Seventy-three veterans, the youngest in their 60s, will fly to Washington, D.C., Saturday morning for a day visiting the memorials to the nation’s armed forces.

Honor Flight Kentucky board member George Campbell said this flight will include nine World War II veterans, 17 from the Korean War, six who served during the Cold War era and 38 who served in Vietnam.

“These are all very highly decorated veterans who served their country,” Campbell said. “We have a host of them, particularly from Korea and Vietnam, who had Purple Hearts.”

One of the WWII veterans, Henry C. Ledford of Clay County, will turn 100 on the trip, according to  statement from Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, which is sponsoring the flight. It will also be Ledford’s first time to fly.

“The veterans we’ve sponsored often tell us this is one of the greatest days of their lives,” said Joe Settles, manager of member services for East Kentucky Power Cooperative, one of Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, said in a statement. “These are people who served and often suffered for our freedom. It’s an honor to express our appreciation.”The flight will also include Julia Martin of Lexington, who was one of the first women to join the U.S. Air Force and is the first African American to join the Air Force, Campbell said. She will also be inducted into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame.

Clark County resident Jimmy Dale Goodpaster will also be on the flight, Campbell said.

Of those making the trip, nine of the veterans are in their 90s and another 23 are in their 80s. The most, 33, are in their 70s, he said.

Each veteran will be accompanied on the flight and throughout the day by a guardian, Campbell said.  The group will visit many of the war and armed service memorials during the day. The flight will leave from Blue Grass Airport at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and return shortly after 8 p.m. Campbell said the public is invited to come to the airport Saturday evening to welcome the group back home.

Parking will be free and there will be shuttle service to the terminals, he said.

The organization’s next flight is scheduled for Oct. 19 exclusively for Vietnam veterans, he said.