Warrior’s Weekend on tap for Friday and Saturday

This will be the 17th version of this event, and it’s been my honor to attend seven of these affairs and you can take it from me, it’s awesome to watch wounded members of our military disembark from those buses. 

These men and women are very appreciative of all the attention given to them by the public and all the folks at Warrior’s Weekend that work all year to put it together.

I am so thankful that we aren’t seeing as many terrible injuries as we did in the years that I attended (2008-2014). It wasn’t uncommon in those years to see many of our warriors with missing limbs and head injuries. 

There was too many of those years. Quite a few times I’ve seen people without legs, and witnessed men backing up to a bus so the fellow without legs could jump on someone’s back. I will have to admit that there were times when tears would flow - some were mine.

When the event was held during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were more wounded warriors on the buses. There were Army, Marines, Navy, National Guard, Coast Guard - name it, they were all represented.

I remember one year when there were so many wounded personnel that it took 14 buses to hold them all.

President Ron Kocian and his volunteers at Warrior’s Weekend have created an awesome event - one that veterans and active-duty personnel will never forget. They are treated to housing, food, and on Saturday they get to try out the excellent fishing at Port O’Connor. Some of the troops bring their families.

Although we love all this beautiful rain, the military folks and those who greet them will probably not be too angry if it held off this weekend.

Following is a press release from Warrior’s Weekend:

Warrior's Weekend XVII is scheduled to take place on May 19th and 20th. Heroes participating in the event will embark on their journey from the Bush Airport area, commencing at approximately 8:30-9 am on Friday, the 19th. The procession will be accompanied by various law enforcement groups, led by the Houston-based Blue Knights, Chapter VII.

The convoy, comprising four charter buses, motorcycles, and privately owned vehicles (POVs), is expected to reach Prasek's in Hillje around 11 am. Bikers are encouraged to join the procession. Following a brief layover, the convoy will continue its route, passing through GANADO at approximately 1 pm before proceeding to Edna. The procession will traverse Inez on the feeder road and make its way to Victoria, ultimately arriving at the Warrior's Weekend Field of Honor (WWFOH) at around 2 pm.

Upon their arrival, the heroes will receive a warm welcome from our volunteers and the public. A short ceremony will be held to honor their presence, during which they will witness the placement of their flags. Concurrently, around 100 individuals will have arrived independently.

Around 3:30 pm, the participants will board the buses and proceed towards Port Lavaca and Port O'Connor. The procession will follow a route from Parjway Church down Salem Road to Navarro, turning left on Rio Grande and right onto Laurent. 

It is anticipated that the convoy will pass through Bloomington at approximately 4:15-4:30 pm, with the Port Lavaca group reaching their destination around 4:45-5 pm. Simultaneously, others will arrive or continue their journey to SEADRIFT.

We enthusiastically encourage as many Patriots as possible to join us in greeting the heroes along the way.