Supporting Veterans in Your Community
2025 National Convention
Riders,
As some of us are still dealing with the lows of winter others of you are just starting spring. Just a reminder to do all your spring checks on your motorcycle now before all the nice weaRiders National Meeting.
Purple Heart Riders National Meeting
Location: Killeen, Texas
Dates: 4-7 September 2025
Hotels Shilo Inn Killeen
https://www.shiloinns.com/shilo-inns-killeen
Phone #: 254-699-0999
They also offer RV parking. They don’t have hookups for your RV.
POC for the National Meeting in Killeen is:
Rod Ford at 254-415-5714
fordphotos254@gmail.com
Pre register for the National Meeting for $40 and receive upon arrival a commemorative National Meeting purple dog tag engraved with national meeting location and year as well as a new moisture wicking Black PHR t-shirt made by Nine Line Apparel.
please send checks to me for pre-registration include your t-shirt size.
Your items will be available for pick up at the National meeting in Killeen.
My address is for sending pre registration is:
5890 Kittery Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80911
Can't wait to see everyone at Nationals
V/r,
Wrench
National Officers Contact Us
President
AJ Johnson (Wrench) Colorado
Vice President
Jason Johns (J.J.) Wisconsin
Sargent at Arms
Mike Eubank (Big Mike) Texas
Government Websites For Veterans
Department of Veterans Ahttp://www.va.gov/ffairs - This website provides comprehensive information for everything that the US government offers to its veterans.
Veteran Histohttp://www.loc.gov/vets/ry Project - A website dedicated to thhttp://www.va.gov/ - The US Department of Labor provides information via this website for veterans about how to transition from the military to the civilian workforce.
Veterans Issues - Provides information on current issues facing veterans and the White House's plans to further aid these veterans http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/veterans/
Transitioning Veterans - The US Department of Labor provides information via this website for veterans about how to transition from the military to the civilian workforce. http://www.dol.gov/vets/
Veterans Health and Well-Being
Due to the nature of military service, many veterans face mild to severe health issues following discharge. This can include any injuries sustained during their service as well as several mental health issues caused by seeing combat. The Government provides several mental health counseling services to these veterans, and disabled veterans are eligible to utilize any of the hundreds of Veteran Medical Centers run by the US Government. Many veterans are also eligible for reduced cost health insurance through the military provider TriCARE. The Government also tracks any potential health issues during periods of service, and may later compensate veterans for potential health issues that may be connected to their service location. An example of this would be compensation for exposure to asbestos and Agent Orange. The health of veterans is of the utmost concern to the US, and there are several programs in place to help them.
Veteran and Military Health - Provides information on the possible health issues facing veterans.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/veteransandmilitaryhealth.html
Veteran Health - Describes the Center for Disease Control works to protect the health of active duty service members and veterans.
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/veterans/
Veterans and Suicide - An organization dedicated to helping veterans who are entertaining thoughts of suicide and their families.
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/MentalHealth.aspx
Tricare - The reduced cost, full coverage health insurance that many veterans are eligible for.
Veteran Benefits and Services
The US Government offers several services and benefits to military veterans. The most notable of these is paying for college tuition through the GI Bill. Any veteran who has a honorable discharge from the military is typically eligible to have most or all of their college tuition covered, as well as a living stipend. The Government also provides disabled veterans with a program known as Vocational Rehabilitation, which aids veterans in refining their job skills to meet today s market. Outside of education, the Government also provides pension plans as well as a VA loan for mortgages. While the government does not handle the loan process, they do provide banks with a guarantee letter, which often allows military members with a chance of receiving a better interest rate on their mortgage and little to no down-payment. The US Government also provides monthly payments to disabled veterans based on a portion of their monthly salary while in the armed forces.
Veteran Benefits Overview - Provides a basic outline of the benefits available to veterans.
http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits
Veteran Pension - Details the different types of pensions available to veterans.
http://www.peoples-law.org/income/gov-ben/veterans/vet_pension.htm
Benefit Finder - An online tool provided by the US government to determine what benefits a veteran is eligible for.
VA Loans - Provides information on VA loans and how they work.
GI Bill - Information concerning the different educational benefits that veterans may be eligible for.
Veteran Disability - Provides an overview of the compensation available to disabled veterans.
http://www.ultimatedisabilityguide.com/veteran_disability.html
Vocational Rehabilitation - Describes the benefits veterans may be eligible for to help them reenter the civilian workforce.
Survivor Benefits - Provides an overview of the three different types of survivor benefits available to veterans and their families.
http://www.atlantalegalaid.org/veteransurvive.htm
ETX Veteran's Resource Center - Longview, Tx
Lonestar Military Resource Center - Jacksonville, Tx
Surviving Debt
https://library.nclc.org/book/surviving-debt
Veteran Organizations
American Cold War Vets - This website provides support and information for veterans of the Cold War. http://www.americancoldwarvets.org
National Veteran Owned Business Association - Provides support and information, including how to start a business, for veterans who own their own business or run a business.
Hope for Veterans - A group that provides support and encouragement for veterans.
http://www.hopeforveterans.org/
Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans - A group that protects the rights of veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. http://iava.org/
Paralyzed Veterans of America - This group provides information, support, and pushes for legal protection of veterans who were paralyzed in the line of duty.
Veterans for Peace - This group is made up of veterans who oppose war.
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
Vietnam Veterans of America - A group that provides information and resources for veterans of the Vietnam War.
Veterans of Foreign Wars - A veterans organization that provides benefits such as reduced health care and discounts to major retailers with membership.
Wounded Warrior Project - A non-profit organization that collects donations and runs charity drives to help veterans who were wounded in the line of duty.
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Swords to Plowshares - An organization that aids veterans and their families with employment issues.
http://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/
VETPAC - A political action committee that aims to protect the rights of US veterans.
Veterans Campaign - An organization that specializes in preparing veterans to run for public office.
http://www.veteranscampaign.org/
Service Members Legal Defense Network - An organization dedicated to helping veterans who were affected by the don t ask, don t tell policy.
Pearl Harbor Survivors Association - A group dedicated to providing information and aid to veterans who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.
http://www.pearlharborsurvivorsonline.org/
Military Officers Association of America - A group made up of veteran officers of the military.
Herobox - An organization that provides care packages to active duty military in war zones and provides helps to veterans once they return home.
Disabled American Veterans - A group made up of disabled veterans that provides support and resources to those who were wounded during service.
Marine Corp League - An organization for veterans of the US Marine Corps.
American Veterans - Provides information and resources concerning government and private organization aid to veterans.
American Ex-POWS - A support group for veterans who were prisoners of war.
Veteran Memorials
National World War II Memorial - A memorial dedicated to WWII veterans, located in Washington D.C.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Provides information on the famous wall in Washington, D.C. dedicated to Vietnam Veterans.
Korean War Memorial - Provides background information on the memorial dedicated to Korean War veterans in Washington D.C.
Veteran Memorial Park - Information concerning the memorial park located in Monterey, California.
http://www.monterey.org/rec/vetspark.html
Jeffersontown Veteran Memorial Park - A memorial park located in Jeffersontown, Kentucky dedicated to all veterans.
http://www.gijoe244.us/park.html
Washington Monument - Provides information concerning the Washington Monument located in Washington D.C.
https://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm
Gettysburg - Includes information on the 1,000 monuments to the Civil War found in this Pennsylvania town.
Iwo Jima Memorial - A memorial dedicated to the US Marines who served in World War II.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/washington/iwojimamemorial.htm
Yorktown Victory Center - A park and memorial dedicated to veterans of the Revolutionary War.
http://www.historyisfun.org/Yorktown-Victory-Center.htm
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Provides information on the one of the most beloved veteran memorials in the country, located in Virginia.
Veteran Cemeteries
Arlington National Cemetery - This is a link to the official website of the most well-known and prestigious veteran cemeteries in this country, Arlington.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/
Fort Logan National Cemetery - A veteran cemetery located in Denver, Colorado, this website provides an archive of the veterans buried there.
http://usgwarchives.net/co/denver/costones/ftlogan.htm
National Cemetery of the Pacific - A veteran cemetery that is located in Hawaii.
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/nmcp.asp
Marietta National Cemetery - A historic Georgia cemetery specifically for veterans of the Civil War.
http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/marietta_national.html
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery -The main veteran cemetery that is located in Chicago, Illinois.
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/abrahamlincoln.asp
Camp Butler National Cemetery - A veteran cemetery that is located in Springfield, Illinois.
Lexington National Cemetery - This cemetery is located in Lexington Kentucky and is the burial site for hundreds of US veteran.
Annapolis National Cemetery - Located in Maryland, this cemetery is the burial site for hundreds of veterans.
http://mht.maryland.gov/nr/NRDetail.aspx?HDID=1159&FROM=NRMapWC.html
Bath National Cemetery - This veteran cemetery is located in the state of New York, and their website provides a registry of the veterans buried there.
http://www.paintedhills.org/STEUBEN/BathNational/BathNationalLM.html
Raleigh National Cemetery - A Civil War cemetery located in North Carolina.
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc8/raleigh_nc1.htm
Philadelphia National Cemetery - A registry of the Civil War veterans buried in this cemetery.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/Philidelphia.htm
Dallas-Fort Worth Cemetery - The official website of the veteran memorial cemetery located in Texas.
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/dallasftworth.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/houston.asp
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftsamhouston.asp
Central Texas State Veteran's Cemetery
http://www.glo.texas.gov/vlb/cemeteries/locations/index.html
Alexandria National Cemetery - A brief history on this veteran cemetery.
Tahoma National Cemetery - A map of this veteran cemetery located that is located in the state of Washington.
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/alexandriava.asp
Grafton National Cemetery - Provides a brief history of this veteran cemetery that is located in West Virginia.