CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - 93 veterans from across Iowa are set to take a special trip to Washington D.C. Tuesday. The free, day-long trip will feature a tour of memorials and monuments made to honor the veterans themselves.

This is the 56th Eastern Iowa Honor Flight. Since 2009, the group has flown thousands of veterans to the capitol. The entire effort is led by volunteers.

Many of the veterans flying served during Vietnam. Historically, many of them weren’t warmly received upon their return home.

“[There was] a very negative opinion of anybody in uniform,” John Nieland, a veteran flying Tuesday, said, reflecting on the reception after Vietnam. “It was very difficult for guys who got out of the service to find jobs.”

Tuesday’s trip is named after Hy-Vee, which sponsored the flight.

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