Fifty-eight veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars were honored during Honor Flight Pittsburgh’s welcome home event Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township durin on Saturday. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle

CRANBERRY TWP — When Vietnam War veteran John Weinheimer Jr. joined Honor Flight Pittsburgh’s Saturday, May 6, trip to Washington, D.C., he said never could have guessed what awaited him on his return.

“This is absolutely overwhelming, over the top,” Weinheimer said. “I don’t know what to say — when we came through that door, we never expected anything like that.”

Weinheimer and 57 other veterans of the Vietnam and Korean wars set out on two buses early Saturday for an all-expense-paid trip to the capital.

“The whole idea was, and the mission statement says that we take veterans who served during World War II, Korea and Vietnam to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials that were built in honor of their service,” said Ron Schall, organizer and Honor Flight Pittsburgh board member.

While the veterans returned late that night, Schall and a team of volunteers got to work organizing a surprise welcome for them at Victory Family Church in the township.

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