honored, today and every day.”

He added, “One of the honors of serving as President is having the Presidential Challenge Coin — a memento that I have handed out as President and in the years since to the folks I meet who have served our country or their communities. I was grateful to be able to greet veterans who served in Korea and Vietnam as they arrived in DC this weekend, and give them a personal token of my gratitude.”

Ahead of Veterans Day, I was honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their families as they arrived in DC.

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 have made to protect our… pic.twitter.com/bXF7DIN7ow

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 11, 2025

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