It was the 6th annual Salute the Troops event on Market Street in front of the FOX 29 studios, and it was the biggest yet! It was also the 6th time the WWR had been invited to attend and add our bikes and our vets to the event. Arriving at the rally point on the Delaware River at 5am isn’t easy for some, but for WWR it is part of what they do! As it turned out, the weather was beautiful, the day mild and the sky pure blue. Jupiter and Sirius were high and bright in the sky as we arrived at the event at 6am.

Every branch of the military was represented – Marines, Army, Army National Guard, Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force. For three hours, from 7 to 10 am, the WWR rubbed elbows with our heroes, from privates to Colonels to Generals, all the way up to the Secretary of the Navy! There was live music and tons of food, and the crowd was immense and hyped.

WWR member Fungi coined the Adjutant General of the PA National Guard. And WWR Founder Wayne Lutz was honored to coin the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, and doubly honored when he was in turn coined by the Secretary. He talked to me about the work that WWR does and was deeply impressed.

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The Secretary of the Navy honored Navy Petty Officer Melanie Polo, who was prepared to reenlist live on TV after her 10 years of service, but had no idea that her oath would be administered by the Secretary himself.

It was a great day for our nation’s military, and the respect that the American people now show to our warriors!

FOX 29 News Philadelphia | WTXF-TV

FOX 29 News Philadelphia | WTXF-TV