Honor and Remember Across America
Campaign Update #5 (please be sure to note the two dates at the end of this article)

August 15 found us in Spokane, Washington. We had a wonderful stay at the home of Jim and Karen Allen.  I had the opportunity to share at the Mt. Spokane Church, where I was able to talk about the spiritual side of my journey and the power of healing. Then we headed out on a 300-mile trek across the state to Bellingham, where we were scheduled to participate in the Northwest Washington Fair. Eight hours later we were parked at the fairgrounds and ready to crash for the day. Doris and Chris Kent were our hosts in WA and they made the visit superbly special.

We had the perfect spot at the fair, right outside the animal show barn. We managed to fill several pages with petition signatures and enlist the support of two state representatives. I also did two radio interviews, one with the "Specialist" back home in Hampton Roads and the other with Army Wives Radio.

August 17 was a major travel day. I boarded an Alaska Airlines plane to Anchorage, where we met with Honor and Remember of Alaska director, Dave Caswell. The following day we met with Lt. Governor Craig Campbell, the Adjutant General and the Director of Veteran Affairs. We explained our mission and made a personalized flag presentation to a Gold Star Aunt Nikki Case. The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activities: a visit to the Heroes Memorial Wall, the Matsu Veterans Council meeting and then the funeral of Senator Ted Stevens, which we were honored to be invited to attend. The day ended with a flag presentation to Angela Anderson, the mother of fallen hero SGT Kurtis Acala, who was killed on September 11, 2005.

The next day I was up at 3:30 a.m. for my weekly interview with Tony Macrini on WNIS in Norfolk, Virginia and a TV interview on Channel 13. Later, Dave and I toured a new VA facility in Anchorage. Then it was off to the airport for my return trip to Washington.

The morning of August 20, we met with the chief of staff of the Washington National Guard, Col. Kapral, who pledged his support in moving our mission through the channels in Washington State. We had a chance to visit with some family members who live in a beautiful home overlooking Puget Sound. This trip has reminded me that we live in an amazingly beautiful country.

It was back to the Northwest Washington Fair on August 21. After a day of handing out literature and getting petition signatures, I was invited by Chris to attend a pre-season football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. It was a terrific break from the stress and emotion of the week.

Sunday, August 22 was a travel day and I was invited to Longview by Ashley, Mary and Gordon Painter. We stopped in on our way to Salem, Oregon and received an amazing welcome at a VFW picnic, where family members representing WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War warmly embraced the Honor and Remember mission.

The RV was having some electrical issues, but thanks to the diligent efforts of Gordon, we were able to resolve them. Gordon  is also an accomplished singer and has been featured at the national Rolling Thunder Memorial Weekend for the last seven years. A great time of fellowship. Continuing on our trip to Salem, we stopped at the capital of Olympia for some photos.

The Iraq/Afghanistan Memorial south of Salem, Oregon was the scene of a wonderful event that included legislators, Gold Star families and an amazing group of Patriot Guard Riders. After sharing the message of our mission, I was honored to give tribute to two mothers who lost their sons in very different conflicts: Mrs. Pat Lucas' son died in Iraq in 2005 and Mrs. Betty Welsh's son died in Lebanon in 1984.  Thanks to Paul Tremblay for setting that up. While there I met my friend Jon Belona, founder of Run for the Fallen and we all headed to the home of Linda and John Gibson, Gold Star parents of SGT Brennan Gibson, who was killed in action on December, 10, 2006. Another awesome stay with a wonderful family.

August 25 had us traveling to Skinner, Butte and Lakeview, Oregon. Then it was 5 hours on to Reno, Nevada for the night. Then another 8-hour drive to Las Vegas on Friday.

This newsletter is a bit behind so be sure to read my blog for what happened next.
http://honorandremember.org/HRAA/

God Bless You!

George
 
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There is much left to do and almost three months ahead. Please consider helping if you live in one of the states that lies ahead of me. You can find our itinerary at http://honorandremember.org/HRAA/  I would deeply appreciate any logistical or physical assistance you can give.

Honestly, we need resources for fuel, flags and other expenses. Please consider sponsoring a mile segment of our journey with a financial gift. You can make your contribution online at our secure web site: to  SPONSOR a MILE CLICK HERE

I will be trying to send updates on a bi-weekly basis, thank you for the encouragement and support. Thanks to Karen and the team back home for keeping pace with the insanity.

TWO IMPORTANT DATES:
1. Honor and Remember dinner with Host Dennis Miller and Chairwoman Bo Derek.
When: Sat, September 11, 5pm - 10pm
Where: Elk's Lodge - Lompoc, CA
For tickets contact: Deb Argel-Bastian. 805-588-8848.
Cutoff is Sept 6th, no tickets at the door.

2. November 11th, 2pm Arlington cemetery, section 60. All are invited to attend the final ceremony of this journey across America and help with the planting of 5,000 HR flags.

God bless you.
George

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