Ground Zero Flag Headed To Manatee Man Blinded In Iraq

Posted Aug 19, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Aug 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM

When I write about the rumble of motorcycles in this blog, it’s usually for one of two reasons.

Either it is the rumble of motorcycles escorting someone home from service, either from the airport to the funeral home if they were killed in action, or a hero’s escort from the airport to their home if they made it back alive.

Or it’s the rumble of motorcycles delivering a Ground Zero Flag to someone wounded in action or a first responder.

This weekend in Manatee County, the rumbles will be for both reasons.

Saturday, as I wrote about in a previous post, the body of Spc. 4 Patrick Lay II is arriving at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. See my previous post for details.

On the same day, at about the same time, there will be another loud rumble.

Operation American Pride will be delivering a Ground Zero Flag to SFC Aaaron Cornielius, a Manatee County resident who lost his sight in 2008 in the Dora district of Iraq when his unit was hit by an IED.

The event, according to OpAmPride mahaff Mike Whitt, is a quarterly delivery and presentation of a US Flag flown at Ground Zero in New York to a selected military veteran or a first responder.  Each quarter a different veteran oriented organization presents the flag.  The flag is passed from one veteran or first repsonder to the next.

Sayeth Whitt:

The custodian of the flag is the James A. Haley VA Center, thru BG Robert Holmes, we have been given the authority to establish this quarterly program of presenting the flag to a veteran or first responder.

Along with presenting the flag, we also present half of the funds collected from the event to the veteran/first responder who is receiving the flag.  It is an attempt to honor our veterans and first responders and assist them financially. 

Each quarter the hosting organization will select a veteran or first responder known to their club and will lead in setting up the next presentation.

In October 2010, we presented the flag to Specialist Kevin Kammendiner.  The May 14, 2011 was presented to SGT Joshua Cooley, USMC.

The following organizations are supporting this quarterly event:

AMVETS Post 44
AMVETS Post 301
Rolling Thunder Veterans Organization
Combat Veterans Organization
Brandon Latin American Motorcyle Association (LAMAS)
Tampa Latin American Motorcyle Association (LAMAS)
American Legion Post 138
American Legion Post 148

The next presentation will be made in August.

About Aug 20, 2011

Where:  AMVETS Post 301 - In Ellenton, Florida
When:  August 20, 2011
Time:  11:00 ride begins to deliver the flag
        1:30 -  6:00 pm celebration at AMVETS Post 301
Cost:  $15.00 per motorcycle/car, $ 5.00 for each passenger.
        (Cost includes the lunch and entertainment)

The delivery of the flag will consist of approximately 200 motorcycles traveling to SFC Cornielius’ home to deliver the flag and cash donation.

We will leave from AMVETS Post 301, no later than 1100 to go to SFC Cornielius’ home and present the flag and cash donation.

We will return to the AMVETS Post 301 for the remainder of the events including a bar-b-que lunch, raffles, auctions, live music and more.