Over Veterans Day weekend, former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance aboard an Honor Flight from Madison, Wisconsin, to Washington, D.C.

“Hello everybody,” boomed former president Barack Obama’s voice over a loudspeaker. His voice and appearance immediately garnered gasps. “What?!” shouted one passenger, while another veteran’s jaw dropped cartoonishly.

“As we approach Veterans Day, I wanted to stop by and just say thank you for your extraordinary service,” Obama said.

Seventy-nine veterans —from WWII, the Korean, and Vietnam Wars —and their families, were greeted by Obama, who shook hands and handed each a Presidential Challenge Coin to show gratitude for their sacrifices. “I just wanted to say thank you,” Obama said.

​The event was a first. “No president, former or current,” had ever greeted veterans on an honor flight, explained Navy veteran and volunteer Capt. Mary Quigley.

Obama shared the touching video with a statement on X:

“Ahead of Veterans Day, I was honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their families as they arrived in DC.  To all those who bravely served our country, thank you to you and your family for your extraordinary service. The sacrifices that all of you have made to protect our country will be honored, today and every day.”

The Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization that has supported over 317,000 veterans in its two decades of operation, brings veterans and their families to D.C. monuments free of charge. Quigley described its growth, saying, “It started off very small and now a lot of states have their own hubs and they raise their own money and they set up the whole flights.”​

As he continued to speak to the veterans, Obama’s words perfectly captured the spirit of the day:

“To you, your family, the sacrifices that all of you made to protect our country is something that will always be honored, and we are very grateful."