event photos

POW*MIA FLAG RAISING - ROCKLEDGE HIGH SCHOOL

Thanks to our friends at Space Coast Daily TV Friday Night Locker Room, the below video was streamed live during our POW*MIA Flag Raising at Rockledge High School. Special thanks to Principle Clark, LTC (R) USA. Brian Waelen, and the entire JROTC cadet corps. You all did a fantastic job.

https://www.facebook.com/SpaceCoastDaily/videos/rolling-thunder-flag-raising-at-rockledge-high-school/1205367933255274/

POW*MIA FLAG RAISING AT eDGEWOOD JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL

Lance Armstrong, our eastern zone team leader and members of his team and the VFW Post raise the flag on what started out as a very soggy day, but then the sun came out, and we had a wonderful turn-out of students and staff. Thank you all !

POW*MIA FLAG RAISING - BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

In no particular order, below are photos of the Chapter's POW*MIA Flag Raising at Bayside High School in Palm Bay. Our goal is to raise this honored flag at every county Public School before the school year ends. We are so pleased to have the School District behind us in this effort because we could not have done it by ourselves. We also thank our many supporters who have made contributions so we can purchase the flags and hardware.

The Navy JROTC cadets at Bayside High School did an absolutely superb job. BZ Cadets - you and your senior instructor LCDR Fenech are to be commended.

And - we can not forget the many County dignitaries who attended this special event, including the district Superintendent, Dr. Mullins; Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and the departments dog "Junnie"; Ms. Charlotte Neal, spouse of former POW; Brevard County Property Appraiser, Dana Blickley; Palm Bay Mayor, and Veterans Affairs Officer for U.S. Congressman Bill Posey, Rob Medina.

And a BIG thank you to Bayside High School Principle, Holli Zander, who made it happen!
The Chapter raises the POW*MIA flag at local elementary school. Our plan is to raise one at all of the 83 public schools in the County. The District Assistant Superintendent and her staff are organizing the plans with the individual schools.
Photos courtesy of Tim Shortt, Florida Today
The Chapter escorts Air Force veteran David Vergasgo and his family to Cape Canaveral National Cemetery - 02/05/2021.
Our Chapter Chaplin Chip Hanson officiated.
The Patriot Guard Riders were also invited to stand a flag line.
            Our newest fully patched members - 01/28/2021
L-R Shirley Hagar, Kitty Collins, (Diatra Salmons-already patched),
Lisa Price, and Larry Horne.
As the sun was setting on this beautiful mid December evening, Rolling Thunder® Florida Chapter 1 raised the POW*MIA flag at the Brevard County Public Schools District office. Our goal in cooperation with the School Board, is to raise this flag at each of the nearly 68 Brevard County Public Schools. We thank the Military Officers Good Deeds Foundation for their donation to help defray the costs of the flags. We also thank the County Schools Superintendent and the BPS staff for their support. And lastly, a big thank you to Tim Shortt of Florida Today for contributing several photos. This was our last event of 2020.

If you would like to make a donation towards the purchase of flags, we could use your help. These flags we are giving away free, are not free to us, in fact they are very expensive. So, please just click on the the 'Donate" button. Thank you,
Family members of a fallen veteran asked the Chapter to escort their hero to the local National Cemetery.
Of course we did - and honored to do so.
On a bright and sunny day, Florida Chapter 1 proudly raised the POW*MIA flag at Rockledge Regional Medical Center.
Amanda Herrnkind of St. Francis Reflections arranged the flag raising and the veteran pinning that followed.
Florida Chapter 1 was honored to be invited and to extend Certificates of Appreciation
to Veterans at a local Adult Day Care facility.
Pastor Torres of Veterans Church attended with us.
*All participants were screened by the facility prior to the event.
 Florida Chapter 1 escorts Amanda Herrnkind, member, and St. Francis Reflections Media representative,
during the last leg of her Marine Corps Challenge 26.2 mile marathon.
 She was accompanied by a local Chapter of Young Marines.
Florida Chapter 1 says farewell to member and friend, Tom Mann,
as we escort him and his family to Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
Photo's courtesy of professional photographer Nick Gehlman
www.nickgehlman.com

9/11 Remembrance Day
Veterans Memorial Center
INDEPENDENCE DAY 2020 'STATIC' PARADE
CO-SPONSORED BY THE
BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE AND VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER
Photos courtesy of Florida Today and Rolling Thunder® Florida Chapter 1

immortal 4 chaplains ceremony

The Chapter participates in the annual 4 Chaplain's ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Center. The story of these four amazing men can be found at www.fourchaplains.org/the-saga-of-the-four-chaplains/

missing man table dedication

The Chapter dedicated a Missing Man Table display at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery. We are grateful for this opportunity to share our mission with the many veteran families who come to visit or prepare a family member for burial on this sacred ground.

Each member present was presented an item to set up the table. Member and Cemetery volunteer Marylou Wade presented the items.

escort of ww ii army veteran

Member and local chiropractor Lance and his wife Dena Armstrong requested the Chapter escort his cousin Clark Armstrong and his family to the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery. We were honored and privileged to do so. We were also joined by American Legion Riders, and Patriot Guard Riders stood a flag line.
Recent Flag Raising
September 20, 2019 - The Chapter was honored to raise the POW flag at the Veterans Real Estate of Brevard office in Cocoa Beach. If you have a real estate need, give them a call and tell them Rolling Thunder sent you.
Also on September 20th we were invited to raise a POW flag and Brevard County Rescue Station #42 in Merritt Island.
The Ride Home 2019
Several members attended The Ride Home in Warner Robins Georgia, and Andersonville, during the National POW/MIA weekend. New friendships were born, and a deeper appreciation of the sacrifices our POW's made during wartime. For more information about The Ride Home, click on this link.
September 11th Commemoration Ceremony
The Veterans Memorial Center, in conjunction with the Brevard Veterans Council, hosted an event to pay tribute to and remembrance of those innocents who were murdered by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey was one of the keynote speaker and what he had to say brought the audience to a standing ovation. Chapter 1 and riders from several veteran motorcycle groups joined us for a BCSO escort to the Veterans Memorial Center.
National Purple Heart Day
The Space Coast Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart hosted a wreath and brick laying ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Center on Merritt Island. Chapter 1 members assembled at an abandoned food market before the event.
Fallen Hero's Escort
The Commander of VFW Post 4643 requested a motorcycle funeral escort to Cape Canaveral National Cemetery for one of the post’s members SSG Bruce Clark, U.S. Army, with no known family. We staged at the funeral home and escorted this hero home.
Presentation of long lost footlocker
In the summer of 2001, Alyce LaGasse  of Vancouver WA, was at a garage sale when she came upon a WW II military footlocker with the owners name and rank stenciled on the side. Failing to locate any family member after exhaustive searches, she put the footlocker in storage. The entire story is featured in the August edition of The Mission Newsletter.

The footlocker was presented to family members by American Legion Post 200 Commander, and Rolling Thunder Florida 1 member, Ty Barker. The Chapter was pleased to be present at this special event.
 
Escorting one of our own
The Chapter was honored by escorting one of our own hero's home. The family and friends of Lloyd Camp, together with the Chapter, enjoyed a luncheon in remembrance. Member's Patrick and Colleen Ward hosted the event at their property on Merritt Island, and Member Mike Schulze and his wife Kim prepared the catered food and drinks.
2019 Fourth of July Parade

After a 20 year hiatus, the Brevard County (FL) Sheriff's Office and the Veterans Memorial Center present this years
4th of July parade. Florida Chapter 1 was honored to have been a part of the celebration.
Photo credits individual members, Florida Today, Roger Scruggs




Thank you Sheriff Ivey and all of your officers and staff for all you do for the community! And especially for our veterans.

Also thank you Veterans Memorial Center for hosting the after parade party, and all of the vendors and volunteers who made this an extremely successful day.
2019 Rolling Thunder XXXII "Ride For Freedom"
Some estimates say the number of vehicles that participated in this year's ride were in the range of 1.2 - 1.5 million,
then add another 25% or so for additional riders. That's a hoard of motorcycles and people!
But, will it be the last? Who knows ...
Photo credits to individual members, Patrick Hughes, Jennifer Berry, and other social media sites
Vietnam and All Brevard County Veterans Reunion
and our May 2019 Membership Meeting
Chapter 1 hosted a tent at the Reunion, and later held it's membership meeting at a pavilion at the Traveling Wall.
We also conducted a Missing Man Table Ceremony
2019 Wreath Laying Ceremony - Vietnam Traveling Wall Memorial
at Wickham Park in Melbourne, FL
The next day was the Wreath Laying Ceremony and the official beginning of the Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion. The Chapter will have a tent in vendors row beginning Friday May 10th, so come by and say hello.

We will also be presenting the Missing Man Table ceremony at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 11th at the Wall.
2019 Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall Escort
The Chapter was joined by members of Chapter's 3,5,6 & 8 to escort the Vietnam Moving Wall
from Eastern State College in Cocoa to Wickham Park in Melbourne.

Photo credits to Erika Reece who so graciously provided the pictures.
2019 JROTC Scholarship Presentations
Each calendar year, Rolling Thunder® Inc. Florida Chapter 1, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4206 award joint scholarships to senior high school JROTC students who complete an application and submit it for consideration. Every high school in Brevard County who has a JROTC program is sent an application package at the beginning of the year. We award two scholarships, worth $750 each, in memory of two former Chapter 1 POW's.

The 2019 winners of these scholarships are: Cadet Fernando A. Barros Muchado, Jr. from Merritt Island High School, and Cadet Sean Verner from Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School. Due to technical difficulties, we are not able to post pictures from the Merritt Island High School presentation. The pictures below are from the Cocoa Beach High School presentation.
2019 Son's of the American Revolution Presentation of the
Last Naval Battle of the Revolutionary War
The Chapter was honored to have participated in the massing of the colors at an event sponsored by the
Son's of the American Revolution commemorating the last naval battle of the Revolutionary War.
The Veterans Memorial Center hosted the event on March 9th.
BTW - this battle was just off our coast.
2019 Four Immortal Chaplin's Ceremony
Veterans Memorial Center
The Chapter was honored to be part of the Four Immortal Chaplin's Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Center on
February 3rd. A big thank you to Darcy Otranto for many of these photos.
Missing In America Project - Call to Honor
Cape Canaveral National Cemetery
Chapter 1 participates in the escort of cremains for the Missing In America Project (MIAP) Call To Honor #18
at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on February 2nd.
Key Lime Pie Festival
Veterans Memorial Park
The Chapter holds its first 2019 fundraiser at the 2nd annual Key Lime Festival at the
Veterans Memorial Park on Merritt Island on Sunday January 19th.
Wreaths Across America
Cape Canaveral National Cemetery
Rolling Thunder Florida Chapter 1 joins several other volunteer groups to remove wreaths from veterans graves.
These were the donated wreaths placed in December by Wreaths Across America volunteers.
Florida Chapter 1 donated $1,000 towards this event.
Thanks to Rolling Thunder Florida Chapters, children in Bay County (Panama City) will have a happier Christmas thanks to the Chapters donating over $3,500 worth of toys to those who lost so much during hurricane Michael.
Thanks to all the Chapters, especially Chapter 5 for organizing this giving event.
Members of Chapter 1 purchase $1,000 worth of toys for the children of Panama City affected by Hurricane Michael
Volunteers from the Patriot Guard Riders, American Legion Riders, Rolling Thunder Florida Chapter 1 and other organizations participate in a Missing in America Project (MIAP) ceremony at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
 While attending a committal ceremony at Jacksonville National Cemetery, we were fortunate and honored to pay tribute to the grave of Mrs. Mary Hoff - a woman instrumental in the development of the POW/MIA flag.
Picture
Billy, Bob, JJ, David, Cindy, Joey