FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The 49th Honor Flight Northeast Indiana takes veterans to the tarmac on Wednesday morning as they prepare for an all-expenses paid flight to Washington D.C. The trip is meant to serve as a thank you to those who served and an opportunity for the 84 participants to admire the memorials erected in honor of their time in the military. Among the participants of the 49th Honor Flight Northeast Indiana are 77 Vietnam War veterans, 4 Korean War veterans, 2 veterans who are women and 1 veteran who was presented with a Purple Heart. Cathy Berkshire is the Honor Flight Northeast Indiana President. She said one of the most "emotional" parts of the trip is welcoming the veterans home from their trip, especially those who did not receive the thanks they deserve following their service. "Everybody knows how our Vietnam veterans were treated," Berkshire said. " ... They really need to have the community show up, thank them for their service, and welcome them home in a huge way so they understand that the community is backing them." Veterans gather at the Indiana Air National Guard base in Fort Wayne and board the airliner for a one-hour flight to D.C.. As they land at Ronald Reagan Airport, participants and their guardians will be chauffeured between visitation sites, including the WWII Memorial, Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials. After a day of touring D.C., participants board the airliner once more and head for home, landing back at the National Guard Base around 9 p.m. The 49th Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana is the last one to take off i 2024. 84 veterans fly to D.C. The plane is expected to arrive back in Fort Wayne around 9 p.m.. Berkshire stated that anyone who plans to welcome veterans back to Fort Wayne should park in long-term parking at the Fort Wayne International Airport 30 to 60 minutes before landing, and meet inside the airport before heading out to meet the veterans. For more information on Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, visit the organization’s website.