It was a trip of a lifetime for Charles Rector, and he’s glad he went.

The northeast Austin resident, who enlisted in the Navy when he was 15, was one of more than a dozen World War II veterans from Austin who flew from Rochester to Washington D.C. Saturday.

The trip was a part of the National Honor Flight program that enables veterans of “The Greatest Generation” to fly to the nation’s capitol for free to visit the World War II Memorial.

“I’ll never forget that,” Rector said. “Chances are I’ll never get to go there again.”

The trip was up and back, one day, with an itinerary that included stops at the Vietnam, Lincoln and Korean War memorials.

Even Former Sen. Bob Dole, a Word War II veteran himself, was part of the festivities.

“It was great,” Rector said of the experience.

Rector, 79, enlisted into the Navy toward the end of World War II.

“I went in in ‘45 and got out in ‘47,” he said.

He served time in the South Pacific toward the end of the war, including a stint in Guam where he said he was involved in some combat with Japanese soldiers who came out of the hills.

“I did some shooting, and I got shot at,” he said. “But at night it’s bad news because you don’t know if you were shooting or being shot at by your own guys.”

When the Honor Flight arrived back in Rochester Saturday, the veterans were greeted by hundreds of friends and family, which included Rector’s two daughters who came to surprise their father.

“I was there to support my dad,” said Susan Kitzman, Rector’s daughter.

The welcoming home ceremony even included a performance of bagpipes.

“When I heard those bagpipes, it brought a tear to my eye,” Rector said.

For more about the Southeastern Minnesota Honor Flight, which is funded strictly by donations, or to contribute, call Peter Mathias at (507) 251-4557.