GREENVILLE – Darke County Veterans and spouses returned from the fifth Darke County Veterans Services four-day Washington, D.C. trip at 1:45 a.m. Monday morning, October 7, following a packed four days of military memorials and museums.
“The 2024 Veterans of Darke County Washington DC trip was a huge success,” said Darke County Veterans Services Director/CVSO Thomas Pitman. “This is the fifth trip we have done, and each time, we get the honor of meeting a new group of veterans.”
The group left Greenville American Legion Post 140 at 5:30 a.m. Thursday and arrived at the Veteran-owned Rockville Hotel & Suites in Rockville, MD, which would be their home for the tour.
The day was spent traveling by motorcoach, with stops at the Dog House Diner in Washington, PA, for lunch at noon and Ledo Pizza in Montgomery Village, MD, for an evening meal.
“This was our first time having five branches represented, Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard,” Pitman noted.
On Friday, the veterans and spouses visited the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps, located in Triangle, VA, and the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, VA, before making their way to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the Smithsonians, etc. The group closed out the day at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Washington, DC.
Saturday began at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial (AA Flight 77), the Air Force Memorial, including a group photo, and Arlington National Cemetery. The group took in the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with four Darke County Veterans participating in the 12:15 p.m. Group Wreath Laying ceremony. The group then visited the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, before closing out the day at Five Guys.
The fourth day began with a visit to the Gettysburg National Military Parke Museum in Gettysburg, PA, a stop at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, PA, and a final group meal, a buffet at the Oakhurst Grille & Event Center in Somerset, PA.
“I would like to thank the Darke County Veterans Services Commissioners and the local American Legion posts for their continued support of the DC trip, as well as all of the local businesses and individuals for their generous donations to make this trip possible,” said Pitman.
Personelle from Darke Country Veterans Services on the trip along with Pitman included Var Gehron, Veterans Services Officer; Cindy Bruner, Administrative Assistant; and Darke County Veterans Services Commissioners Scott Riffle, James Kammer, and Gaylen Blosser.
