Terry Baxter, Veronica Baxter a guest (Luke Baxter), and Gary Gamble met for breakfast at Olympic Coney Island located in Brownstown and then rode to meet the Virginia VFW Riders group at 11am. We met them at the Pilot Travel Center at US 23 and US 223. They were coming from their hotel located in Westlake, OH. They rode from the east coast of Virginia to Westlake on Day 1. Their group consisted of seven Virginia VFW Riders and two guest Riders from the Motorcycle Ministry. A total of 13 of us. One of them drove a chase vehicle with a trailer in case of a breakdown.
We led them on their ride through Michigan, ending at the Holiday Inn Express in Charlotte. We stopped at the Artesian Wells Tavern for lunch and walked across the parking lot to the Town & Country Harley Davidson Dealer\ museum located in Cement City. After lunch, we rode around Jackson and by the VFW National Home onto the Holiday Inn Express.
Friday evening, we all met at the Charlotte VFW for their Pork Chop dinner and some comradery.
The following day, five Edwardsburg VFW Riders met us at the Holiday Inn. We led the group ride consisting of five groups to the Rosehill Cemetery for a 9am Memorial ceremony and wreath laying conducted by the Illinois State Commander and President along with other members. A section of the cemetery is reserved for residents or former residents of the VFW National Home for Children. Buried there is a former resident and Vietnam KIA, US Army PFC Elgie Hanna. Then we all rode to the VFW National Home for Children and spent the day there enjoying Illinois Day. All but one of the Virginia Riders was their first visit to the Home. The Virginia VFW Riders and District 4 VFW Riders made separate donations to the VFW National Home during their program.
