A Sunflower State VFW Post in March hosted a benefit dinner for a resident who needed help with medical bills.

Chris Dearinger, a Basehor, Kansas, resident, was “stricken” by COVID-19 in September 2021, according to VFW Post 11499 Commander David Babin. The Army veteran said that even though Dearinger has medical insurance, the Basehor resident accrued more than $1.5 million in medical bills, with a “significant amount” that Dearinger still is responsible to pay.

“Chris spent 47 days on a ventilator,” Babin said, “took three months of rehab learning how to walk and breath on his own. It was all from complications from catching COVID-19.”

Babin added that Dearinger had only returned home from the hospital in recent months.

“We learned of Chris’ situation from former Basehor Mayor David Breuer, and we decided to lend a hand and took a bulk of that on,” Babin said. “We hosted a spaghetti dinner that more than about 200 concerned residents attended. We were able to raise more than $8,000.”

Babin said Dearinger and his father, Daniel, are well known in the community. Babin said that every year the community looks forward to the father-son duo’s Fourth of July city fireworks shows.

“We want to make sure we help anyone in need,” the Army veteran said.

VFW Post 11499 has a “strong connection” with the community, according to Babin.

“We are very involved with putting together fund-raising dinners for seniors, veterans and first responders of the community,” Babin said. “We also work with the school district here with Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy. The Post is well known, and I believe it is respected by everyone.”

Despite becoming the first female Department commander of West Virginia in June, Dr. Corrina Boggess dwells little on the historic accomplishment, focusing rather on the tasks at hand.

A former deputy chief of staff for the Army Reserve in Washington, D.C., who retired in 2009 as a colonel after 28 years in the service, Boggess’ leadership will take the forefront as she exemplifies her motto – “Service To All.”

“It’s a neat accomplishment, but I didn’t place much attention toward that,” said Boggess, who deployed in 2004-05 to Tikrit, Iraq, in command of the 376th Personnel Services Battalion. “I’m more focused on re-energizing Posts across the state to increase membership, as well as growing our presence in local communities so people understand the work that we do.”

Since joining the VFW in 2013 at Post 9097 in Hurricane, West Virginia, Boggess attributes her swift rise up the ranks to an uncanny understanding of legislation that was apparent during her first state convention appearance.

“They were presenting a piece of legislation, and I stood up and added some input,” said Boggess, who received her doctorate in executive leadership from the University of Charleston in West Virginia in 2018. “I was very comfortable talking about legislation because I did that for many years in the military. I was then pulled aside and asked to join the Department’s legislative committee.”

By then, Boggess had transferred with her uncle, a Vietnam veteran, to Post 8363 in Chesapeake, West Virginia, where she became junior vice commander in 2016 and saw the Post attain All-State and All-American honors.

When the COVID-19 pandemic plagued the country in 2020, Boggess, who had recently been voted commander of Post 8363, received a proposition to further elevate her status within the organization.

“The Department commander at the time had asked me if I was interested in the junior vice position because it had become vacant,” Boggess said. “The vote was done by the council of administration because there was no state convention that year due to COVID. There was some resistance from a few Posts because I was a female, but the council was very supportive and unanimously voted me in.”

During her historic ceremony as the first female Department commander of West Virginia in June, Boggess again displayed a shrewd sense of leadership. Instead of holding the ceremony at the state headquarters, Boggess chose a banquet hall that allowed the state’s Auxiliary members to attend.

“From my perspective, the Auxiliary and the VFW are two sides of the same coin,” Boggess said. “I did my presentation at the banquet hall to allow the Auxiliary members to be present because they’re a crucial part the organization. They are a great asset to help recruit, and I think that’s a relationship we should be strengthening.”

Boggess also wants to capture the attention of veterans in communities across the Mountaineer State by enhancing VFW’s presence. From curating shabby VFW Posts in need of repairs to advocating for VFW’s many services.

“I am actively out there recruiting ad servicing all veterans, not necessarily placing all my focus on a specific group,” Boggess said. “While I do want to recruit more female veterans into our great organization, we must first help them recognize that they are combat veterans.”

Boggess cited that over the last 20 years, there’s been a large influx of female veterans deploying to combat zones. A lot of them, however, are younger and placing most of their post-military efforts on having families and succeeding in their civilian careers.

“As they begin to age, I think these female veterans will be an active voice in our organization,” Boggess said. “Since I was older when I retired, I had the time to join and work towards something. I believe as these female veterans start to age out, they’ll start to get more involved like I did. For now, I’ll keep talking to as many of them as I can, sharing my experience that the VFW is more than welcoming to women.”

For many veterans, equine therapy has been a way to cope with symptoms of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Those veterans form a special bond and relief from working with horses that possibly no other animal can provide.

At New Freedom Farm, located in Buchanan, Virginia, organizers take it a step further by saving horses that are a part of the therapy.

New Freedom Farm Founder and Director Lois Dawn Fritz said her mission is to provide a refuge for horses and therapy for veterans and first responders.

A veteran of 1991’s Persian Gulf War, Fritz said veterans and first responders can visit the farm any time it is open. She added that no appointment is needed for attendance.

A SAFE HAVEN FOR HORSES
Founded in 2016, New Freedom Farm, according to Fritz, exists to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, TBIs and substance abuse through activity with the farm’s horses, as well as farming and peer-to-peer support.

“The end goal is to personally empower veterans and help them heal through the realization of their own efforts and contributions,” said Fritz, a former Navy corpsman. “Our slogan is ‘Healing Heroes Through Horses.’ At New Freedom Farm, veterans and horses help each other.”

New Freedom Farm, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also serves as a place for the rehabilitation of neglected horses, with many at risk of being slaughtered. Fritz, a member of VFW Post 5895 in Buchanan, Virginia, said the farm provides shelter and serves as a “foster home” for those horses.

“Unfortunately, in our country, horses are often sent to slaughter,” Fritz said. “Those mustangs have been through so much trauma, just like our veterans have.”

Fritz claims that her farm is the first organization for veterans to receive accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. GFAS is a nonprofit dedicated to recognizing animal rescue centers with high standards and raising awareness for their work.

BATTLE BUDDIES
One veteran who receives therapy at New Freedom Farm is Clint Cash. The medically retired Army veteran said he met Fritz years before he started going to New Freedom Farm on a regular basis. He has been going to the farm for more than two-and-a-half years.

“One day I decided that I wanted to go there and try it out,” Cash said. “I started going back more and more, and now it’s like a second home to me. I always enjoy going back to the farm.”

Cash was medically retired from the Army for PTSD, which he said stems from his deployment to Afghanistan.

“I was happy getting out of the military, but after I got out, I realized I missed the camaraderie,” Cash said. “I don’t miss being in the Army, but I really miss the brotherhood I had with my fellow soldiers.”

Cash – who deployed from June 2009 to June 2010 to Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, with 8th Squadron, 1st Cav Regt., 5th Bde., 2nd Inf. Div. – said the first few times he visited the farm, he got to know Andrew Kintgen, the barn manager at New Freedom Farm.

Cash said he has a lot in common with Kintgen, an Iraq War veteran and a member of Post 5895.

“We started talking one day and found out that both of us were born on the same day,” Cash said. “We were both Army cavalry scouts and were medically retired as sergeants. We became pretty close after that.”

A Virginia native, Cash said one of the reasons he likes going back to New Freedom Farm is that sense of camaraderie he receives while taking care of horses and visiting the farm.

“The reason veterans need other veterans and their camaraderie is because veterans need to find other people like them, who have been through the same situations,” Cash said. “We know we can rely on each other more than we can rely on others.”

Cash added, saying that it has been a relief to be able to be around others who have the same mindset as him.

REHABILITATING HORSES
Cash, who served in the Army from January 2009 to November 2013, said that during his time at New Freedom Farm, he has worked with two horses, Eli and Cole.

“When Cole first came to New Freedom Farm and given to me, he did not like any humans,” Cash said. “He didn’t have any trust in people. When we first got Cole, he had a halter buried in his nose.”

Cash said that Cole’s wound has healed since then.

“Cole was just supposed to be at the farm until someone adopted him,” Cash said. “After a while, Cole started taking a liking to me. Surprisingly, New Freedom Farm gave me the horse in January.”

Cash said that ever since then, he and Fritz have been working with Cole. Fritz worked with Cole and got the horse comfortable enough to interact with humans. Cash noticed how gentle treatment made the horse more trusting.

“[Fritz] was also able to get a halter on him and walk him around,” Cash added. “Cole has turned around and is a good horse now.”

‘HORSES DON’T JUDGE’
While at the farm, Cash said he typically grooms and waters the horses. He added that he helps take care of the farm, including cleaning the horses’ stalls.

Cash said he spends a lot of his time with Cole and Eli and added that he is around them more than he is around most people.

“Sometimes if I have something I need to say out loud, but don’t really want to talk about it with anyone, I can just talk to the horses,” Cash said. “That’s why I like animals. I think that animals can feel some sort of bond with humans. They can feel that I’m having a bad day. A horse can tell if people are emotional or acting differently than normal.”

Cash said he believes veterans needing support should attempt animal therapy.

“I highly recommend that people find an animal to take care of,” Cash said. “The great thing about horses is people can say anything to them, and they will keep coming back as long as they show the horse affection. Horses don’t judge.”

This article is featured in the 2022 June/July issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

VFW Post 670 strives to be a good neighbor within its Fayetteville, North Carolina, community. Its members serve on local civic boards, volunteer at different organizations, work to combat hunger and more. Above all else, the Post is devoted to supporting its members and the greater veteran population.

“Our Post, although open to the public, is very much an organization that helps veterans,” said Commander Mike Baker. “It provides a place for veterans to talk to others who’ve dealt with the same issues, been to the same places … people who understand what you’re trying to describe, even when you can’t find the words.”

Because of the family atmosphere and camaraderie, the Post is a place where members can be themselves and join like-minded friends to make a positive impact together.

Recently, they took part in the inaugural VFW Day of Service when they gathered with Auxiliary members to clean up a local roadway.

“We walked a mile from the Post and collected all the litter,” said Quartermaster Amelia Smith. “In just that one mile, we collected 300 pounds of trash.”

In addition to this event, Post members have performed countless other acts of service in recent months.

“In April, we bought and collected $250 in new toys, blankets and games to donate to the Child Advocacy Center,” Smith said. “On March 30, the Post and Auxiliary hosted a Vietnam Veterans’ Appreciation Lunch.”

The Post also dedicates time and raises funds to support many programs, such as Man 22, the Veteran Suicide Awareness Program, 22 Until None, Veterans Empowering Veterans and Gold Star Families. And to support active-duty soldiers, members provide meal services at unit events.

“We’ve done four events in the last couple of months and served over 800 soldiers and family members,” said Baker. “We’ve also distributed candy, cookies and hygiene products to deploying units.”

No matter the task, members of VFW Post 670 are eager to unite and lend a hand.

“We’re still serving because it helps our community, as well as the veterans. When veterans gather together to help someone else, we don’t focus on what’s wrong with us, and we don’t feel alone,” said Smith.

“Regardless of the amount of people who show up, we come together and work as a team, focusing on how to get the job done to the best of our ability. Along the way, we meet people, make connections, share ideas and just try to relax and enjoy the camaraderie.”

The VFW is proud to honor the members of Post 670 who are #StillServing to provide vital support to the community and one another.

For those who knew him, Herb Kieforndorf was a “great man.” A member of VFW Post 3358 in Slinger, Wisconsin, Kieforndorf served his community well.

According to long-time friend and fellow VFW member Tom Haase, when Kieforndorf died in May 2020 from brain cancer, the community was hit hard by the loss.

“Herb had more integrity than any person I think I have ever met in my life,” said Haase, Post 3358 adjutant. “He personified the essence of what a veteran should be as well as a good citizen.

Not long after Kieforndorf’s death, the Post agreed to honor him with a scholarship to be awarded to a student at Slinger High School.

On May 25, Kacey Ott received the first-ever VFW Post 3358 Herb Kieforndorf Scholarship in the amount of $500. Ott, who wants to be a doctor, plans to attend college at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

The co-valedictorian of her graduating class said she chose Taylor because it has a stellar basketball program.

Haase said the scholarship is funded for the first two years.

“Herb was a great, great mentor,” Haase said. “Kids at the school interviewed him about his service. He was very popular with the students.”

Haase, who first met Kieforndorf in 1987 while serving with the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing, said the pair deployed multiple times together including during Operation Desert Storm. Incidentally, Haase also served in Vietnam in 1967-1968 and more recently in Iraq.

“Everyone jumped on this scholarship right away,” Haase said. “We as a VFW wanted to do this to make sure the community doesn’t forget him. It was very fulfilling to me that one of my buddies was honored.”

A VFW Post in the Silver State for the second time organized a barbecue contest to help raise funds for scholarship programs funded by VFW.

VFW Post 3396 in Sparks, Nevada, a suburb east of Reno, Nevada, hosted the 2nd Annual Armed Forces BBQ Challenge which had 17 total groups of competitors. VFW Post 3396 Commander Candace Beck said that the Post raised $4,325 from hosting the competition.

Beck said that in the barbeque competition’s first year, it featured local amateur cooks. Beck, a Korea Defense Service Army veteran, said that for the second year, Post members “wanted to go bigger.” So, members of Post 3396 decided to host the annual event with professionals and “backyard” grillers.

“We hosted the event to raise money for the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy scholarship programs,” Beck said. “We also did it to fund our Post’s VA nurses scholarships.”

VFW Post 3396 Quartermaster David Sousa told KOLO-TV, an ABC affiliate in Reno, that the barbecue competition is a way for the Post to “give back” to its community. Sousa added that the attraction was a good way to bring the community together and “raise a little money for the VFW Post.”

Members of the Kansas City Barbeque Society were on hand to judge every meat made at the Armed Forces BBQ Challenge. VFW National Headquarters in July partnered with the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which sanctions official barbeque competitions. The Kansas City Barbeque Society plans to send judges to other barbeque contests at other VFW Posts across the country.

In July 2021, VFW Post 3396 was selected as VFW’s Post of the Month as part of the #StillServing campaign. Visit vfw.org/stillserving to learn more about #StillServing.

A brand new VFW Post in Texas at Fort Hood was chartered in January with its members having a goal in mind: to help military members and their families.

VFW Post 12209 members held the installation ceremony on Jan. 7 at Fort Hood’s Phantom Warrior Center.

Post Commander Willie Keller said that Post members wanted the Post to be on the grounds of Fort Hood to help with the “perception” of VFW.

“A lot of people think the VFW is a place to get a drink,” said Keller, who has been a VFW member since 1995. “We want to show troops at Fort Hood that VFW is here to help them, and we have many VFW services they can use.”

Keller, an Army veteran of more than 16 years – said he and other Post 12209 members wanted to introduce VFW services to potential members. He named the Military Assistance Program, which provides grants to Posts to help active-duty troops, and Unmet Needs, which helps military families with financial difficulties, as well as programs offered by the VFW Department of Texas. Keller
added that being on base is “more effective” than being located outside of the installation.

“We are on Fort Hood four times a week,” said Keller, who medically retired from the military in 2009. “We at the VFW are out here with the troops. We talk to them – we assist them with what they need. We want to guide them in the right direction through the military.”

The Post was named in honor of the late A.C. Cotton, a retired command sergeant major who died at the age of 86 on Sept. 7, 2021. Cotton, a Vietnam War veteran, joined the Army in 1955 and served 33 years. Cotton also was the first black command sergeant major of the Army’s “First Team,” the 1st Cavalry Division, according to Keller.

Keller – who served in Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq – said he and the other Post members took the chance to name a Post after a soldier who made history in the military.

“We named the Post in honor of Cotton because we all personally knew him,” added Keller, who medically retired from the military in 2009. “When he passed last year, it affected all of us. He was well-known in the armored cavalry community.”

For those interested, VFW Post 12209 is located at Fort Hood Building 18000. The Post also can be followed on Facebook by searching CSM A.C. Cotton VFW Post 12209.

This article is featured in the 2022 May issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

When an Auxiliary member in Muncy, Pennsylvania, suffered a near-death experience following a gruesome motorcycle crash in April, his VFW Post 3428 counterparts stepped in to provide assistance.

More than 85 people attended a fundraiser at VFW Post 3428 on behalf of Anthony Mitchell in July, helping raise $5,490 towards the Auxiliary member’s hospital bills accrued over months of intensive care and surgeries.

“It was overwhelming,” Mitchell told the PA homepage news outlet in Pennsylvania. “Even if it was not a lot of people, friends are friends.”

The wreck happened on April 30, when Mitchell lost control of his motorcycle on his way home after a benefit ride in memory of a local child that had passed away.

He recalled the grass, gravel and then the fog that comes from broken pieces after a traumatic accident shatters perception.

“From that point there, I can’t tell you what happened because I don’t know what happened,” Mitchell said. “My mind just went completely blank after that.”

Mitchell spent five weeks in the hospital nursing broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, as well as blood clots. For an avid motorcyclist, the traumatic accident marked his first in more than 30 years of riding.

“After 33 years together, I just had to make sure he was okay,” said Millie Mitchell, Anthony’s wife. “He’s my best friend, my husband. I don’t know what I would do without him.”

With the mounting expenses as a result of surgeries and physical therapy since the crash, the Mitchells received a hand up by members of Post 3428, who surprised the couple with a fundraiser laden with food, live music and raffles.

Though Mitchell’s recovery remains a work in progress, he was deeply moved by the Post’s efforts to help a fellow friend and Auxiliary member the way it did.

“I get very emotional because they’re not just friends, they’re all family,” Mitchell said. “I appreciate everything.”

When VFW Post 3911 in Key West, Florida, needed an innovative way to raise money for its relief fund in 2013, Powell Thomas turned to the island’s roots.

Revered as a bustling fishing village with a long and celebrated history, Thomas knew Key West served as the perfect backdrop for a veterans fishing tournament to raise funds.

With a history of avid fishermen that includes Ernest Hemingway and legendary baseball player and Korean War veteran Ted Williams, fishing is either a vocation or a pastime for most locals in Key West.

“Just about everyone in Key West owns a boat or knows someone who does,” said Thomas, a Vietnam veteran and a life member of Post 3911. “So I went to the meeting and said this is something we should do. I had run a few fishing tournaments before, and I knew my way around constructing them.”

The Post’s quartermaster at the time, Thomas believed a two-day fishing tournament would both enhance the Post’s presence on the island and help raise funds to support its sizeable veterans population.

“I knew a lot of veterans in the area who were doing quite well, but I also knew a few who weren’t doing so well,” Thomas said. “There are many active-duty service men and women in the Florida Keys, so the Post relief fund also helps many of these people when a sudden deployment wreaks havoc on a young family’s finances.”

With help from Post members and the VFW Auxiliary president, Thomas launched the first “Fish for Veterans” tournament in June 2013, welcoming a modest 18 boats manned by veterans and non-veterans fishing for cash prizes.

Since then, the tournament has grown exponentially as a result of continuous advertising in national fishing and wildlife magazines, as well as word of mouth amongst veterans and locals. And despite cancelling the 2020 tourney due to COVID-19, the 2021 event last June proved the most profitable to date.

The ninth annual “Fish For Veterans” tournament last year welcomed a record 213 participants and 46 boats from across the country. It also yielded more than $20,000 in cash prizes for the heaviest species of mahi, tuna, wahoo, grouper and snapper caught, as well as individual angler categories that included ladies, peewee, junior, active duty, veteran, senior and first responders.

“The event has grown steadily each year with the exception of 2020, but last year was the biggest one yet,” Thomas said. “That’s a testament to how well-supported the tournament is among the Florida Keys communities and their local businesses.”

The tournament’s success over the years also has met Thomas’ expectations for its creation, amassing more than $200,000 through 2021 for Post 3911’s relief fund. Through the fund, Post 3911 has continued to help Key West’s veterans’ population, which includes sizeable donations annually to Volunteers of America (VOA), a social services organization providing transitional housing to homeless veterans in Key West.

“Volunteers of America provides some housing for homeless veterans, and its semi-long term,” Thomas said. “What we’ve done is support them financially over the years. We also help the homeless veterans themselves, helping the individuals get on their feet once they leave there by giving them furniture, clothes and stuff of that kind.”

Though Thomas stepped down as program director after the ninth annual tourney last year, he will remain a fixture during the planning and undertaking of the event, adding that he believes it will be the best one to date.

“It will be bigger and better than ever,” Thomas said. “This year, the super prize for heaviest mahi has been increased to $20,000 or a brand new Toyota Corolla.”

The 10th annual tournament is scheduled for June 17-19, and it will be open to the general public as always.

Further information can be obtained by visiting www.vfwpost3911.org.

This article is featured in the 2022 May issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

When President Joe Biden signed a law on Oct. 13, 2021, that designates a 1,300-mile trail called the September 11th National Memorial Trail, it served as the culmination of two decades of planning for David Brickley.

Brickley, who heard the news while on a business trip in Austria, fused his gratification with the memory of the project’s genesis in the wake of one of America’s darkest days.

In September 2001, Brickley served as director of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. He was to join a 13-state conference on trails and greenway infrastructure from Sept. 15-18 in Arlington, Virginia, when the Sept. 11 attacks happened.

“When 9/11 hit, we had a conference call among ourselves, and it was agreed to proceed with the conference, partly as a reflection that we couldn’t be beaten down,” said Brickley, who was awarded the Bronze Star during his deployment to Vietnam in 1969.

Brickley, a Life member of VFW Post 1503 in Dale City, Virginia, welcomed the multi-state representatives into a conference room at the Crystal City Marriott by having his park rangers pass out small U.S. flags at the entrance.

“I wanted to establish a mood of resiliency and patriotism in the wake of these senseless terrorist attacks,” Brickley said. “At the end of the conference, I said we needed to find a way to merge our love of trails and greenways with this horrific event that happened just days before and just blocks from where we were meeting.”

With overwhelming support, Brickley formed the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance, a Prince William County nonprofit, a year later. The goal of the Alliance was to create a multi-state trail system that linked all three September 11 memorial sites – the National September 11 Memorial in New York City, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington.

“We have had tremendous support from local and state governments ever since,” Brickley said. “Our volunteers are the backbone, and they come from all backgrounds, which includes the mother of a beautiful daughter lost in the Flight 93 crash and a New York City firefighter who survived the collapse of both towers [of the World Trade Center.]”

Brickley’s vision took the form of a triangle on the map, which linked all three sites in what runs 1,300 miles long altogether. In order to actualize the vision, however, Brickley had to find answers for several concerns.

From finding ways for the National Park Service to manage the multi-state trail to linking other existing trails and historic areas together, Brickley sought help from local and state governments in order to materialize the concept. With help and support from Virginia Sen. Charles Colgan and later Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, concerns became possibilities for Brickley.

“I wrote to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and his chief of staff called me back and said, ‘The governor really loved the idea, because it could be the state’s longest trail, crossing the mountains to Pittsburgh,'” Brickley said. “He even provided initial funding toward our project.”

After laying out the blueprint for a trail system, the next task was to find a link between the Flight 93 crash site and the West Allegheny Passage, which is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, extending from Pittsburgh through West Virginia down into Virginia.

The link needed to encompass a 21-mile gap, which led to Brickley’s partnership with CSX Corp., a U.S.-based holding company focused on rail transportation and real estate, among many other ventures.

It was Brickley’s brother-in-law, Ben Swecker, who discovered an abandoned railroad corridor owned by CSX Corp., that could shorten the gap.

“We didn’t have funds when we started to negotiate to buy the land,” Brickley said. “I wrote CSX Corp.’s CEO Michael Ward a letter to remind him that 2016 would be the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Then I asked him if it wouldn’t be a wonderful gesture to donate 12 miles of the corridor.”

A month after the letter was written and sent, Brickley received a response from Ward, who was glad to help the cause by having CSX Corp. donate all 12 miles of the land toward the project.

After more than 16 years to find land and piece together the trail, Brickley’s next step was to seek designation as a federal trail to protect and solidify the land’s purpose in the future.

Through his connections, Brickley had U.S. Reps. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduce a bill to make the 1,300-mile trail a federal landmark in 2020. The bill subsequently passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 423-0, which was then followed by the Senate’s unanimous consent.

“It was a great example of what can happen when both political parties work together,” said Brickley, who has since remained with the Alliance as its president emeritus. “In this case, the goal led to this system that connects five states and is a multi-use, on-road and off-road trail to honor the heroes of 9/11, as well as show the resilience and perseverance of Americans since the founding of our country.”

Though Brickley remained in Austria during the signing of the bill into public law by Biden on Oct. 13, he professed his appreciation for the President’s interest and involvement with the Alliance.

“Biden spent over an hour with our Alliance members talking about trails and greenways,” Brickley said. “He was engaging and understood how important it was to remember those heroes of 9/11 and ensure their memories are never forgotten.”

Now that the September 11th National Memorial Trail has earned federal designation, Brickely added that the next step is to continue working with the National Park Service in making the trail 100 percent off-road.

Today, the trail remains 50 percent off-road, allowing those who venture along it the options to drive, cycle or hike. Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of people have ventured on the trail, according to Brickley, with a few hundred people completing the full 1,300 miles.

“We’ve been greeted by the communities along the trail, and it really shows a sense of patriotism,” Brickley said. “It is still a work in progress, but our goal is to eventually have an entirely off-road trail. It’ll probably take decades, but it’s open now, and it’s a wonderful symbol of America.”

This article is featured in the 2022 May issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.