Veterans welcomed home from Honor Flight in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA, Calif.- Local veterans received a special welcome home ceremony at the Santa Maria Airport.

It's the first time the annual Honor Flight of The Central Coast has flown out of the Santa Maria Airport.

Honor Flight organizers, volunteers and others from the community welcomed the local veterans on their arrival.  

"This welcome home was very emotional. I started to tear up because when I came home from Vietnam, my parents didn't even show up.  I was totally alone. And so this was very gratifying and  heartwarming to come home to," said Vietnam Veteran Fred Lerner.

It's also the first chartered flight in the event's history to allow triple the number of veterans and caregivers to participate.

"I mean, it was a long time coming because when I came back from overseas, we didn't really get applauded," said Veteran David Cisneros.

The veterans visited the war memorials in Washington D.C as well as the monuments and other attractions.