HEROES AMONG US: Twins reunited through service share unforgettable Honor Flight experience

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - For twins Dorothy “Dottie” Elton and Clyde “Dean” Long, serving their country meant taking different paths. But decades later, one unforgettable journey brought them together to experience the recognition and appreciation they never expected.The siblings were among more than 70 veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., aboard Southwest Florida Honor Flight’s Mission XXV, visiting the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifice.For Long, an Army veteran who served from 1972 to 1992, the emotion began before the group even reached its first memorial.“The thing that really affected me was when we got here this morning, kids were singing and things like that,” Long said. “That was touching, that was touching. I never expected that.”It was one of many moments that reminded the siblings just how much their service meant to others.Different paths, one shared experienceAlthough Elton and Long are twins, they spent much of their childhood apart and eventually p