Cmdr. Hapner Greets Northern California Honor Flight

On Saturday, the Northern California hub of the Honor Flight Network brought 35 WWII veterans to Washington on its inaugural visit to the National WWII Memorial.

AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner was on hand at the memorial, along with former Sen. Bob Dole.

The Northern California hub of Honor Flight was founded in Yountville, Calif., by a group of AMVETS members who wanted to bring veterans from our nation's Greatest Generation to see their memorial before it is too late.

Honor Flight Network, the national non-profit dedicated to bringing WWII veterans to the memorial, set an ambitious goal of helping 35,000 WWII veterans see the nation's capitol in 2009.


(Photos: Top: AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner addresses Northern California AMVETS who helped to organize the regional hub of Honor Flight during their inaugural visit to the National WWII Memorial on Saturday, May 9, 2009. Bottom: Cmdr. Hapner poses for a photo with former Sen. Bob Dole at the National WWII Memorial for the Northern California Honor Flight. Photos by Beryl Love.)

AMVETS joins President Obama to kick off "White House to the Lighthouse" bike ride

Yesterday afternoon, AMVETS was on hand at the White House as President Barack Obama kicked off Wounded Warrior Project's White House to the Light House bike ride.

Started in 2005, the annual ride takes participants on a 65 mile trek from Washington, D.C., to Annapolis, Md., to demonstrate the strength and resolve of our nation's wounded troops, and to build camaraderie.

The President, along with Defense Secretary Roberts Gates, VA Secretary Erik Shinseki, and Assistant VA Secretary Tammy Duckworth, sent the riders off with inspiring words about their sacrifices, their resolve, and the nation's gratitude for their service and inspiration.

The riders will cover the 65 miles over the next three days raising awareness of the challenges facing our returning heroes, as well as raising funds to assist wounded warriors.

(Photos: Top: Onlookers greet riders from Wounded Warrior Project in the annual White House to the Lighthouse ride, as they depart from the south lawn of the White House on Thursday, April 30, 2009. Bottom: President Obama addresses the riders prior to kicking off the ride, alongside secretaries Gates and Shinseki, and Assistant Secretary Duckworth. Photos by Jay Agg.)

Army Ten-Miler registration opens TODAY

Registration for the 25th annual Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., opened this morning and the field of 30,000 runners is likely to fill quickly. To register, Click Here.

The race takes place on Sunday, October 4, 2009, and members from AMVETS National Headquarters have already started signing up.

If you're going to be in the DC Metro area, join us! It's a great opportunity to see the Nation's Capitol in a new way, and to run alongside our nation's heroes and our nation's leaders.

It should be a good time, and we hope to see you there.

-Ryan

(Photo: Runners pass by the Capitol during the 2003 Army Ten-Miler. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Charity Barrett, released.)