Charley Barnes Shares His Honor Flight Northern Colorado Photos [GALLERY]

As I mentioned yesterday, my trip to Washington, D.C., via Honor Flight Northern Colorado, was a life changing experience. Today, I'd like to share my story and photo gallery detailing the trip.

Authors Note: I have been asked numerous times why I didn't mention I was going on this flight. The answer is simple. It wasn't about me. It was about Honor Flight and the veterans they serve, and I didn't want to tarnish that in any way, shape or form knowing I would share my story when I got home. I hope you enjoy this rare first-hand story and gallery from inside an Honor Flight.

The alarm always goes off at 5 a.m. on Honor Flight days. Normally, I am in the motorcycle escort and we are required to be there by 6 a.m., but the veteran to whom I was assigned was coming from Haxtun and I wanted to make sure I was there early to greet him and another veteran from the same nursing home who would also be on the flight.

I arrived at the Embassy Suites hotel early and got myself checked in and headed for the coffee pot before meandering back outside to go say hello to my fellow biker brothers and sisters, and to enjoy the beautiful sunrise.

The charter bus soon arrived carrying our veterans from Haxtun, along with some of their family members and support crew. I made my way to the bus to greet the crew and introduce myself in person to my hero; Corporal Phillip "Phil" Edwards. Phil served our country in Korea via the United States Air Force and he was ready for the trip and raring to go. I talked with the nurses, family and friends and awaited the lift to lower his wheelchair down so I could get him inside, registered and grab him a quick bite to eat.

The opening ceremonies were fantastic, including a live performance by Pete Martinez, who sang one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard called "We Thank You," which is a tribute to our veterans. Just before the ceremonies were closed, Colonel Stan Cass made mention of my 10,000 mile Honor Flight Endurance Ride and presented me with a beautiful picture of the World War II memorial, taken at night, which also included a very nice thank you plaque all encased in an awesome glass enclosed frame.

The time had closed in on us and it was time to board the buses and head for Signature Hanger at DIA for our flight. This was the first time I really cried. If you have ever seen the police/motorcycle escort you know it is incredible, and as far as I know, Northern Colorado has the biggest and longest escort for any Honor Flight in the country. I heard veterans asking if this was for them and I just lost it. I assured them it was and we hadn't even hit I-25 yet. By the time we hit Loveland it was obvious they were blown away. Tears flowed and they asked how far it went and how many motorcycles were in front of them and why were there helicopters escorting us on both sides. I tried to tell them that the escort would be all the way to DIA, but it was hard to get the words out. One gentleman asked me, "Why?" I tried to tell him, but was pretty weepy and he asked me if I was OK.

No, I wasn't.

I finally got the details out to them and they were awestruck... blown away. The greatest generation of all, who have seen it all, had never seen anything like the Honor Flight Northern Colorado escort... all for them!

We finally arrived at our DIA destination and unloaded our buses and proceeded through hundreds of people who all shook the hands of every veteran that passed before them into the hangar. After a brief message from our flight commander, Colonel Stan Cass, we boarded the planes. The veterans who were confined to wheelchairs, including my veteran were all carried up the stairs to the planes by men in uniform. The smiles on those guys faces were priceless as they were just amazed at the attention that was being given to them.

Our charter flight was loaded in no time and off we went. The magic of Honor Flight was in the air and headed for the east coast and the monuments they so desired to see, where they would relive memories; good and bad.

When we got off the plane in Baltimore, people lined the halls; men, women and children alike who all clapped, cheered and shook hands. Have I mentioned how many tears I had shed at this point? Doesn't matter, I was crying again while trying to be strong and cool.

Not easy...

We loaded the buses and headed for the Baltimore Hilton where we got all the veterans and ourselves checked into our rooms and made sure everyone was back down to our banquet dinner. To my shock, I was surprised again and sat at the front VIP table with Colonel Cass and some heavy hitters, including Henry J. Hatch, LTG (R), who gave a fantastic speech. [CLICK HERE TO READ HIS ENTIRE SPEECH] I sat directly across from the general and seated to my right was Ken Curry, who had the dubious honor of being the first B-52 shot down in Vietnam. Didn't bother him much I guess as he flew another 157 combat missions in 1972 alone. Do the math...that is facing death every third day for a year.

Dinner was over and Corporal Edwards was a "bit" thirsty so a bunch of us headed to the lounge where everyone wanted to buy him a beer...so they did. I had to cut him off after his third since the next day was going to be longer than long and we all needed some much needed sleep.

Sidebar:  HE WAS NOT HAPPY WHEN I WHEELED HIM OUT! However, it was for his own good and the next morning he actually took his walker and decided to walk down with me all the way to breakfast. He didn't think he could, but I knew it would be good for him and he enjoyed the exercise.

Breakfast was incredible and it was time to do what we came to do... see the monuments that were built to honor these great warriors.

While we were travelling downtown, we were passed by the presidential motorcade (which may or may not have received a few boos). We were sure it was the president because later in the day while having lunch at the Air Force Memorial we saw Marine One fly in and then fly back out. There is only one person I know who can fly on Marine One.

Our first stop was at the World War II Memorial (Designed by an Austrian) and this is where I made a VERY bad decision that my feet would later regret. I had heard earlier that if we wanted to see the "Lincoln Memorial" we would have to hustle. If I had listened more clearly, I would have known that was AFTER lunch, not while we were at the World War II Memorial. Anyway, we wanted to see it so I wheeled the corporal down one side of the reflecting pond west to the Lincoln Memorial for some pictures. (This is where I took our "selfies." One of them is the feature photo on this story.) It must be a mile each way... on our way back, when we got to the entrance of the World War II Memorial, Corporal Edwards said, "Do you want me to push for awhile?"

I love that guy!

We got back just in the nick of time to load the buses again to head across the Memorial Bridge, past the Pentagon (If you look closely at the Pentagon pictures you will see through the iron fence three oak doors. That is the exact location the plane slammed into the building on September 11, 2001.) and around Arlington National Cemetery to see the Air Force Memorial and have a fantastic lunch overlooking Arlington National Cemetery and Washington, D.C.

After lunch, we headed back to the National Mall and parked RIGHT AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL. (I could have saved my feet 2 miles had I listened to Colonel Cass earlier that morning.)  Corporal Edwards and I bailed off the bus and boogied for HIS memorial, the Korean Memorial, which was probably my favorite. Wow, what a beautiful sight. As you see in the pictures, there are 19 life-size sculptures. They are placed in a way that will cast a shadow on the wall there (lighted by night) that shows, well, 19 shadows. Why? 19+19=38. The Korean War was fought on the 38th parallel. They don't teach that in school...

From there it's a short walk to one of the most famous memorials; the Vietnam Memorial Wall, which was designed by a Vietnamese woman. Pictures don't do it justice. This is one you have to see in person to really understand the glory of "The Wall."  One thing I thought was very interesting is that if you look at the pictures, you will notice where the largest group of people are; right in the timeline of the biggest and nastiest part of the war. Corporal Edwards and I actually walked there with a Vietnam vet who was stationed on and around Hamburger Hill as a radio operator. His job was to hunker down as a relay on the top of these hills so the tank commander on one side could communicate with the gravel agitators on the other side. Take a guess who the enemy was targeting? His first stop was to check the book to see if two of his friends had made it out and cried when he didn't find their names on the list.

We walked the wall and then took off for the Lincoln Memorial and up to the top for another view of a lifetime. Again, pictures and movies don't do it justice. You have to be there to fully appreciate it.

The day was getting long and we still had one more memorial to see, which was the Iwo Jima Memorial paying homage to the United States Marine Corps. It was here the veterans took their "class" photo.

Did you know there are 13 hands Iwo Jima Memorial? You can look for hours to try and find where the extra hand goes and it's impossible. Every hand is attached to an arm and to a body. It's said the 13th hand is "the hand of God" and a total mind trick. If you can figure it out, let me know.

Our time in Washington, D.C. was over and it was going to still be a long ride back into Baltimore to board our plane, so we loaded our veterans and headed for BWI. We got to the airport, and it was actually easier boarding the planes there than when we left Colorado; go figure. We got our own express lane and never even got "the wand." What the veterans did get was a big red lipstick kiss on the cheek by an airline employee who NEVER misses an Honor Flight. She stood there with lipstick in hand, lathered up, and planted a kiss on the vets.

Corporal Edwards got two of them.

The flight home was the best ever. The crew was beyond friendly and hard to explain. You could just feel their passion, and compassion for these heroes. The plane, both ways, was decorated to the hilt and we ate like kings both ways. Unreal. I have never experienced anything like it.

The Honor Flight Northern Colorado Board of Directors had contacted several schools and gave them the list of every name on our flight. These kids wrote four letters to EVERY veteran and we passed them out on the way home. This was the most emotional time for these veterans. One woman, a World War II Veteran, in her '90s who had dementia asked if I would read her letters, and I want you to know it was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I did it, crying the whole time while she held my hand. Maggie was her name, and it was probably the most emotional part of the trip for me.

As we approached DIA and began our descent, the crew played "We Thank You" by Pete Martinez and the plane was silent. I hope Pete reads this someday because I want him to know how much it was appreciated by these warriors.

Our plane landed and again was greeted by men and women in uniform who readily helped us unload the veterans and carried them in wheelchairs down the stairs and onto the tarmac. They all stood at attention, saluted and honored them one final time.

The magic of Honor Flight is hard to put into words and rare to get an inside glimpse of what transpires during this 36 hours. I hope I have done it justice, and I hope you share this story with everyone you know who deserves an Honor Flight or would like to become a guardian to experience what I have. Words can't do this justice, but I have done my best and I hope you got to feel some of the magic that is Honor Flight.