34th Honor Flight veterans pay tribute at Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON (KFSN) -- A solemn scene marked the start of day three for the Central Valley Honor Flight as buses carrying 69 local veterans and their guardians rolled through Arlington National Cemetery.

White grave markers stood as silent sentinels to the more than 400,000 service members buried across the manicured green lawns.

As the buses passed, a military caisson, rehearsing for an upcoming ceremony, moved nearby.

Among the veterans was the oldest member of the honor flight, 100-year-old Norris Jernigan.

He paused at the grave of fellow World War II veteran Audie Murphy, recognized as the most highly decorated soldier of the war.

The group later gathered to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, observing the ceremony's precise and solemn movements.

Following the ceremony, four veterans: Joe Moore, Rick Morales, John Martin and Norris Jernigan stepped forward to lay a wreath at the tomb.

A ribbon on the wreath read "CVHF," representing the Central Valley Honor Flight.

Afterward, the veterans encountered an unexpected moment of appreciation.

Groups of schoolchildren formed a tunnel, cheering, applauding and thanking the veterans for their service as they passed by.

For many of those on the honor flight, it was a gesture they never experienced when they returned home from their military service.

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