UPDATE Regarding EVENTS

With thousands of like-minded followers, Patriot Connections has been dedicated to providing our veteran, military, first responder and patriot community with a comprehensive resource of events in NJ, PA and the surrounding areas for the last 10 years - including resources for veterans and first responders. Whether it's information on upcoming 5K Runs/Walks, Sporting Events, Job Fairs, Town Hall Meetings, Motorcycle Runs, Ceremonies, Dinners, Dances, Honor Missions, Welcome Homes, Golf Outings, or Resources for our Veterans, Military and 1st Responders. 

November 2021 - Over the last couple of years (including COVID), many events were cancelled/postponed and most organizations have chosen to list their events on social media platforms such as Facebook. Due to decrease in organizations listing their events directly on the Patriot Connection website, we primarily just list events on the Patriot Connections Facebook Page. Feel free to visit our Facebook Page for upcoming events and submit your events there. 

 

 

Traveling Vietnam Wall in Bucks County PA

Traveling Vietnam Wall in Bucks County PA

07/14/2017 - 07/16/2017    
12:00 am
From July 14th - 16, 2017, the Traveling Vietnam Wall will be open for visitation 24/7 at Penndel Memorial Ball Field, PFC John Dalola Av, Penndel, PA 19047
2nd Annual VetFest - Nam Knights

2nd Annual VetFest - Nam Knights

07/15/2017 - 07/16/2017    
All Day
Nam Knights of America MC Lehigh Valley chapter will be holding our 2nd annual VetFest to be held July 15th and 16th 2017 at the Steel Stacks venue in Bethlehem, PA. This Event will be a celebration to honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of veterans of all branches of service and theaters of conflict as well as that of out local law enforcement officers. More details to follow. contact RJ at 610-972-5585 or rjshenyo@hotmail.com
Sun & Sand 5K & 1Mile

Sun & Sand 5K & 1Mile

07/15/2017    
All Day
Sun and Sand 5K & 1 Mile Benefiting Mid-Atlantic Police & Fire Survivors Join us in North Wildwood this summer for the Mid-Atlantic Police and Fire Survivors' Weekend fundraising 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk. First 300 participants receive t-shirts! All teams are welcome (for registered teams of 5, the first 3 score.) Register online at: https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/NorthWildwood/SunandSand5K Date: Saturday, July 15, 2017 Check-in: 7:30 - 8:45 a.m. Location: Greater Elks Lodge, 1st & NJ Avenues, North Wildwood, NJ Start: Race begins promptly at 9 a.m. Please help us in remembering those spouses, children, parents, and siblings who still pay a daily price for the ultimate sacrifice of their heroes. If you have any questions regarding the event please feel free to contact us at sunandsand5k@gmail.com
15 Jul

2nd Annual Back the Blue Jeep Ride 2017 Gloucester County

07/15/2017    
8:30 am
2nd annual Back the Blue Ride for July 15th. Our local police departments deserve our support. We will meet a the Deptford Mall parking lot near Macy's at 8:30am. Group photo before heading out to our first Police Station stop. Jeeps, motorcycles welcome.
15 Jul

Civil War Saturday

07/15/2017    
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
The Civil War comes to life at Fort Mifflin with a living history encampment including soldiers and civilians, musket drills, Battlefield medicine demonstrations, artillery demonstrations, hearth cooking and scavenger hunt. Explore military justice at a “live” court martial.  Guided tours focus on areas of the Fort that served as a Federal prison during the Civil War.  Saturday, July 15 from 10 AM till 4 PM. Tickets: $10 adults, $8.00 seniors, $4.00 VETERANS and Children under 12. ACTIVE MILITARY & Children under 5 FREE. Tickets available at our website: www.fortmifflin.us
Road Rally Poker Run

Road Rally Poker Run

07/15/2017    
10:00 am
Road Rally Poker Run - Mike Linde Memorial Run - proceeds benefit our veteran. Rally begins at Abilities Solutions, 1208 Delsea Dr., Westville. Route stops: Barbs Harley, Nicks Cycle Shop, Tilted Kilt, Otts on the Green. Rally finishes Brunswick Bowling - Deptford (free bowling) Continental Breakfsast Bowling Prizes and more. $250 Cash Prize for best hand. Pre register $25, at door $35. Passengers free. Consolation Prize for worst hand. Rain date 7/16. Check in begins at 10am. Register at www.abilities4work.com or tgran@abilities4work.com
10th Annual Rib Cook Off - Amer Leg Riders

10th Annual Rib Cook Off - Amer Leg Riders

07/15/2017    
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
$20 in advance, $25 at gate. Ribs, Salads, Beer, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs. Proceeds to benefit American Veterans. Live music by Brother Sal. For more info Jim 732-814-9306
15 Jul

Escort / Welcome Home Spec4 Matt Tomczak at Phila Airport

07/15/2017    
1:15 pm
Join Warriors Watch and Operation Yellow Ribbon to welcome Home Spec4 Matt Tomczak at the Philadelphia Airport. Spec 4 Matt Tomczak is flying in from Ft. Riley Kansas for some well-deserved vacation after his deployment in South Korea. His Dad is part of a military vehicle group and will be spending time at the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. Our Hero's Dad and other members of his group will be bringing some pieces of equipment to ride with us up 95 to Far Northeast Philly. Meet at Firebase 69 at 1:20pm.
Art Jensen Jr Annual Pig Roast

Art Jensen Jr Annual Pig Roast

07/15/2017    
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
SAVE THE DATE!!!!! For the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 310 Art Jensen Jr. Annual Pig Roast Join us for our world famous 100 plus pounds of pig, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the cob, salads, london broil, mussels, and BBQ chicken. Music by The Woodpeckers" Huge 50/50 prize Cost $25.00 and children under 12 eat free! Price includes Draft beer and soda All proceeds go to Veterans and children's programs.
The MTM Players at Legion Post 455 presents "Love, Sex, and the I.R.S." - Dessert Theater benefiting veterans

The MTM Players at Legion Post 455 presents "Love, Sex, and the I.R.S." - Dessert Theater benefiting veterans

07/15/2017 - 07/16/2017    
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Come join American Legion Post 455 and their acting troupe "MTM Players" with the presentation of Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore's zany comedy dessert show benefiting veterans programs. Dessert show ticket prices are $20.00 and $18.00 for seniors, veterans & active military.  Dessert is served one hour before curtain (Fri, Sat shows 8pm curtain, Sun shows 2pm curtain). For tix/info: http://www.mtmplayers.org or you can call the box office directly at: 1-800-838-3006. DINNER AT THE CHESTERFIELD INN - DESSERT AND A SHOW AT POST 455! Have dinner or lunch before all of our dessert shows at The Chesterfield Inn and a portion of your dinner/lunch check will be donated directly to Post 455! You should call The Chesterfield Inn for reservations for your lunches or [...]
Karaoke Night at the Legion

Karaoke Night at the Legion

07/15/2017    
8:00 pm
Come on out for a great time with friends, food an music ! From 8pm until Midnight Karaoke and the kitchen will be open! Sing your favorite songs ........... and maybe someone will sing God Bless America or other patriotic songs!
 


PATRIOT CONNECTIONS DOG TAG PROJECT

The Patriot Connections DOG TAG PROJECT MISSION: Return dog tags that were lost and found to the veterans they belong to or their families. If you believe we may have your dog tag please contact Director of Research/Returns Sue Quinn-Morris at squinn9807@aol.com or 856-495-7270.

THE DOG TAG COLLECTIONS

SOUTH JERSEY COLLECTION – This collection of dog tags (450) journey home began in 1993 from DaNang and China Beach area in Vietnam where they were being sold in shops. Gloucester County Time Reporter Jim Six asked the then Deptford Police Chief Ray Milligan to purchase as many as he could and bring them home, as Milligan traveled back and forth to Vietnam for Operation Smile. He brought back 450 of them and gave them to Jim Six. Over the years several people/organizations worked with Jim Six on returning some of the dog tags. In 2010, he gave the rest to us to try and locate and return the rest of them. With much effort and research, we have located many, completed returns and have more returns underway throughout the United States. 

BOUGOURD COLLECTION - This collection of dog tags began their journey home after British Army/Navy veteran, Aaron Bougourd, received them from the family of Major Thien in 2006. Bougourd had been volunteering for the Father Ray Foundation Orphanage in Thialand when he met Major Thien, and helped him find his lost family in Vietnam. Thien, a South Vietnamese officer living as a refugee. Major Ly Kim Thien was commissioned as an officer of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in 1964 and served in several capacities throughout Vietnam up until the fall of Saigon in 1975. It was after this that he was sent to a communist reeducation camp, where he was tortured and forced to denounce his anti-communist beliefs. In 1994 he escaped Vietnam on foot through Cambodia and on to Thailand, which is where Aaron Bougourd met him. Thien’s family, as a token of appreciation, gave Bougourd some dog tags they had found at Ben Hoa Air Base. Aaron, a resident of the UK, reached out and sent some of the dog tags to Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project to help return them. Returns are underway. 

SANTAYANA COLLECTION - Touring the Ho Chi Minh trail in 1998, Wall Street trader Manny Santayana stumbled onto a Vietnamese man who made a living out of extracting bombs from the ground, grinding up the metal and selling it for profit. Sometime he would stumble upon dog tags from U.S. soldiers, which he would collect and store in an ammo bag under his bed. Santayana paid him $100 for 105 dog tags and brought them back home.Over the next several years, he was able to make some returns to dog tag owners, but he eventually became too busy to continue with the research. He then enlisted the help of Senator James Beach, who formed a committee for dog tag returns – Quinn-Morris has researched and facilitated returns from this collection. The collection is stored in the NJ State House.

HUTCHINGS COLLECTION - In December 2012, Jack Hutchings, a prominent businessman in Florida,  had been traveling on his yacht in the Solomon Islands. There, the villagers gave him some American WWII dog tags they had found. He brought them home in hopes of getting them returned to the veterans/families. . Upon returning home, he stumbled across a newspaper article in the Orlando-Sentinel about the dog tag return to USMC Vietnam veteran, James Alderman that we did. This prompted him to contact us in hopes that we could located and return the dog tags to the veterans/families they belong to.

MISC COLLECTIONS - From time to time we are contacted by people that have found dog tags and are looking for help in returning them. As long as they are looking to do so with NO CHARGE to the veteran, we do aide them in finding and returning.

Organizations helping with Dog Tag Project The following organizations have and continue to aid with the return of the dog tags nationwide; Nam Knights of America MC, American Legion Riders, VFW Riders, Warriors Watch Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, various American Legion Posts and VFW Posts. Returns have taken place in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, New York, Arizona, Tennessee, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Ohio, Maine, Kentucky, Washington DC, Oregon, Texas, California, Washington and Michigan.

It is essential to the Project that the dog tags are handled and delivered to the veterans and/or their families in a dignified manner.  From the moment the dog tag is handed off, to the moment it reaches the hand of the veteran, the dog tag is well cared for and attended to, to ensure that it arrives to the veteran/family safely. If you believe we may have your dog tag, or a dog tag that belongs to a family member or friend, please contact Director of Research/Returns Sue Quinn-Morris at squinn9807@aol.com or 856-495-7270.

* Over 100 dog tags have been reunited with the veterans/families they belonged to. Please bear with us as we update the dog tag return stories and dog tag lists *