HozayKwarvo
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- May 1, 2021
- 587
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Not much beats letting the bikes cool off and enjoying an Ice Cold Delicious Beverage in the dunes while appreciating the view of Old Glory on the horizon. Before social media, the mass use of GPS navigation and destination rides were uncommon, the flag pole was a frequent stop for our GlamisDunes.com riding group that hailed from Wash 13.5. A flag pole had been placed on one of the metal boxes in memoriam of Chuck Boardman by the Boyz Ride around the year 2000. By 2003 the flag had become weathered and in need of replacement... a spark was ignited and a concept formed for the first "gathering" to replace the flag, recognize our veterans, and celebrate our freedoms.
The first Veterans Day Gathering and changing of the flag took place on November 13th, 2004. We had a massive group ride from wash 13.5 to the flag pole with everyone encouraged to fly the American Flag on their ride. We listened to the history of Veterans Day, observed a moment of silence before Taps was played. We changed out the flag and pledged our allegiance to it. There was a "roll call" of all veterans in attendance and each veteran was able to sound off with their dates and branch of service along with any particulars they cared to share before being thanked for their service and receiving a personalized Certificate of Appreciation signed by Slappy "The Stickman" himself. The weekend activities also included a cleanup of Oldsmobile Hill, a coloring contest and patriotic activities for the kids. This served as the beginning of what was to become one of the most meaningful annual events in the Imperial Sand Dune Recreation Area.
The inaugural event drew ~50 people, most all from wash 13.5, and honored a dozen veterans. The word got out through GlamisDunes.com and word of mouth. A truly genuine grassroots movement took hold in 2004 and the goal of remembering, honoring, and supporting our veterans remains unchanged.
The first Veterans Day Gathering and changing of the flag took place on November 13th, 2004. We had a massive group ride from wash 13.5 to the flag pole with everyone encouraged to fly the American Flag on their ride. We listened to the history of Veterans Day, observed a moment of silence before Taps was played. We changed out the flag and pledged our allegiance to it. There was a "roll call" of all veterans in attendance and each veteran was able to sound off with their dates and branch of service along with any particulars they cared to share before being thanked for their service and receiving a personalized Certificate of Appreciation signed by Slappy "The Stickman" himself. The weekend activities also included a cleanup of Oldsmobile Hill, a coloring contest and patriotic activities for the kids. This served as the beginning of what was to become one of the most meaningful annual events in the Imperial Sand Dune Recreation Area.
The inaugural event drew ~50 people, most all from wash 13.5, and honored a dozen veterans. The word got out through GlamisDunes.com and word of mouth. A truly genuine grassroots movement took hold in 2004 and the goal of remembering, honoring, and supporting our veterans remains unchanged.
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