Highlights from the 55th annual Silver Helmet

On Saturday night, AMVETS hosted its 55th annual Silver Helmet Awards banquet at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md.

AMVETS from across the country packed the house to pay tribute to this year's recipients, Danny Devine, Tammy Duckworth, Cathy Hargrave, and "E.J." Knapick. Devine, Duckworth, and Knapick are all members of AMVETS.


(AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner poses for a photo with Tammy Duckworth and her husband, Army Maj. Bryan Bowlsbey.)

(AMVETS National Deputy Provost Marshal Arthur "A.J." Johns prepares each Silver Helmet Award for presentation.)


(Tammy Duckworth accepts her award as Civil Servant of the Year. During her acceptance speech, Duckworth brought many in the room to the brink of tears, recounting her experiences and the struggles she has overcome as a wounded warrior.)


(Danny Devine accepts his Silver Helmet Rehabilitation Award. Devine spoke about his motivation to continue serving his fellow veterans--a mission he embarked upon in the mid-1990s as a staff member at AMVETS National Headquarters. Devine also spoke about the personal sacrifices that have come along with a life dedicated to serving the needs of veterans.)


(AMVETS Past National Commander Chuck Taylor presented Cathy Hargrave with her Silver Helmet Americanism award for her tireless work at Poy Sippi Elementary School in Wisconsin. Taylor caught Hargrave by surprise when he hosted a special reception at Poy Sippi, announcing the award. Taylor gathered Hargrave's students, family, and Poy Sippi leaders to recognize Hargrave for her accomplishments. Taylor somehow managed to keep it from her in the unincorporated Wisconsin village of fewer than 1,000 residents.)


(WWII Navy veteran "E.J." Knapick accepts his award as AMVET of the Year, the highest honor AMVETS can bestow upon its members. Knapick is a charter member of New York AMVETS Post 21 and he has been a vocal contributor within the veterans' community and at every level of AMVETS for nearly 60 years.)


(Devine meets with Duckworth and her husband prior to the evening's banquet.)

I wanted to share some of the evening's moments with you, and I apologize for the length of this post. Once we start an AMVETS Flickr account, this will be considerably easier.

-Ryan

(All photos by Ryan Gallucci)

Blogging from the Silver Helmet & NEC

It's once again time for the spring meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee, and next week is going to be a busy one for AMVETS. It all starts on Tuesday with Legislative Director Ray Kelley's testimony before the House and Senate on the VA budget process for FY2010. On Thursday, National Commander John Chad Hapner will testify before a special joint session of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees, outlining AMVETS' legislative agenda for the year. Later on Thursday, AMVETS will honor Texas Congressman Chet Edwards with a special Silver Helmet reception on Capitol Hill. Spring NEC preliminary business starts on Friday, with the full committee session on Saturday, followed by the 55th annual Silver Helmet Amwards banquet Saturday night. American Veteran magazine will be on hand to cover all of the events, with updates from Capitol Hill, the banquet, and the floor of then NEC.

In addition to the special award for Rep. Edwards, AMVETS will honor four more remarkable individuals during the black tie banquet for their contributions to the veterans' community: Danny Devine, Tammy Duckworth, Cathy Hargrave, and "E J" Knapick. To learn more about each recipient, visit the official Silver Helmet Awards page. This year's Silver Helmet Awards banquet and spring NEC will take place at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md.

American Veteran magazine is going to hit the ground running on Tuesday, with comprehensive coverage of all the week's activities. Be sure to check in regularly at americanveteranmagazine.blogspot.com, and be on the look out of the spring issue of American Veteran magazine, with more photos and highlights from this exciting week.

-Ryan

(Photos, Top: Guests gather last spring for the 54 Annual Silver Helmet Awards at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. Photo courtesy of AMVETS. Center: Past National Commander JP Brown III testifies before the special joint veterans affairs committee in spring 2008. Photo by Isaac Pacheco.)