Veterans honored while departing TPA on Parade of Heroes trip to Washington, D.C.

Rudy Masi, a past state president with the Florida Elks Association who helped organize the trip, said the experience is designed to make the veterans the center of attention.

"Our goal is to make it all about them, to recognize and thank them for their service," Masi said.

He said the trip often means far more than a sightseeing visit.

"It's honoring, it's recognition, it's letting them know that they're not forgotten," Masi said. "What they did, they signed their names, put their lives on the line. None of that is forgotten."

Masi added that these trips can also be deeply meaningful and healing for the veterans involved.

"A lot of healing takes place on these trips," he said. "We go up to the Wall and a lot of good things happen."