HEROES AMONG US: Honor Flight Mission XXV brings veterans together through shared stories, service and sacrifice

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - For veterans on Honor Flight Mission 25, the journey is less about the destination and more about the people beside them. Participants on the fall 2026 flight describe it as a rare chance to share experiences, reconnect with fellow service members and reflect on the cost of military service in their own words.Navy veteran Joe Angers, who served from 1968 to 1972, said hearing what others endured on duty put his own experience in perspective. “You know you hear what some of them have gone through. I did nothing compared to them, and so, it hits me right here, you know” he said.Army veteran Clyde “Dean” Long, who served from 1972 to 1992, said the trip stirred up memories. Listening to “war stories,” he said, brought back his own. “It brought back memories of their past, my past, and going like ‘yeah okay I understand what they’re talking about because I was there.’”For Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Denny Kula, a moment in front of a statue near the Viet