ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY AS WE
HONOR THOSE WHO MADE THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, WCCO
CELEBRATES A GROUP OF CARVER
COUNTY VETERANS.
THEY TOOK A TRIP TO WASHINGTON
D.C. AND STEPPED BACK IN TIME
TO EXPERIENCE THE WAR MEMORIALS
BUILT IN THEIR HONOR.
166 VIETNAM AND KOREAN VETERANS
MADE THE TRIP.
IT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE WACONIA
LIONS WHO WANTED THEM TO GET
THE HOMECOMING THEY NEVER GOT
WHEN THEY RETURNED FROM BATTLE.
Reporter: IT'S NOT EASY
LIVING WITH THE MEMORIES OF
WAR.
HE WAS A BUDDY OF MINE THAT
I KNEW BEFORE I WENT INTO HIGH
SCHOOL AND WAS KILLED IN
COMBAT.
I POURED 2 PINTS OF BLOOD
INTO HIM.
HE DIED IN THE HELICOPTER GOING
BACK.
Reporter: BUT FOR THIS
GROUP OF KOREAN AND VIETNAM
COMBAT VETS, A TRIP TO
WASHINGTON D.C. IS A CHANCE TO
HONOR THEIR BUDDIES WHO DIDN'T
MAKE IT HOME AND A KIND OF
THERAPY FOR WHAT STILL HAUNTS
THEM.
TOO YOUNG, FOR ONE THING, 19
YEARS OLD, WAY TOO YOUNG TO GO.
Reporter: THEY BOARDED THE
PLANE LIKE THEY DID 50 YEARS
AGO WITH UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR.
ONCE ON BOARD THEY SLOWLY
BECAME A UNIT EACH HAVING HIS
OWN REASON FOR MAKING THIS
PILGRIMAGE.
SILENCE SWEPT OVER THE BUS AS
WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH
ARLINGTON CEMETERY.
THE SOMBER MOOD CONTINUED AS WE
WATCHED THE CHANGING OF THE
GUARD AT THE TOMB OF THE
UNKNOWNS.
THEIR PRESENTATION OF COLORS
AND THE SOUND OF TAPS.
THIS JOURNEY TAKES THEM BACK TO
A TIME WHEN SERVICE TO COUNTRY
WAS EVERYTHING, A TIME WHEN
LOSING A BUDDY IN COMBAT WAS
LIKE LOSING A PART OF YOURSELF.
IT NEVER FELT AS REAL WHEN WE
CAME TO THE BLACK GRANITE WALL
COVERED WITH NAMES.
DUANE FOUND HIS YOUNGER
BROTHER.
HE WAS GOING OVER AS I WAS
COMING BACK.
WE NEVER REALLY HAD TIME
TOGETHER.
Reporter: TIME HAS NEVER
FULLY HAPPIED THE WOUNDS OF WAR
-- HEALED THE WOUNDS OF WAR.
48E55.
Reporter: MOST WORKED
TOGETHER TO FIND THE NAMES OF
BUDDIES THEY'VE CARRIED IN
THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS ALL
THESE YEARS.
WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
WALDEN SHORT.
Reporter: A NAME THAT
PROVES THEIR TIME TOGETHER WAS
NOT A DREAM.
THERE WAS NO CLOSURES.
THERE WAS NO CEREMONY, JUST ONE
DAY THEY WERE HERE AND NEXT DAY
THEY WEREN'T.
Reporter: A NAME ONCE TOUCH
CAST A REFLECTION ON THE WALL
ITSELF, A NAME THAT PUTS THEM
SIDE BY SIDE ONCE AGAIN.
FOR SOME THIS MOMENT IS
SURREAL.
THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY.
THIS GUY SHOULDN'T BE HERE.
HE SHOULD BE MY BUDDY.
WE SHOULD GO OUT TONIGHT AND
HAVE A BEER.
Reporter: THIS IS CLOSURE
FOR MOST TRANSFERRING A NAME
FROM BLACK GRANITE TO WHITE
PAPER.
HENRY MARTIN, HE'S ON LINE 7
THE.
Reporter: FOR STEVE THESE
NAMES -- 7.
Reporter: FOR STEVE THESE
NAMES SHOW HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO
DEATH AS HE NEVER WILL FORGET
WATCHING A RECON PLANE COME
WITH ENGINES OUT TRYING TO
LAND.
23 IN THE FRONT WERE ALL
KILLED.
Reporter: THE SEARCH FOR
CLOSURE WAS INTERRUPTED BY
PRESENTATIONS OF GRATITUDE.
THANK YOU.
Reporter: HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS ON THE FIELD TRIP MADE
SURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
SACRIFICE OF THESE WAR HEROES,
A GESTURE THAT HELPED PREPARE
THEM FOR THE MEMORIES THAT WERE
ABOUT TO INVADE LIKE NEVER
BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, I GOT HOME JUST A
MONTH BEFORE THEN.
I WAS LUCKY I WASN'T WITH THEM.
Reporter: THE TRIP BACK TO
MINNESOTA FOUND MEN WHO WERE
CHANGED.
THEY STARTED AS INDIVIDUALS ON
PERSONAL MISSIONS, NOW.
Reporter: ING A BAND OF
BROTHERS TRULY -- NOW RETURNING
A BAND OF BROTHERS TRULY
CONNECTED.
THE BUS RIDE HOME WOULD BIRTH
TALES OF A PARADE ENOUGH TO
MAKE GROWN MEN CRY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEVER HAD
YEARS AGO.
IT'S JUST GREAT.
CAN'T EVEN PUT IT IN WORDS.
[ CHEERING AND APPLAUSE ]
Reporter: HUNDREDS LINED
THE MAIN DRAG TO GIVE THESE
VETERANS THE HERO'S WELCOME
THEY DESERVED YEARS AGO.
THEY GOT OFF THE BUS INTO THE
ARMS OF THEIR LOVED ONES.
PROUD OF THEIR SERVICE AND EVEN
MORE PROUD OF THE JOURNEY THEY
JUST COMPLETED.
REG CHAPMAN, WCCO 4 NEWS.
WE'VE POSTED THIS STORY ON
OUR WCCO FACEBOOK PAGE.