VETERANS DAY IN AMERICA

Happy Veterans Day, you old (and young) warriors!

We're still here, still standing, and still proud to have served. To my fellow veterans, especially my Vietnam-era brothers and sisters, WELCOME HOME!

Veterans Day is a time to remember the friendships, the sacrifices, the adventures, and the privilege of having served our country. Some memories make us smile. Others never quite leave us.

Stacie and I are headed to the dunes for the annual Glamis Veterans Gathering and Flag Pole Ceremony, where we'll join fellow veterans, families, and friends to celebrate service, patriotism, and the bonds that never seem to fade.

Whether you served yesterday or more than half a century ago, we're all part of the same remarkable brotherhood and sisterhood.

Happy Veterans Day. Welcome home. And thank you for standing the watch. Salute!

HELPING VETERANS FIND THEIR WAY HOME

Nothing heals like the great outdoors.

Not Every Veteran Heals in a Hospital -- Let's Help Them Find the Trail Home Outside

By Del Albright, Vietnam Combat Veteran

I offer this as a resource beyond what veterans and their families can find at the VA or their local medical/mental health facility. This listing is outdoor-oriented programs/places where vets can heal in nature. 

MAY IS MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

 

How to show your support

Military Appreciation Month – Honoring Our Heroes, One Act at a Time

May is Military Appreciation Month—a dedicated time to honor and show gratitude to all who have served and continue to serve in our U.S. Armed Forces. This includes the brave men and women of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Space Force. Whether on active duty, reserves, or retired, every service member has made sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy daily.

For many of us, showing our appreciation doesn't require grand gestures. It can start with a handshake, a heartfelt thank you, or a moment of silence at a veteran's memorial. Here are a few ways we can show our support this month:

✅ Visit a Local Veterans' Cemetery – Walk the grounds, place a flag or flower, or simply pause in reverence. Read the headstones and remember their stories.
✅ Spend Time at a VA Facility or Veterans' Home – Many veterans appreciate a conversation, a listening ear, or just some company.
✅ Attend a Community Event or Ceremony – Many towns host parades, services, or tributes. Your presence matters.
✅ Support a Veteran-Owned Business – It's an easy but impactful way to show thanks and strengthen our communities.
✅ Fly the American Flag – Do it proudly and respectfully. Let it signal your support.
✅ Teach the Next Generation – Share the meaning of this month with kids and grandkids. Tell the stories.
✅ Volunteer or Donate to a Veteran Support Organization – From the American Legion to the VFW to local outreach groups, there are many ways to help.

This month, let's go beyond words. Let's show our appreciation through action. Our military families and veterans deserve nothing less.

"We live in the land of the free because of the brave."

Thank you, Del.

De Oppresso Liber

USAA Insurance Company Teaches Uncle Del About Modern Communications

I am amazed at how our world is changing in the way of computers, electronics and communications. My first "Tweet" was more powerful than my first date as a teenager. My first "blog" gave me chills. And I thought my first time with online banking was scarier than jumping out of airplanes in army boots. But no; there's more.


United Services Automobile Association (USAA) insurance and banking company just told me how I can now do my insurance stuff AND bank on my Blackberry (or iPhone) and even do DEPOSITS using my phone camera and phone internet. OMG!!! Deposit a check I’m holding in my hand while taking a picture of it with my phone? What's next?


Now this post is more than a lame advertisement for USAA, albeit I've been with them for 40 years and I highly recommend them to ANYONE who has served in the military. Yes, they are now open to any and all honorable vets. But this blog is about how we must embrace new technology and apply it to those clients, customers and friends who are involved in the game of protecting our freedoms and fighting for our access to public lands. And we must especially apply all these new technologies to folks who love to recreate in the great outdoors, but have yet to figure out that they need to be fighting with us.


Well, ok, I may not be as amazed as I’m playing up here because in reality I’m fully embracing all the new technology I can. Yes, there will be some who feel “big brother” is watching us a bit too much here and there. But I believe that if you embrace all the security and common sense measures to go along with the “in touch” world, you’ll be just fine.


The point I’m really trying to drive home is that if you are trying to make a different in land use and access, or outdoor recreation in general, you should be using all means available to you. Hey maybe for you, like me, that also includes streaming tweets to your website along with an integrated hyper-link to your Facebook account with a side channel to your MySpace page. Whew…

I suspect companies other than USAA are doing this sort of banking thing, but you can learn more at www.usaa.com (if you’re military or ex-military).
Del

Veterans Day -- Never Forget

Thank your veterans and their families by keeping America strong and free.  Never Forget.  Never let wackos, weirdos or terrorists control or hamper our freedoms. 

I thank all veterans, their famlies, and the memories of those who died in service to this country.
Del

Surplus City, Oroville, CA

If you've never been here, this is QUITE the place to see and shop.  Not only that, this place is where the next W.E. ROCK comp is going be held in October, and where other rock crawl and mud bog events are held.  Urban Assualt is the name of the rock courses, with names like Terminator, Mine Field, Wall of Shame, and more.  And it's all part of this intoxicating military and jeep surplus store.  Whew....Stac and I thought we were going to have to camp out there just to see it all.

Bob Frank runs the show as General Manager and Cal4wheel has held events here as well.  Great people; awesome surplus stuff to see; and wow, what a fantastic OHV park.

You can get more info on their website here: http://www.surpluscity.com/

Del

Remembering 911 and Our Lost Friends

We are taking a moment today to remember our lost friends and the abominable terrorist attack on our country -- our very home ground. 911 should never be forgotten; nor should our country ever let scumbag terrorists get away with such acts.


We hope you will remember as well, and teach the young people around you how important patriotism is; how precious our freedoms are; and how bullies and terrorists should NEVER be allowed to rule our actions. And let us not forgot the loss of so many innocent people and what that did to their families and loved ones.

Like many of you who have served or have had family members serve our country, I will never forget.
Del

HONORING THE MILITARY AND FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

I'm thinking about our military serving this country. It brings back memories, not all good. But for certain, it's a time when we should stand with our military and do our part to help in the fight for our freedoms – and that includes our trails, riding areas, and recreation. 

I believe we should find ways to support our military and our military support organizations. And I believe, as a land use guy today, that we need to take extra steps these days to SAVE our freedoms to ride and recreate. Join up if you're still wondering what you need to do. That's the first step.

Take it from an old soldier (of war and of land use battles).  Here is the Ka-Bar knife with the blood groove that I carried in South America and Vietnam.