If flags could talk, the one brought along on the most recent Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight would have quite the story to tell.

"This is a 48-star flag that I found in an antique store is from the USS Canastota," said Timothy Van Patten II, commander of the Sons of the American Legion for New York state and major history buff.

That ship survived a kamikaze attack - and chased down submarines. It saw its fair share of action.

"It served from 1943 through 1946 in the Pacific Theater,” he said.

This flag - and what it represents - is honored on this and every Honor Flight at the World War II memorial.

"It needed to be home,” Van Patten said. “We need to tell the story there. There aren't a lot of our World War II veterans left to tell the story for themselves."

It's true. The “greatest generation” is growing older, eventually just leaving us with memories.

"We come on these trips, and we take our stories home to our families, that spreading the word the reminder of what's going on," said American Legion commander for New York State David Reilly. "On the importance of why we had these memorials to honor the ones that protected our country over all the generations."

Reilly is helping honor the 48-starred “Old Glory” in Washington while trying to get the importance of service and the American Legion organization out to everyone across New York state and the USA.

"We want them to know that we're here for them and what we can offer them and their families," said Reilly. "That's the important part. Next we're sometimes we struggle with a younger veteran."

As the flag is properly cased, we're reminded of the power it has to help heal wounds, unite and stand as a beacon for even more than just veterans.

"Items like this open up that communication, because someone's going to come in and they're going to see something and they're going to be like, ‘Well, what is this? Why is that here,’" said Van Patten. "It's not just reading the text. On the page. It's having that living history. It's such a rewarding thing to be able to do that. And to share it with other people."

Reilly also noted, at least in his experience around New York state, many World War II vets who wanted to go on Honor Flight have already done so, and there’s a small number still in the works to go.