# Supporting The Troops



## Njaco (Aug 14, 2008)

Every once in awhile I hear about an organization that helps the troops in some way. Not having been in the military I don't have access to some programs offered by the government but do my part when ever a organization I hear sounds like its doing some good. So I wanted to list some organizations that help the troops in one way or another.

The first website has numerous listings for anybody's desire and the other two I list I thought were great.

Show Your Support

Patriot Guard Riders -->Home
(I have seen these guys in action and its the greatest!)

The Gratitude Campaign


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## RabidAlien (Aug 16, 2008)

Thank you for that, NJ.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 16, 2008)

Great Stuff!

Ya know, it wasn't that long ago when I was doing the one week end a month gig at a base 100 miles away from my home. One night after a change of command 4 of us went out to dinner in our "Cracker Jacks." When it came time to pay the tab our waiter told us it was covered as well as our bar tab (4 sailors, yikes!). We never knew who paid our tab but as I left that restaurant I did have tears in my eyes thinking that there were people out there so grateful for existence of our servicemen....

To me its folks like this that makes America great!


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## Njaco (Aug 16, 2008)

Guilty as charged. I've done that twice. Once when my brother graduated from Parris and was shipped over to the ME right after Beruit in the early 80s. I was scared for him and thought in some weird way it would show my appreciation and help, too. Just some Matines in a bar that I didn't know. Paid their tab. Don't think they ever knew.


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## comiso90 (Aug 16, 2008)

thanks for the post


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## Wildcat (Aug 17, 2008)

NJ I hope you don't mind me posting this link to send messages of support to Aussie troops. I can personally vouch to this messages reach to troops and are very appreciated!
Australian Army


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## Njaco (Aug 17, 2008)

Thats what the thread is for!


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 17, 2008)

Njaco said:


> Guilty as charged. I've done that twice.


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## evangilder (Aug 17, 2008)

I have been known to pay for the lunch tab for airmen from Channel Islands ANG and for sailors from Point Mugu. Just one way to say thanks. 

Here is another worthy cause:
STEP UP 4 VETS


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## B-17engineer (Aug 18, 2008)

I live in Jersey and for school this year I had a project I donated from the USO ...it was a great project the only thing is no one was willing to donate....


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## Njaco (Jun 24, 2012)

_You may be proud of your hometown. You may be proud of your High School. But I am beaming about MY High School and hometown. This is where I grew up and went to school and I am sooooo PROUD!!!_

*Trip to D.C. memorials truly was an honor for veterans*

Trip to D.C. memorials truly was an honor for veterans | NJ.com

Saturday, June 23, 2012,

By Edmund Crispin

Special to the Times

I am one of 75 veterans whom the Honor Flight Network of Southern New Jersey took to Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 2, along with 80 guardians, the Williamstown High School Color Guard and other support people.

The program started the previous Thursday night with an orientation in the high school cafeteria. Every veteran was given a red T-shirt emblazoned with the Honor Flight of Southern New Jersey logo. The guardians were given T-shirts with the same logo. There was time for the veterans to meet other veterans and enjoy stories and goodies. Some came from as far away as Pennsylvania. Each veteran received a red carnation.

At 6 a.m. Saturday, it was check-in time at the cafeteria for an all-you-can eat breakfast. Miss New Jersey and her court visited the group from table to table, a Philadelphia string band played, and many new-found friends were made.

The buses departed at 8 a.m. for Washington, escorted by police and six members of the Vietnam Motorcycle Club. Snacks and bottled water were available for us on the buses at all times.

At each intersection, from Williamstown High School to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, local police blocked traffic for the bus brigade. At the last overpass before the bridge, the Pennsville Fire Dept. had its ladder truck there, its ladder raised and an American flag flying, with firefighters standing at the overpass railing and saluting the veterans as they passed.

We arrived at the World War II monument in Washington about 11:30 a.m. The Williamstown High School Color Guard and veterans using wheelchairs led the rest of the veterans to the monument. Civilians all along the way were saluting and cheering the veterans as they passed. A wreath was laid in front of the New Jersey Tower as part of the honoring ceremony. Many veterans had their pictures taken with the color guard in front of this tower. The next hour could be spent touring the memorials in this immediate area.

The buses then took us to Hains Point Park, where we were provided with a box lunch to eat in the shade. Then we visited the Korean War, Vietnam War and Lincoln memorials. Later, the buses took us to the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Time was getting away from us and we had to leave on our return trip. Just as before, when we crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge, there was a police escort until we arrived at Williamstown High School.

There, we were greeted by Boy Scouts. The school’s halls and cafeteria had been redecorated since the morning, to honor the veterans. The dinner was superb, as were the other two meals. There were gifts provided for each veteran and each guardian. Many Williamstown students and volunteers talked and mingled with the veterans.

I have never seen such compassion, friendliness, and respect shown to veterans anywhere, any time, as I did on this Honor Flight trip. I will never forget it, and I am sure there are 74 other veterans who will never forget it.

On behalf of 75 veterans, I wish to thank everyone involved, especially Ron and Pam Pontano, who are in charge of the Honor Flight of Southern New Jersey group.

Edmund Crispin writes from South Harrison Township. To donate to or volunteer with Honor Flight of Southern New Jersey, go to www.sjhonorflight.org.


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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2012)

Wanted to revive this thread as there are some great organizations out there doing some great things. Here is a story from today's local paper..

Army specialist gets surprise welcome in Glassboro | NJ.com

*Army specialist gets surprise welcome in Glassboro*
Published: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 7:00 AM
By Jessica Driscoll/ Gloucester County Times 

GLASSBORO — United States Army Spc. Aaron Starnes was shocked at the welcome he received during his first visit to New Jersey Wednesday night. Escorted to the Glassboro VFW post by bikers from the Warriors Watch, Last Patrol and the Second Brigade, Starnes was then greeted by the Yellow Ribbon Club, law enforcement and emergency personnel and local residents all waving flags, clapping and cheering for his arrival. The Iraq War veteran, who lives in Arizona, looked slightly dazed as he accepted proclamations from the motorcycle clubs and the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders.


> “I’m very surprised,” aid Starnes. “I’m shocked at all of the different organizations, law enforcement and more. It was really a community effort. You always hear about the negative things, like the Westboro protesters, but most people really appreciate and try to take care of us and this shows that.”


Starnes returned from service to his home state a few years ago but said that return was nothing like what he experienced Wednesday.

While serving, Starnes was a good friend of Pfc. David J. Bentz III, of Clayton, who was killed in action in Baghdad on June 20, 2007. Bentz’s stepmother (aka Mommadukes) Kim Geonnotti stayed in touch with Starnes after her son’s passing and learned recently that Starnes would be making his first trip to the East Coast and visiting Bentz’s memorial. So, she contacted the Yellow Ribbon Club and other organizations to organize the welcome.



> “This is wonderful and bittersweet,” said Geonnotti. “For five years I’ve talked to this young man, one of DJ’s buddies, and today I got to be with part of my son again. Aaron is a wonderful young man and he’s a hero. I consider him part of my family.”



Geonnotti presented Starnes with his commemorative yellow ribbon at his return and released butterflies in memory of Bentz and others who have fallen.



> “The Yellow Ribbon Club knows Kim from when her son was brought home,” said Debi Klemas, a YRC member. “And she told us Aaron was coming to visit DJ’s memorial. She wanted him to get a proper welcome home because he hadn’t had one. And we aim to give returning vets a rock star welcome.”



For his service, Starnes has received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, Combat Action Badge, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Achievement Medal. Since returning, he has been attending college under the GI Bill and hopes to become a law enforcement officer. He said his impression of the Northeast, especially New Jersey, has been great so far.



> “I was just supposed to come say hi,” he said. “But it turned into a lot more.


Contact reporter Jessica Driscoll at [email protected].

For links to the organizations that participated:

Warriors’ Watch Riders: WE HAVE YOUR BACKS AT HOME!

Last Patrol M/C Home

Second Brigade M/C

The Yellow Ribbon Club


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## Njaco (Jul 7, 2012)

and another...

This group have been showing commercials on the local TV stations around here.

Got Your 6: Bridging the American Civilian-Military Divide


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 7, 2012)

That's awesome!


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## Njaco (Jul 23, 2012)

Found this old thread from Evangilder....

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/tribute-boys-3255.html

Tribute to Veterans of WWII, The Korean War and The Vietnam War - Before You Go


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## Njaco (Aug 7, 2012)

New Jersey Herald - Service animals helping troubled GIs adjust

By LUCAS K. MURRAY
Courier-Post of Cherry Hill
MARLTON, N.J. (AP) - The newest addition to Josh and Lori Hufty's home doesn't pass judgment when the man of the house has nightmares or is having a bad day. It's with unconditional love that Kane, a 4-year-old purebred German shepherd, spends almost every waking hour with Hufty.

"He gives me a set of ears that is 100% nonjudgmental," said Hufty, 35, a veteran of nearly 15 years in the Marine Corps who was discharged in 2010 due to post-traumatic stress disorder. He told the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill (Service animals help GIs adjust | Courier-Post | courierpostonline.com) that Kane "never calls me an idiot or says I'm doing weird things. He just sits there and listens. In the worst-case scenario, he just wants a pet."

Hufty, a Williamstown native, served three tours of duty in Iraq. He returned to Gloucester County with Lori and their young son, Jackson, to make a new home in Woodbury, but the things he saw overseas haunted him.

"People don't understand that with PTSD you don't ever feel comfortable," Hufty said. "Once you find a comfortable spot, your house for example, you stay there. There's too many mental or emotional dangers out there for you."

When Hufty has a nightmare, Kane will rouse him from his slumber.

The dog, with its shiny dark coat, is his protector, his rock - a companion that lets him get out and see things, delivering a sense of normalcy again. Hufty can't work and is medically retired.

"He's my helper," said Lori of Kane. "He helps me help him, like my sidekick in many ways. I know if Josh is feeling off, he helps."

Kane came to the Hufty house through Semper Fido, a nonprofit that pairs service members that suffer from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries with service animals.

Welcome to Semper Fido


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## meatloaf109 (Aug 7, 2012)

This is a fine program. I hope that this catches on across the country.


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## evangilder (Aug 7, 2012)

That is a fantastic idea. Too few people know a thing about PTSD, and what it does to a person. It's too bad that it takes a non-profit group to help those with PTSD. It never goes away completely and coping with the psychological and physiological parts of it (YES, there are physiological parts of it too) are the hardest things to do without being stigmatized. Some days are better than others and having something like this is a simple, and effective help.


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## Njaco (Aug 7, 2012)

I'll be honest - I'm kinda proud of the various services that my hometown and surrounding areas are doing for vets.


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## evangilder (Aug 7, 2012)

As you should be. Too few communities do so.


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2012)

*Gloucester County College memorializes veteran with new scholarship*

Gloucester County College memorializes veteran with new scholarship | NJ.com

DEPTFORD TWP. — Although Eric Domurat’s college experience was cut short during World War II, a new Gloucester County College scholarship in his honor will ensure that others who have served the country will have a chance to further their education.
Domurat died last fall at 96 years of age, but with the help of his family and the college, his memory will live on through the studies of others.

The Eric Domurat Memorial Scholarship will be available to honorably discharged United States military veterans.
It will provide $500 annually to one Gloucester County resident with a grade-point average of 2.5 or greater attending GCC full-time.
Barbara Turner, Domurat’s daughter and dean of the college’s new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) division, arranged the perpetual scholarship with her mother’s blessing.


> “We wanted to do what we could to share with others the opportunity of an education,”


 said Turner, whose family is thrilled with the possibility of aiding others in their learning endeavors.
Domurat was studying art conservation in Poland when he was drafted into the Polish army at the beginning of WWII.


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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2012)

Yellow Ribbon Club to shut down after 7 years of welcoming home veterans | NJ.com

Saturday, September 08, 2012, 9:00 AM
By Phil Davis/Gloucester County Times 

*Yellow Ribbon Club to shut down after 7 years of welcoming home veterans*

EVESHAM — After seven years of greeting Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans to the tune of motorcycles revving and police sirens blaring, the Yellow Ribbon Club will be no longer be welcoming home Gloucester County troops from oversees.
According to the club’s Founder and President, Leslie Drummond, the club will also no longer be accepting donations and will use the remaining funds in the club treasury to purchase items to ship to troops overseas.

Some of the remaining members of the club will start the Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey Club in its stead, with David Silver heading operations of the new club once the remaining funds from the existing Yellow Ribbon Club have been spent by the end of the year.

Drummond said that ending the club was a tough decision and that she’s thankful that former members of the club will continue to support returning troops with the club’s shining “Welcome Home” events.


> “It’s gotten so big that maybe additional steps would have had to be made to continue,”


 said Drummond, citing problems with members being able to attend all the “Welcome Home” events.


> “You come to a crossroads where you have to make a decision,”


said Drummond.

Drummond started the Yellow Ribbon Club in 2005, when her son was deployed to Iraq with the 104th Airborne Division. For her, it was a way to not only honor troops deployed overseas, but also a way to productively occupy her time while her son was an ocean away.


> “Seven years ago, I felt like I was alone with my son being deployed,” said Drummond. “We didn’t know if we were going to get support or not. And it all turned out for the positive. It was a great ride.”



And for Silver’s new club, the goal isn’t trying to replicate exactly what the Yellow Ribbon Club has done over the past seven years. Shipping over 28,000 pounds of goods to Afghanistan to give troops a helping hand and facilitating over 300 “Welcome Home” events among other things, Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey is simply looking to keep up the spirit of the former club.


> “There’s no way anyone can match what the Yellow Ribbon Club has done,” said Silver. “It would be an honor to do even one percent of what they did.”



Thank You From Our Troops


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## Njaco (Sep 22, 2012)

East Greenwich's 'Widow Sons' motorcycle club help transport Vietnam-era aircraft | NJ.com

Friday, September 21, 2012, 8:00 PM
By Rebecca Forand/South Jersey Times 

EAST GREENWICH TWP. — Motorcycles lined the road Thursday morning as the riders helped escort a Vietnam-era helicopter from South Carolina to the Harmon Museum and Historical Society in Old Orchards, Maine.

The motorcade stopped at the Masonic Lodge No. 87 in East Greenwich, bringing the large, green aircraft through the area on a flat-bed truck, and picking up a few more riders. Widow Sons motorcycle club members from all over South Jersey joined the group here with plans to continue on for the duration of the ride.



> “We’re showing some respect for the veterans,”


said District Department Master Bill Dutka.

The Widow Sons Masonic Riders Association is an international organization that aims to raise Masonic awareness through the sport of motorcycling and its members contribute to a multitude of charities, from those supporting the widows and orphans of Mason members to hunger charities and the Wounded Warriors project, which Thursday’s ride benefited.



> “Motorcyclists get that bad connotation a lot,” Donald Moser, a member of the Hiram’s Thunder chapter of the Widow Sons, said. “We’re going out and showing force by doing some good. We are bringing Freemasonry into the light. And hopefully we bring some good.”



The Vietnam-era Huey Cobra helicopter, painted in its original colors with a cobra on its door, will spend the weekend continuing its travel to Maine, where it will be welcomed to the museum with a parade and a POW-MIA festivital on its arrival Saturday.

In the meantime, the riders escorting the aircraft up I-95 to I-495 are donating and collecting money to go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity that provides services to severely injured U.S. service members on their return to the United States as they try to transition back into daily life.

James Mowel, the Connecticut Widow Sons president and a member of the National Guard, has been on the ride since it started Tuesday and plans on continuing through to its final destination.



> “We appreciate the sacrifice they’ve done and the time they’ve spent,” he said. “It shows appreciation and that we respect for what we do.”



The Official Homepage of the International Widows Sons Masonic Riders Association, WSMRA since 1998


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## Njaco (Dec 30, 2012)

Three decades of Operation Fireside continues for Coast Guard

CAPE MAY, N.J. – The Coast Guard and the American Red Cross will place more than 190 Coast Guard recruits with more than 45 local-host families for Thanksgiving as part of Operation Fireside Thursday at 8:45 a.m.

Operation Fireside has placed recruits with South Jersey families during the holiday season since 1981. It allows the recruits to celebrate the holiday with a host family while they’re separated from their loved ones during the rigorous basic training program. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May has approximately 200 recruits in training from more than 27 states and U.S. territories.

This also occurs during Christmas.


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## Njaco (Jan 17, 2013)

Jim Six: Defenders hope to help warriors in transition | NJ.com

*Defenders hope to help warriors in transition*

By Jim Six/South Jersey Times 
on January 17, 2013 at 5:00 AM, updated January 17, 2013 at 5:07 AM


This news organization has often covered the triumphant return of local sons and daughters returning from the war, wherever the war happened to be.

There are often great photographs of huge American flags hanging from 85-foot-tall ladders on fire trucks as crowds of well-wishers gather to let the veterans know just how proud of them we all are.

This news organization has also covered the more somber return of GIs who died in the field, passing from this physical world in the uniform of the military of the United States of America, transiting to whatever Valhalla there is for fallen warriors.

This news organization has less frequently covered the return of those GIs whose status falls in the middle, those who were lucky enough to survive, but who returned wounded in some way.

We shouldn’t forget about them.

The Defenders South Jersey 2 Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club agrees.

The Defenders has 55 chapters nationwide, three of which are in New Jersey.

Les “Hanshi” Whinna is the secretary of the South Jersey chapter. The Defenders is, by its own bylaws, made up of 70 percent active or retired law enforcement riders and 30 percent active or retired military members. First responders who aren’t cops can also join.

The South Jersey Defenders is planning a beef-and-beer event at Masso’s in Williamstown on March 16. Typical beef-and-beer — there will be 450 tickets at $25 a pop, but the Defenders will only get a few bucks from that. Auctions — one member is or was an auctioneer, so it might not be a silent auction. Prizes. Giveaways.

Les wants people to just pony up a few bucks, if they can. They’d like to be able to make a big donation when this is all over.

Where’s the money going?

It’s staying in South Jersey: the Warriors Transition Unit at Fort Dix. It will be spent for GIs who are transitioning out of the military because of injuries, or who are trying the get back to being healthy enough to remain in the service.

The South Jersey Defenders chapter has about 30 members, said Les, and most of them live in Gloucester County. This organization doesn’t mess around. New members must go through three-months of probation and survive a criminal background check — one of their newest members is a former police chief and he hasn’t been officially approved yet, said Les.

“Last year, we did a poker run,” he said. Trouble is, motorcycle poker runs are dependent on good weather, so the organization decided to do just this beef-and-beer event this year.

Les is serious about getting as many donations as possible — for prizes or good old cash — in addition to the ticket sales.

“We would like to give (the Warrior Transition Unit) $10,000 and that’s the bottom line,” he said.

If you’d like to buy tickets or donate, contact Defenders South Jersey 2 at P.O. Box 2826, Vineland, NJ 08362, call 856-494-4128 or send an email to [email protected].

Oh, they’ll take your credit card.

Defenders MC » Nuke-Evolution » Welcome to Defenders Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club


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## Njaco (Mar 6, 2014)

*Dogs on Deployment*

http://dogsondeployment.org/

Dogs on Deployment promotes responsible pet-ownership and the military-pet community by providing an online resource for military members to search for volunteers who are willing to board their pets while they're on deployment. Military members nation-wide confront a multitude of problems during their careers, the last thing they need to worry about is their pet's care during their service commitments. Dogs On Deployment is a 501(c)(3) national non-profit which provides an online network for service members to search for volunteers who are willing to board their pets during their owner's service commitments. Dogs on Deployment promotes responsible, life-long pet ownership by military pet owners by advocating for military pet owner rights, providing educational resources and granting financial assistance for military pet owners during times of emergency.

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## vikingBerserker (Mar 6, 2014)

Awesome!


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## Njaco (Jun 20, 2014)

*New Jersey Hospital to Offer Veterans Priority*

New Jersey Hospital to Offer Veterans Priority - ABC News

Under the initiative announced Tuesday, veterans living in the seven southern New Jersey counties are being promised same-day primary care appointments and help from health care navigators at Cooper University Health Care. Veterans would be served at the hospital in Camden and at system clinics in southern New Jersey.

"We'll worry later about who pays or whether or not Cooper absorbs that cost," said Cooper chairman George Norcross III, who is also a Democratic political powerbroker and the brother of New Jersey congressional candidate Donald Norcross.

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## vikingBerserker (Jun 21, 2014)

That is awesome.


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## N4521U (Jun 21, 2014)

I have two grandsons in the States, 11 and 9.
I am just afraid this will be continuing even After they are of service age.

I missed Vietnam by just months serving in the USN.
One of the helicopter aircrewmen I served with, James I Pratt, AX1 was lost with the pilots in a helo in the South China Sea less then one year after I was discharged, as an AXAN. 

He was on the Yorktown when I joined it in '63. I was discharged April 1, 1964 from Imperial Beach, Rheem Field. They were serving on board the Yorktown, CVS-10, when lost on a non-combat night op. HS-4 still serves with distinction.

James I Pratt, AX1
Thomas D. Vincent, LT.
Charles K. Moran, LT. ......... February 25, 1965.........all with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 4. Perished in a crash at sea.

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## Njaco (Jul 7, 2014)

This is a new one on me!!!

*East Greenwich fallen soldier Capt. Ryan Iannelli one of 12 memorialized on Dog Tag Brewing beer cans*

East Greenwich fallen soldier Capt. Ryan Iannelli one of 12 memorialized on Dog Tag Brewing beer cans | NJ.com

Not being a fan of alcohol consumption, when Donna Iannelli first heard that someone wanted to memorialize her son on a beer can, she didn't think it was a good idea, but after seeing it come to fruition, she now sees it as one more way for Ryan's life and sacrifice to be remembered.

Capt. Ryan Iannelli, an East Greenwich native and Kingsway High School graduate, joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Oral Roberts University in 2006. He was assigned to the Marine Light Attack helicopter squadron 269, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

On Sept. 28, 2011, Iannelli's helicopter was brought down and he was killed during combat missions in Helman Province, Afghanistan.

Dog Tag Brewing has a lager and an IPA and it uses Rexam's Standard Editions printing technology — a revolutionary way of labeling its product — to be able to create different cans in each package.

There are 12 fallen soldiers currently featured on the packaging, which also sports a camouflage design.


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## Njaco (Oct 9, 2014)

You guys have to check this out!

Busting Posers -- We Have a Real Doozy This Time | MyServicePride.com

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## Njaco (Dec 4, 2014)

Found 2 places that help military pets.....



_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_-JrmAmWI_


and.....
Welcome To Dogs On Deployment | Dogs On Deployment

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## Torch (Dec 5, 2014)

I used to deal with a Tony Iannelli,owned a jewelry store in the diamond district in NYC. Wonder if there's a relationship there. I need to check it out..

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## Njaco (Apr 12, 2015)

*LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WARRIORS WATCH HELP VET.*

This is in a nearby town that I work in. The Gibbstown Volunteer Fire Dept was asked to assist the Warriors' Watch Riders with a Mug and Hug. They wanted to recognize a township resident who is a WWII vet and was a POW for 15 months during his service. They posted these pics on their Facebook page of the meeting.

Warriors? Watch Riders: WE HAVE YOUR BACKS AT HOME!

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## Njaco (Jun 7, 2015)

These guys just interred some veterans that were found sitting on shelves in some funeral palors...

New Jersey's Mission of Honor - Home


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