George Tobalski looks at pictures from the Never Forgotten Honor Flight and smiles.

"It was a wonderful day... that's the only way I can explain it," he says.

Tobalski is a World War II veteran.

He says the the trip to Washington D.C. is something that changed his life.

He says, "I mean it's hard to explain, when you look at all the area that was covered in one day, I've never done anything like this before."

But it was an unforgettable trip for more than one reason.

"I got to orientation on Sunday, the day before we left and I had a number which was number 18, and I was supposed to go and find the person who had number 18, and that would be my guardian for the trip, little did I know it turned out to be my grandson from Dallas, Texas," says Tobalski, "I couldn't believe it at first, because my guardian was supposed to be my son.. he's in Charlotte, North Carolina so when we got to D.C. there was my son, he met our plane as I was getting off of it."

But there was another surprise on the way home, mail call.

Tobalski got more than 75 letters from people he didn't even know.

He says, "I have ones from Warrens, Georgia where the whole class, third grade class, each one wrote a letter to me."

But the biggest surprise of the day may have been when they stepped off that plane in Mosinee.

Thousands greeted the veterans home and thanked them for their service.

He says, "It shows you what wonderful people we have in this country and what they will all do for you."

A simple trip that will bring a smile to his face for years to come.

"The only thing we lacked was sleep, and we did alright without that," he says.