Ray Nolan received claims assistance for an American Legion service officer and now is taking part in the Maryland Gold Star Legacy Run, which raises funds for the VCF.
When Ray Nolan retired from the U.S. military, he said his medical records from his service filled up a grocery bag.
Living in Virginia at the time, he used an American Legion-accredited service officer to eventually receive a 100-percent service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
That’s why the fundraising cause behind American Legion Department of Maryland’s Gold Star Legacy Run – The American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation (VCF) – resonates with him. Not only does the foundation fund the Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance grant program, but it also covers the cost of training American Legion service officers.
And that’s why Nolan, a member of Gold Star Post 191 in Mt. Airy and the incoming director for the post’s American Legion Riders chapter, is on his second Gold Star ride. And this time he presented a check to the ride for $10,500 from his post’s American Legion Family.
Nolan said he took all of his records to a service officer and told him, “‘I don’t know what to do.’ A couple days later, he comes back to me and says, ‘OK, I’ve got your packet. Come over and look at it.’ And he filed it for me.
“He really took care of me. I ended up with 100-percent disability. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have been one of those people waiting for years because I didn’t know what to do.”
Nolan said no Riders from Chapter 191 had participated in the Gold Star Legacy Run in a few years, so last year he and his wife Megan joined another couple from the post on the ride. The reception the newcomers got in 2024 brought them back this year.
“They brought us in like family,” said Nolan, who said he met people for the first time last year that he regularly keeps in contact with now. “It was so fun. The camaraderie. And the cause, of course. I love giving back to the veterans. I just I had to do this again.”
Day 2 of the ride covered nearly 217 miles, saw stops at four different American Legion posts, and brought in another $57,620 for the Gold Star Legacy Run, bringing the total so far to $144,762. Topping the donations was Harry White Wilmer Post 82 in LaPlata with $22,900.
In Sharptown. The day started with a stop at Dor-Wic Post 218, which provided a full breakfast for the ride, and everyone pitched in to make it happen. Sons of The American Legion Squadron Commander Darryl English directed the motorcycles to their spots and then moved inside, where his wife – Post 218 Adjutant Kelly English – manned the buffet and Post Commander Eddie Kukta cooked dozens of eggs.
English said the post hosts monthly breakfasts, which helped things go off without a hitch during the ride’s stop. But the post would have opened up its doors whether or not it had any experience with massive meals.
“They asked, and for a post our size to be asked to do something like this, it’s an honor,” Kelly said. “It really is. It’s a good cause that they’re riding for. It’s an excellent group of people. We know a lot of them. It’s a great family.”
Post 218’s Legion Family capped the morning by donating $1,300 to the ride.
In Centreville. The second stop of the day saw snacks and drinking waiting for the ride, courtesy of Jeff Davis Post 18. Also waiting for the dozens of motorcyclists was John White, SAL Squadron 18’s commander and Chapter 22’s assistant director. He’s taken part in four or five Gold Star Legacy Runs himself but wasn’t able to this year because of his SAL commitments.
“It’s a great honor (hosting the ride again),” White said. “The cause for helping veterans and the kids of veterans and the families … that’s what we’re all here for. So even if we’re not riding, we love having them stop in.”
During a brief ceremony, ALR Chapter 18 Director Ken Huddleston talked about how, on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Riders are serving to “not only honor our past, but to fuel their futures through the 2025 Legacy Run. Your presence here is a testament to our shared commitment to liberty, sacrifice and hope. (The Gold Star Legacy Run) is a heroic endeavor by the American Legion Riders to support the Veterans & Children Foundation.
“Just as our forefathers stormed the beaches of Normandy to secure freedom, the Legacy Run embodies their spirit of sacrifice and service. Every dollar you raise strengthens the foundation that keeps families together and veterans supported.”
In Kent Island. On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Post 278 welcomed the ride with lunch and a $3,500 donation – to go with the $1,000 the post already had given to Gold Star Legacy Run Co-Chairman Joe Gladden months ago.
Department of Maryland Senior Vice Commander Nikki Randolph, the post’s first female commander and now it’s finance officer, was on hand to greet Riders entering the building. There were more than a few hugs between Randolph and her guests.
“It’s like family’s coming home – ‘Oh, it’s a family reunion.’ Sometimes the only time I see them is on the Legacy Run,” said Randolph. “We get our feelings hurt when they don’t come to us. Now they know better than to bypass us.
“We believe in their mission. It’s a pretty awesome thing to do. And it’s just a good group of guys who do a really great job in their role for the Legion – the fundraising people, the fun people – they do a great job at that.”
More donations were presented during the Kent Island stop, including a large one from the American Legion Family from Post 60 in Laurel. When the four checks were added up, $20,000 was handed over to Gladden.
In Frederick. When Francis Scott Key Post 11 Commander Charles Davis saw the Riders pull up to the post as a light rain was coming down, he asked a few how long they’d been rained on, he was told since the ride left Kent City – approximately 90 minutes.
But Charles said the responses he got from those Riders exemplified their dedication to their cause. “They said they didn’t mind it at all,” he said. “Their whole ride was in the rain. That’s the dedication and commitment, the dedication they learned during their time in the military. And it’s still here.
“Look at the end result. The endgame is to help somebody. And that’s what they’re here to do.”
Post 11 provided a dinner for the Riders, grilling out hot dogs and hamburgers, and later on provided live music. But prior to all of that, members of the ride participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the post’s impressive Memorial Wall. Made of brick, the structure includes metal plaques honoring veterans of all wars.
Post 11 has served as a stop for the Gold Star Legacy Run multiple times. “It’s one of those things where you have a tradition that works … and once you get it in place, keep with it,” Davis said. “It’s appreciated. It’s looked forward to. Legion members look forward to it. We want to keep it in place and just go with it.”
- Riders