A group of World War II veterans are heading overseas from Boston to see their old battlegrounds. The trip was made possible by fundraisers and donations. It's an incredible operation, giving the veterans a chance to walk the streets of cities they helped liberate. 

This trip to Europe won't be a first for 101-year-old veteran Les Schrenk. "It would take me a couple of hours to tell you all my memories," Schrenk said before their flight from Logan Airport. 

Schrenk was part of a B-17 crew, flying across Europe throughout WWII. He volunteered when he was 19 years old and was shot down a year later. 

"After the war, actually tracking down the German pilot that shot me down, going to visit him, and becoming friends," Schrenk said. 

Battle of the Bulge anniversary

And now, Schrenk and six other local WWII veterans are getting the chance to go back to Belgium for the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. 

"I know it's not going to be just like it was when I was there, but I've been looking forward to seeing everything, and there's going to be so many people that maybe I can see and recognize," said WWII veteran Bill Glaspie. "It's just an exciting trip and I'm honored to be a part of it." 

The group had a police escort to Logan Airport where they took off from Wednesday evening. The trip is organized by Boston Police Officer Andrew Biggio. 

"They went their whole lives never going back overseas because they had traumatic events, or it was the war, and they wanted to forget it," Biggio said. "Now at their age, at 100 years old, most of them outlived their wife or a child and they've decided now they're going to make that trek back, see their friends that are buried in the cemeteries over there and pay tribute to what they did during World War II." 

Biggio and his group have made over 20 trips back to Europe with over 80 WWII veterans.