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Sendoff and welcome home ceremonies are part of the American Legion Riders tradition
Legion Sendoff
The American Legion Riders of Post 180 hosted a sendoff for a young Marine thats about to start her military career. Shaylynn Hoch of Great Bend will be leaving for basic training on Aug. 24 and will begin her training to becoming an aviation mechanic. She is pictured here with Gerald Postlethwaite, left, Roy Titsworth, and hugging Hoch is Jeannie Munsch. All three are members of the American Legion as well as members of the American Legion Riders of Great Bend. Hoch was given an American Legion Riders T-shirt, a challenge coin and a pocket flag.

Like so many other organizations that have traditions, the American Legion Riders of Great Bend are no different.
The American Legions Riders is a group of veterans and their spouses that not only have a love of motorcycles and the open road, but a deeper passion that runs so deep it touches the fabric of what the American Legion stands for. This fabric is the love and respect they show for not only veterans but active duty members of our armed forces, and their spouses and children.
With this love and respect, brings traditions to show how much the American Legion Riders respect these people that keep our freedom in place.
One such tradition the ALR has is sendoffs and welcome home ceremonies for military personnel being deployed or returning home from a deployment. These ceremonies are for any type of deployment, from heading off to basic training or being deployed to a world conflict.
The welcome home ceremonies are for soldiers returning home from these deployments.
The goal of these traditions is to show how much respect and love the ALR has, and to let them know they have people that support them.
“We do it primarily to let these soldiers know they are supported by the people back home,” American Legion Riders Director Roy Titsworth said. “And to let them know their efforts are also supported.”
These solders are given a certificate, Legion Rider T-shirt, challenge coin and a pocket flag that they can carry with them to remind them they are not forgotten and they have support wherever they may end up.
These ceremonies are held at the American Legion located at 1011 Kansas Ave., and everyone is encouraged to attend.
These traditions were started in 2006 by the Legion Riders.
The ALR also participates in many other activities throughout the community. These activities include the color guard, being in parades, helping with funerals, being flag bearers, support for veterans and their families, doing fund-raisers for many organizations, and some of the Legion Riders are members of the Patriot Guard of Kansas.
If you have a loved one that is about to be deployed or returning home from a deployment, and would like to have one of the ceremonies for them you can contact the American Legion Post 180 at 620-793-5912.