Honor Flight Veterans made their way to Washington D.C. after their trip was almost cancelled due to the Government shut down.
WWII and Korean Era Veterans along with guardians were scheduled to depart to Washington, D.C. at 7 a.m. Thursday, October 3, 2013.
The trip was delayed for more than three hours, after an owl was caught in the plane's engine.
As veterans finally arrived in D.C., they met with Sen. Chuck Grassley on Capitol Hill.
From there, veterans were able to view the National World War II and Korean War memorials.
However, due to some changes in the itinerary, several memorials and monuments were closed.
Shortly after 2:00 p.m., shots were fired around Capitol Hill during a police chase.
Police locked Capitol Hill down and fortunately none of the veterans were hurt in the incident.
Bob Morrison, the Director of the Quad Cities Honor Flight said the vets were all safe.
"We were with congressmen, senators and park service, so there was people all around who could take care of things. We weren't worried about it at all, it wasn't a factor," Morrison said.
Despite the government shut down, delays at the gate and the shooting on Capitol Hill, the veterans were unmoved by the obstacles.
"I can tell you that there are things we haven't been able to see, but there are things we're seeing for the first time and even though it's not the same, it's better," says Morisson.