Vikings surprise veterans with trip to Washington D.C.

The Minnesota Vikings are honoring five veterans with a surprise Veteran’s Day weekend trip to Washington D.C.

The breakfast get-together at the Hy-Vee Grill in Eagan was all a cover.

Gregory Zeimer played it like a slightly out of tune fiddle.

“She didn’t have any idea,” said Greggory Zeimer. “I kept telling her that we were going a hunting trip, but she doesn’t hunt, so she kept looking at me funny."

Zeimer’s wife Tiffany, a nine-year Army veteran had no idea and neither did Rick, a Vietnam veteran.

“I can’t even begin to explain it,” said Rick. “I just can’t.”

Rick, Tiffany and three other vets were surprised with a Veteran’s Day weekend trip to Washington D.C.

It was all of it the brain child of the Minnesota Vikings and Hy-Vee.

“They are going to fly out to Washington D.C. and tomorrow we’re going to start early in the morning and go to Arlington National Cemetery where they are going to have a special Veterans Day presentation,” said Brett Taber of the Minnesota Vikings. “They are going to go from there to a private tour of the U.S. Capitol with the help of Senator Klobuchar, and then from there they are going to go to a private moonlight tour of some of the war memorials.”

They’ll also be sideline at the Vikings game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

For Rick, it’s a dream trip to the city he’s always wanted to see.

“Many friends who were over there kept telling me go Rick, you need to go,” he said. “And this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’ll remember it until the day I die, it’s phenomenal."

The Vikings worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to select five veterans from nearly 500 nominations.