Gold Star Mother and Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator Jean Harris looks on as retired Illinois Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Ray Butler talks to his son, 7-year-old Rohan, after Butler completed the Gold Star 500. The riders arrived at the Great Lakes Community Center, part of the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 24. Harris' son, Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. Joshua Harris, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Sept. 18, 2008. Several Illinois National Guard active and retired service members participate in the more than 500-mile bicyc
Gold Star Mother and Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator Jean Harris looks on as retired Illinois Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Ray Butler talks to his son, 7-year-old Rohan, after Butler completed the Gold Star 500. The riders arrived at the Great Lakes Community Center, part of the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 24. Harris' son, Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. Joshua Harris, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Sept. 18, 2008. Several Illinois National Guard active and retired service members participate in the more than 500-mile bicycle ride that raises awareness of the approximately 300 Illinois service members who have fallen since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, including 34 members of the Illinois National Guard. This year's Gold Star 500 included 16 Polish riders who learned of the 5-day event through the Illinois National Guard's State Partnership Program with the Polish military. The Polish riders included seven Polish Army Soldiers, six students and three Polish Gold Star Family members. The Illinois Army National Guard co-deployed with Polish first to Iraq and then to Afghanistan for 17 years.
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Photo credit: © Operation 2022 / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: alwaysre, goldstar, illinois, nationalguard, poland, soldier4life, spp
