MISSION: Return Dog Tag of Thomas Binkley to his widow during their family gathering on Friday, January 31, 2020 in Fort Walton, FL

DOG TAG History: The dog tag of US Army Veteran Thomas Binkley was one of over 450 dog tags brought back from Vietnam by retired Chief of Police (Deptford, NJ) Ray Milligan in 1993. Milligan was a volunteer with a group called Operation Smile, a medical mission that travels the globe and performs corrective surgery for children with cleft palates or cleft lips. Milligan, a former Force Recon Marine who’d served in Vietnam, had gone to Vietnam as logistics support coordinator for the medical program. After having a local NJ reporter and Eagle Scout help him in returning a few dozen dog tags, he handed over the collection to the Sue Quinn-Morris of the Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project (formerly POW/MIA Awareness Comm), who has continued to research and return over 120 more of the dog tags with the help of many organizations.

BIO of Vietnam Veteran, Thomas Binkley: Thomas Binkley served with the 669th Transportation Company in Vietnam from 1967 – 1968. After returning home from Vietnam he worked for many years for Eastern Airlines and Southern States. Unfortunately, he passed away on January 31, 2011. Survivors include his widow, Janet, son Tommy (Tammy), daughters Traci (Sylvan) Bednar and Joci Binkley and grandchildren, Soren and Grayson Bednar, and Jesse and Mollie Crea. (Patriot Guard Riders provided an Honor Mission at his funeral in GA in 2011)

MISSION Details: Every year on the anniversary of Binkley’s death, the family gets together to celebrate his life. Upon locating and speaking with the family of Thomas Binkley, Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project has reached out to Patriot Guard Motorcycle Riders to help with the dog tag presentation. Binkley’s dog tag will be sent to the Ray Doyle, Asst State Capt for NW Florida, of PGR Florida, whose riders will hand deliver Binkley’s dog tag to his widow, Janet, during their celebration. Binkley’s daughter has indicated their father would have loved to see motorcycles roll up and present his dog tag to his wife – and this will be a surprise for his wife Janet – she is not aware of the dog tag or the return.

Dog Tag Sent out from Merchantville NJ Post Office by Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project to Patriot Guard Rider Ray Doyle. Pkg arrived on Friday, January 24, 2020.

Details of Presentation to the Family are;

DATE: Friday, January 31, 2020
TIME: 5:00pm
LOCATION: Anglers Beachside Grill, 1030 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

Patriot Guard Riders - Road Captain Linda Caton will be in charge of presentation to family