Inspired by the glamorous women featured in pin ups from the 1940s, Patriot Pin Ups is a group of ladies whose mission is to support veterans in any way possible, attending numerous veterans’ events and even going so far as to help with rent and grocery bills.
Member Bobbi Jo Cronkhite said that Patriot Pin Ups was founded in Columbus as a means to assist veterans who found themselves in need of financial or emotional support. The Dayton chapter launched in the summer of 2014, and announced an official expansion at the beginning of this month, naming the Miami Valley chapter to encompass more locations outside the Dayton area.
If you’ve attended any sort of veterans’ event in the past year, you’re sure to have seen the girls from Dayton’s Patriot Pin Up chapter, as it is hard to miss a group of pretty ladies all done up in 1940s fashion. With their hair glossed and curled, bouncy polka-dotted skirts, porcelain skin, and bold red lipstick, these girls aren’t just there to be seen, they are dedicated to raising funds needed to help any veteran who needs it—although the male vets certainly don’t seem to mind posing for pictures with the pin ups.
The Pin Ups have become regular fixtures at the Dayton International Airport for each Honor Flight homecoming reception, often singing the National Anthem and mingling with the returning vets and their families.
The girls have also been active with other private veterans’ events as well, acting as hostesses at the Medway VFW’s annual Feed Our Heroes dinner at Thanksgiving. This year was the second year that the Pin Ups helped at Feed Our Heroes, which brings together veterans from any war or conflict who wish to spend the holiday meal with fellow soldiers and sailors.
Cronkhite said the Pin Ups also have plans to visit several veterans residing at Dayview of New Carlisle. She said they had planned to meet the Dayview vets closer to Christmas, but scheduling conflicts prevented it, so they will meet with them after the new year to give them a stocking full of presents.
Upholding the organization’s mission to ensure that every veteran and service member know that their story will be heard, their sacrifice remembered, their memory honored, and their service appreciated, the Pin Ups are a 501(c)3 certified charity that is always accepting donations to help their target vets and families.
For instance, the Dayton chapter sponsored five veterans and their families this Christmas, providing them with food, clothes, toys, and practical items needed for the household. Last Thursday, they also visited the Dayton VA and delivered stockings of goodies to veterans there, who were all reportedly delighted to see Santa show up with a troupe of lovely ladies on his arm.
Cronkhite said they will begin recruiting new members soon, and girls interested in joining the Patriot Pin Ups should contact the group via their Facebook page by searching for Patriot Pin Up, Inc. Dayton Ohio Chapter. An application will be dispatched, and after it is completed and returned, the board will review the submissions to see if the applicants have the required volunteering background and proper motive for joining. Cronkhite said that many of the girls have family members who have served in the military, or have served themselves like Cronkhite, who spent eight years in the Air Force.