Washington, D.C
Veterans visit D.C. ahead of Memorial Day with Honor Flight Tri-State
Army widow describes the emotional power of a military honor guard
Will there be enough VFW-involved veterans to present military honors at funerals including the bugle-call of Taps, a 21-gun salute and the folding and presentation of an American flag to family members of those who have died?
On Wednesday, 88 military veterans flew from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Washington D.C. for a whirlwind tour of monuments and memorials put on by Honor Flight Tri-State.
But the tour is just part of it. The nonprofit, with its 18 years of experience, has made it so the typical hassles of travel disappear and the vets can focus on connecting with each other and the public. Director Cheryl Popp has led 87 flights herself.
More: Cheryl Popp ‘lives the mission of Honor Flight Tri-State,’ says volunteer
They shared laughs and tears and a raucous homecoming that many of them missed the first time they returned from overseas.
Honor Flight Tri-State started in 2006. Over the years, their flights and buses have gone from being filled with World War II veterans to nearly all Vietnam- and Cold War-era veterans. Even those who served during the Korean War are seldom seen these days.
The organization tries to accommodate everyone with the smoothest trip possible. The normal security checks are bypassed, there are always enough wheelchairs and there’s a team of volunteer medics that accompany every trip. In D.C., the buses even get the occasional police escort.
As one volunteer said, the military is a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, so on these trips, they’ve removed as much waiting as possible.
It’s made possible with an army of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations.
“We will leave no one behind,” the organization states.
Honor Flight Tri-State is doing four trips a year. The trips cost veterans nothing. They just have to apply online. Any veteran 65 or older is eligible whether they served overseas or stateside.
Here are some of their stories.
Reynolds Robertson
Reynolds Robertson, a Clermont County Air Force veteran, touches the flag as he passes underneath it with his daughter Amandalouise Robertson.
The flag send-off has become a tradition for Honor Flight Tri-State.
Robertson said his family has over 300 years of military service dating back at least three generations. On Memorial Day, he’ll be cleaning up five small cemeteries around Clermont County with other Disabled American Veterans members.
Terry Reid
Terry Reid is a Marine who served in Vietnam.
He was enlisted from 1963 to 1967 and served in a mortar infantry battalion there.
After he returned home, he was in the Reserves for over 22 years, worked as a police officer at the University of Cincinnati for 31 years and worked another 11 years at Hughes High School.
His daughter, Karla Tolbert also served in the Army Reserves. “I just feel my patriotism has grown 100%,” Tolbert said of the trip.
David Barry
David Barry visited the Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater in Washington, D.C., traveling with other veterans and his daughter, Sonya Williams, on the honor flight from Ohio.
Barry served in the Marines from 1966 to 1970. He was wounded twice in Vietnam and had to be taken to Japan on a medevac helicopter.
“This is the welcome home,” Barry said of the trip.
“When I came back from Vietnam there wasn’t anybody there. A lot of vets didn’t even say they were in Vietnam back in the day.”
Paul Dargis
Paul Dargis calls people “man” and sometimes “dude.”
He is an Army veteran who spent his service from 1968 to 1972 in Key West and Germany. His brother was a Vietnam vet “who didn’t talk about it,” Paul said.
He said his time was “like heaven” with real food, a bowling alley and even a bar.
Dargis said he hesitated to go on the honor flight and felt guilty because his service was relatively easy, but his brother reassured, saying, “You served. You served.”
Russel Abney
Russel Abney is a Navy veteran. He was on the USS Belknap, a guided missile frigate, during the Vietnam War cruising the Tonkin Gulf and coordinating strike groups.
“The hardest thing to do was to keep the pilots from trying to run down the MIG-15s,” he laughed. “They would come out and they’d tease and they’d get them to chase them back, but that was nothing more than a trap.”
He said the attitudes toward the military have changed so much in 50 years.
“If you wore a uniform back then, they just assumed you were over there killing people who should have been killed,” he said.
“Today, it’s so much different. I can go to Kroger and people will come up to me say, ‘Thank you for your service.’”
Randall Roth
Air Force veteran Randall Roth enlisted in 1966, about 24 years before Air Force Master Sgt. Tiffany Davis, a soldier also visiting the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C., was even born.
He spent time in the Philippines and then was assigned to an Air Force base in Louisiana servicing B-52 bombers.
Roth said he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and wanted to relist, which would have let him rise to the rank Davis had achieved. However, he ended his service after four years because his parents got sick.
Vince Albers
Army veteran Vincent Albers became close to a set of twins during his basic training back in 1968. He had heard rumors they were both killed in Vietnam.
He asked for help looking up their names at the Vietnam Memorial during the trip, but the guide could not find them.
“Maybe that’s good news,” he said.
Albers served stateside during the Vietnam War. He mainly did funeral details for returning veterans. The secondary job of his unit was being stationed on White House grounds during the massive protests during the war.
“To keep your sanity, you had to separate yourself from your job because we were burying on average three people per week,” Albers said. “It takes a toll. It could have been us.”
Today’s news brings a lot of it back for Albers.
“The lack of empathy in the world that we still have wars. Thousands of people dying because of political idiots,” he said. “The amount of death, unnecessary. It brings back a whole lot of memories. The death is what brings back the memories.”
Jim English
Air Force veteran Jim English brought a handwritten list of people he had lost in the Vietnam War. During his honor flight visit Wednesday, he found all their names on the memorial wall and photographed them.
During the early years of Honor Flight Tri-State, the organizers spent the longest stretch of the day at the World War II Memorial. Now, most of the veterans on the trips served during the Vietnam War so the tour spends more time at that memorial.
The names of the Vietnam War Memorial are listed in chronological order of when they died. Jim English paused at one spot with his son, James English. Together they found five names grouped together.
“They were all on the same plane,” he told his son.
All told, English said he lost nine people in Vietnam. “It’s stupid having wars,” he said. “The whole secret, it’s like when somebody calls you a name, don’t call it back.”
Berk Kutay Gokmen
04 July 2026•Update: 04 July 2026
Masked individuals, including some displaying Confederate flags, were observed marching through Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July, the US Independence Day.
“Reclaim America, reclaim America,” the crowd was heard chanting in a video captured near Union Station by radio station WTOP’s Mitchell Miller, who reported that the group advocated for the removal of immigrants.
Footage recorded by Miller shows several participants carrying flags that appear to feature the Patriot Front logo. The Anti-Defamation League identifies Patriot Front as a white supremacist group.
“A group of masked men gathered at Union Station today and called for reclaiming the country and getting rid of immigrants. Some held Confederate flags. They have been marching across Capitol Hill,” Miller wrote on US social media company X.
Other footage posted on social media appeared to depict the group marching near the Eastern Market Metro station.
Washington DC July 4 fireworks could create significant air pollution.
Massive July 4 fireworks in DC could worsen air quality — officials urge N95 masks, limit outdoor exposure.
It’s Fourth of July in Washington DC, where a large gathering is expected to celebrate on the National Mall for America’s 250th birthday.
Whether you celebrate alongside tens of thousands of others in the heart of the District or choose to view the fireworks from a different vantage point, here’s a guide to navigating the day’s festivities.
What to know about Salute to America fireworks show
A large perimeter will be closed off around the National Mall for Salute to America, a White House-led Fourth of July celebration that will include a speech by President Donald Trump and fireworks.
The tentative schedule, which was updated Thursday, says fireworks will begin at 10:30 p.m. Considered “the largest fireworks display in history,” 850,000 shells will be launched from 10 sites: the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool, West Potomac Park and barges along the Potomac River.
When should you arrive to Salute to America?
With heat indices expected to climb into the triple digits, Freedom 250 organizers modified the schedule to reduce attendees’ exposure during the hottest part of the day.
Now, the Washington Monuments grounds do not open to the public until 5 p.m. The nighttime programming begins at 7 p.m.
Although it’s unclear when the best time to arrive to the Mall is, organizers expect a capacity crowd of 150,000 people to attend the event.
What can you bring to National Mall on July 4?
Attendees are now allowed to bring an empty, non-metal water bottle to the National Mall. There will be multiple complimentary refill stations, and organizers also plan to distribute free water bottles.
Blankets are allowed, as is one of the following: a clear, see-through bag that does not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a small clutch or purse not larger than 10 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches.
What is not allowed at National Mall on July 4?
Salute to America is expected to have TSA-like security measures, and the following items will not be allowed: aerosols including bug spray and sunscreen, glass or metal containers, ammunition, animals except service animals, backpacks, balloons, balls and frisbees, bicycles, bull horns and noise makers, camping chairs and folding chairs, coolers, drink tumblers, drones, flammable liquids, vapes and smokeless tobacco, laser pointers, lighters, mace and pepper spray, packages, pocket knives, range finders, recreational motorized mobility devices, selfie sticks, signs exceeding 20 inches by 3 inches by a quarter-inch. skateboards and scooters, explosives, firearms, toy guns and weapons of any kind.
The list of prohibited items follows guidelines from the U.S. Secret Service. Organizers say any items surrendered at the checkpoints “will be discarded or turned over for destruction.”
How to navigate the Metro in Washington DC on July 4
Metro Rail will be free from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. today, with additional trains going into service beginning at 5 p.m.
Metro said trains will arrive every 3-4 minutes downtown.
To get to and from the entrance to Salute to America, you should use the Federal Triangle or Smithsonian stations on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines. To avoid a transfer on the Red line, you can exit at Metro Center.
“Event officials and Metro staff will direct customers on the Mall to specific stations after the fireworks to help with crowd control,” Metro said. “Metro Transit Police will be at station entrances to monitor crowd flow and may, at times, limit entry to prevent overcrowding.”
When are the military flyovers July 4 in Washington DC?
Military flyovers and demonstrations will take place for seven hours along the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds today, with one more coming around the time fireworks begin.
- 1:14 p.m. – NASA F-5 Flyover
- 1:24 p.m. – NASA Fleet Review
- 1:44 p.m. – USCG Helo Flyover
- 1:54 p.m. – USCG Fixed Wing Flyover
- 2:09 p.m. – Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 2:29 p.m. – Army Helo Flyover
- 2:44 p.m. – USAF Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Heavies
- 2:54 p.m. – USAF Fleet Review – Wave 2 – AFSOC
- 3:04 PM – USAF Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 3:29 p.m. – Executive Rotary Wing Airlift
- 3:39 p.m. – USMC Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 3:49 p.m. – USMC Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 3:59 p.m. – USN Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 4:09 p.m. – USN Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 4:19 p.m. – USN Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 4:21 p.m. – USN F-18F Demonstration
- 4:59 p.m. – USN Blue Angels
- 5:26 p.m. – USMC MV-22 Osprey Demonstration
- 5:44 p.m. – USAF Fleet Review – Fighters
- 6:02 p.m. – USAF Tri-Bomber Formation
- 6:05 p.m. – USN F-35C Demonstration
- 6:25 p.m. – USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration
- 7:03 p.m. – Air Force One Flyover
- 7:07 p.m. – USAF Thunderbirds Delta Break
- 7:17 p.m. – HUGE 1 Flyover Led by the Newly Renovated Air Force One
- 7:38 p.m. – U.S. Stealth Airpower Flyover
- 7:39 p.m. – F-22 Raptor Demo
- 7:53 p.m. – F-22 Raptor in Afterburner
- 7:59 p.m. – B-1 Flyover
- 8:07 p.m. – B-1 in Afterburner
- 8:11 p.m. – HUGE ONE Fly Over Review
- 8:22 p.m. – Golden Knights Twilight Jump
- 10:36 p.m. – B-1 Afterburner Night Pass
Where else can you watch fireworks in Washington DC?
Freedom 250 will have viewing spots for tonight’s fireworks at Hains Point, Columbia Marina, RFK Stadium, Meridian Hill Park, Union Station, Lower Senate Park and Upper Senate Park.
Other popular areas to watch the fireworks include the Cardozo Education Campus in Columbia Heights, the Washington National Cathedral in northwest DC and the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill.
Washington DC officials have also released an interactive map that allows you to see your view of the fireworks from any place in the city.
Where can you watch DC’s fireworks from Virginia?
Gravelly Point along the George Washington Memorial Parkway is known as one of the best spots in Virginia to watch DC’s fireworks show.
In Arlington, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the U.S. Air Force Memorial and Lady Bird Johnson Park are considered some of the top viewing spots.
The show can also be viewed from parts of the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail.
The towns of Fairfax, Great Falls and Herndon will have their own fireworks shows.
Where can you watch DC’s fireworks from Maryland?
The National Harbor has clear views of the Potomac River and is one of the most popular spots to watch DC’s fireworks show from Maryland.
There will also be fireworks shows nearby in Rockville and Frederick.
WASHINGTON – The Metropolitan Police Department released new body camera footage on Friday of an officer firing his gun at an armed carjacking suspect last month.
The backstory:
The carjacking happened early in the morning of June 24.
According to MPD, two suspects held a man at gunpoint in the 700 block of 19th Street in Northeast Washington before taking his keys and driving off.
After the carjacking, officers searched the city for the suspects, before finding the car on Valley Avenue in Southeast. Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver took off, before bailing at 2nd and Xenia Streets.
What we know:
The body camera footage released Friday picks up during officers’ search for the suspects.
In the short clip, the officer can be heard shouting out the window of his patrol car before firing out the window.
According to MPD, the officer was driving on Livingston Road SE when he saw one of the suspects. The officer asked the suspect to show their hands, but instead, MPD said the suspect pointed a rifle at the officer. That’s when the officer fired, and the suspect ran off into the woods.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 13-year-old charged in DC armed carjacking, officer shoots at second suspect
What’s next:
That suspect is still on the run, according to MPD. A second suspect was arrested the night of the carjacking. The 13-year-old has been charged with armed carjacking, reckless driving, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for DC and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division Force Investigation Team will both review the shooting.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 DC reports.
-
Kentucky7 minutes agoFormer Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa arrested by FBI in multi-million dollar fraud scheme
-
Louisiana12 minutes agoLouisiana Purchase & Gardens Zoo holds “Red, White and Blue Day”
-
Maine19 minutes agoMaine lumber mill co-owner dies, bringing explosion death toll to 3
-
Maryland22 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 4, 2026
-
Michigan27 minutes ago‘Debate week’ set to test GOP, Democratic hopefuls in top Michigan races
-
Massachusetts34 minutes agoMan shot and killed in Cambridge on July 4th, no arrests made
-
Minnesota37 minutes agoTeenager in critical condition after water rescue at Minnehaha Falls
-
Mississippi42 minutes agoMississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for July 4, 2026
