Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club, Nathanael Greene Chapter, Coventry, RI (2026)

08/30/2026

On Friday, our chapter had the honor of taking part in the Patriot Guard Riders - Rhode Island es**rt, and then attending the memorial service for WWII 1LT Franklin Hugh McKinney. He was a pilot who went missing in China in 1944, and was finally returned home and buried next to his parents in South Kingstown's Riverside Cemetery.

McKinney grew up in Narragansett, RI, and was the youngest of three children. He entered the US Army Air Corps on March 13, 1942, and served in the 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 14th Air Force. Pilots like McKinney, operating from Flying Tiger bases in China, flew high-risk aerial mapping missions. On November 5, 1944, he departed Yunnanyi, China, piloting an F-5 Lightning (serial number 43-38615) on a reconnaissance mission over Thailand and Burma. No contact was made with the aircraft after it left base. A wartime report from the Royal Thai Air Force Museum indicated a plane was hit by lightning, exploded, and crashed in a wooded area in Ban Mae Kua, Sop Prap District, Lampang Province, Thailand. The mystery endured for decades.

Years of research involving military officials, historians, and others eventually led investigators to a crash site in northern Thailand. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency specialists began excavating the site in 2022. In March 2026, McKinney’s remains were positively identified using DNA technology. After more than 80 years, his 8,270-mile journey home has reached its final destination.

Courtney Whittier of South Carolina, Franklin's great niece, accepted the ceremonial flag on behalf of the family.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They defended the freedoms we cherish today.

Photo credits:
US Patriot Photography
Rhode Island National Guard (SFC Terry Rajsombath)
RI Office of Veterans Services

08/30/2026

On this day in 2021, US military forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan. The need to evacuate populations vulnerable to the Taliban, including the interpreters and assistants who had worked with the coalition forces, ethnic minorities, and women, became urgent. For more than two weeks, international diplomatic, military and civilian staff, as well as Afghan civilians, were airlifted out the country from Hamid Karzai International Airport. The final flight, a US Air Force C-17, departed at 3:29 pm ET (11:59 p.m. in Kabul time), on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the almost 20-year campaign; America's longest war.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They preserved the freedoms we cherish today.

08/26/2026

On August 26, 2021, 11 US Marines, 1 US Army soldier, and 1 US Navy sailor were killed by a su***de bomber at the Abbey Gate of Kabul’s Karzai International Airport during the initial phase of the US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The attack also claimed more than 160 Afghan lives. Another 45 US service members and 143 Afghans were wounded.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/15/2026

On this day in 2021, US military forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan. The need to evacuate populations vulnerable to the Taliban, including the interpreters and assistants who had worked with the coalition forces, ethnic minorities, and women, became urgent. For more than two weeks, international diplomatic, military and civilian staff, as well as Afghan civilians, were airlifted out the country from Hamid Karzai International Airport. The final flight, a US Air Force C-17, departed at 3:29 pm ET (11:59 p.m. in Kabul time), on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the almost 20-year campaign; America's longest war.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They preserved the freedoms we cherish today.

08/14/2026

National Code Talkers Day is celebrated annually on August 14 to honor the courage of the Navajo Code Talkers who contributed to the Allied victory during World War II. The Code Talkers played a vital role during these operations and conveyed messages by telephone and radio using their native language. The Japanese were unsuccessful in unearthing the messages as they could never manage to break the code. The Navajo Code Talkers participated in all the assaults led by the U.S. Marines including, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima, in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They bravely defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/10/2026

Today is Agent Orange Awareness Day.

Over 60 years ago, Agent Orange was first used in the Vietnam War. The date is thought to be August 10, 1961. American military forces used the herbicide to clear thick foliage from battlegrounds to eliminate the enemy's protective ground cover. The use of Agent Orange impacted US troops as well as the Vietnamese troops and civilians. It cost hundreds of thousands of lives and continues to impact survivors today.

Those exposed to the chemical suffer a wide range of negative medical effects including:

- AL amyloidosis
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type II
- Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Parkinson's Disease
- Prostate Cancer
- Respiratory Cancer
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma

In 1988, Agent Orange Awareness Day began as a way to reach Vietnam veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange. The campaign informed the country through newspaper and radio messages, encouraging veterans to seek assistance through VA programs. Since then, military and veteran organizations have continued to promote the observance.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides a registry to help veterans and their families receive treatment. Those with suspected exposure can receive an exam free of charge from Veterans Affairs.

Never forget the sacrifices made by those who came before us. They defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/10/2026

Today, Rhode Island celebrates Victory over Japan (VJ) Day. The announcement of Japan's surrender was actually made on August 15, 1945, and the documents were signed on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II. Although September 2 is the designated "V-J Day" in the entire United States, the event is not an official federal or state holiday. However, Rhode Island celebrates the ending of World War II on the second Monday of August.

The famous "kiss" photo also has ties to Rhode Island. The sailor's name is George Mendonsa of Middletown and stationed in Newport at the time. He was on leave from the USS The Sullivans spending time in New York City. The lady is Greta Zimmer Friedman, an Austrian-born American citizen. The iconic photo was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, and it was years before the couple's identities were confirmed. Mendonsa died in 2019 two days before his 96th birthday; Friedman, passed away in September 2016 at the age of 92.

NEVER forget the sacrifices of The Greatest Generation, who bravely defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/07/2026

August 7 is National Purple Heart Day. The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. Its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New York headquarters on 7 August 1782, and took the form of a heart made of purple cloth. The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members and, since World War I, almost 2,000,000 Purple Hearts have been awarded.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/07/2026

The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of World War II. It began on August 7, 1942, and involved major land and naval battles on and surrounding the island of Guadalcanal. It was the first major Allied land offensive against Japan during the war.

In summer 1942, the Allies decided to mount major offensives in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with the objectives of defending sea lines to Australia and eventually attacking the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Guadalcanal operation was under the command of Robert L. Ghormley, reporting to Chester W. Nimitz, while the Japanese defense consisted of the Combined Fleet under Isoroku Yamamoto and the Seventeenth Army under Harukishi Hyakutake.

On the morning of August 7, Allied forces, predominantly U.S. Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island in the southern Solomon Islands. The Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, offered little initial resistance, but the capture of Guadalcanal soon turned into a lengthy campaign as both sides added reinforcements.

Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. They defended the freedoms we cherish today.

08/04/2026

Happy 236th Birthday, US Coast Guard!

The US Coast Guard protects the United States' borders and economic and security interests abroad; and defends its sovereignty by safeguarding sea lines of communication and commerce across US territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone. Due to ever-expanding risk imposed by transnational threats through the maritime and cyber domains, the US Coast Guard is at any given time deployed to and operating on all seven continents and in cyberspace to enforce its mission. Like its United States Navy sibling, the US Coast Guard maintains a global presence with permanently assigned personnel throughout the world and forces routinely deploying to both littoral and blue-water regions.

The current US Coast Guard was formed by a merger of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the US Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915, under the Department of the Treasury. The Revenue Cutter Service was created by Congress as the Revenue-Marine on 4 August 1790 at the request of Alexander Hamilton, and is therefore the oldest continuously operating naval service of the United States. As secretary of the treasury, Hamilton headed the Revenue-Marine, whose original purpose was collecting customs duties at US seaports. By the 1860s, the service was known as the US Revenue Cutter Service and the term Revenue-Marine gradually fell into disuse.

Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club, Nathanael Greene Chapter

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

08/26/2026

08/15/2026

08/14/2026

08/10/2026

08/10/2026

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

08/04/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Listing takedown request