Washington: Former U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed his appreciation to a group of Korean War and Vietnam War veterans aboard an "honor flight" ahead of Veterans Day, stressing that their sacrifices will be honored "today and every day."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Obama made a surprise appearance in front of the veterans on the flight from Madison, Wisconsin, to Washington, as seen in a video clip he posted on X on Tuesday. The trip was organized by the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring veterans and their families through such flights.

"To all those who bravely served our country, thank you to you and your family for your extraordinary service," Obama wrote on X. "The sacrifices that all of you have made to protect our country will be honored, today and every day."

Obama caught the veterans by surprise and delivered a message of gratitude via the intercom on the plane. "As we approach Veterans Day, I wanted to stop by and just say thank you for your extraordinary service," he said. "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."

The Honor Flight Network, which consists of over 128 hubs across the country, organizes these flights to honor veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War by bringing them to the U.S. capital to visit memorials commemorating their sacrifices. The network transports roughly 22,500 veterans annually and has flown over 300,000 veterans to Washington over the last 20 years.

The organization stated that its vision is to achieve a "nation where all of America's veterans experience the honor, gratitude and community of support they deserve."