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. 

 

 

06 Apr

Sgt Pilla Middle School Dedication

SGT. Dominick Pilla Middle School Dedication - All are welcome to attend the Sgt Dominick Pilla School Dedication on Saturday, Aprils 6th - The dedication begins at 12noon. School location is 3133 S. Lincoln Ave., Vineland, NJ. Sgt Pilla, a U.S. Army Ranger killed during the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993 is being honored in his hometown of Vineland as the city’s Lincoln Avenue Middle School will be officially renamed as the Sgt. Dominick Pilla Middle School. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with Valor Device and the Purple Heart.  If you would like to be a part of the Motorcycle Escort bringing a large group of US Rangers to the dedication, meet at Wawa 631 Mullica Hill Rd, Mullica Hill at 10am. [...]
06 Apr

Honor Mission USAF Jerome McKie

Join Warriors Watch Riders and friends to honor USAF Jerome McKie. If interested in participating in the Flag Line, be at Sharpton UMC, 24 Church St, Pilesgrove at 9:30am. Flag line to be in place by 9:45am. Motorcycle escort following 11am service. Obituary for Jerome "Jerry" Mckie Surrounded by his family, Jerome “Jerry” Mckie , 57, of Pennsville passed away peacefully on March 29, 2019. Jerry was born in Salem, NJ to Scott & Cissie (McLaughlin) Mckie on February 17, 1962. He attended and graduated from the Pennsville Christian Academy in 1980. Jerry joined the U.S. Air Force in 1983 and served until 1987. He most recently worked at the Salem County Correctional Facility. Jerry was a huge Phillies fan, always watching them on TV [...]
06 Apr

Freedom Fest #2

New Freedom Farm’s FREEDOM FEST #2 will be held on 04/06/2019It’s “bigger and better” featuring a special opening ceremony with New Freedom Farm’s very own Honor Guard…veterans and mustangs! Three different music acts including The Fisher’s, Scott Helmer and On Common Ground…with food and vendors, you won’t want to miss.** RAIN OR SHINE, JUST LIKE OUR TROOPS SERVE! **SNOW AND SLEET TOO!Food vendors to include BBQ, homemade ice cream and Barnyard Bucky coffee. New Freedom Farm merchandise and concert event T-shirts. Silent auction. Gates open at 11AM, The Fisher’s 12-2 PMSpecial Patriotic Opening Ceremonies begin at 2:00PMScott Helmer from 2:30 – 5:00PM and On Common Ground from 5:00 – 8:00PM.Cost: $10.00 admission includes concert and one raffle ticket. You don’t need to be present to [...]
06 Apr

Vietnam War Living History Day

04/06/2019    
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Experience Vietnam War artifacts, re-enactors, Vietnam veteran interviews and even 1960s music on the pier's PA. The Battleship's annual Vietnam War Living History Day is Saturday, April 6 from 10am to 3pm. Vietnam activities are free to experience when you purchase a Turret II guided tour or a Fire Power audio tour of the Battleship. Vietnam War artifact owners, military vehicle owners and re-enactors who want to participate can email events@battleshipnewjersey.org or call 866-877-6262 x144 https://www.facebook.com/events/1524523564359141/
06 Apr

Legion Riders Post 252 Spaghetti Dinner

04/06/2019    
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
American Legion Riders Post 252 Spaghetti Dinner April 6th 4pm-8pm  $10pp Cash Bar American Legion Post Canteen 20 Sicklerville Rd, Williamstown, NJ 08094  
06 Apr

S.O.S. Beefsteak

04/06/2019    
7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Beefsteak and tricky trayhttps://www.facebook.com/events/365051254083517/
06 Apr

Karaoke Night @ VFW Post 491

04/06/2019    
8:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Join us for another great night of singing with your friends at Post 491! KJ/DJs Karen and Mark will be back with your favorite songs. Huge selection of songs with monitors to sing along. We're looking forward to seeing you again on the 6th!
 


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 *