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Results for James W Hurl
Athlete No Event Place Score
346 Horseshoes - Age 60-64, Wheelchair, Male 3rd Place (Bronze)
346 Nine Ball - Age 60-64 Wheelchair All 1st Place (Gold)

News Release

Long Beach Veteran Competes in National Games
 click on photo to enlarge James Hurl

           Hampton, VA. -- May 9, 2006 -- James Hurl, an Air Force veteran from Long Beach, Calif., is one of nearly 600 veterans in their golden age who are in Hampton, Va., May 7-12, competing in the 20th National Veterans Golden Age Games, the largest sporting event in the world for senior veterans.  All participants are U.S. military veterans from across the country age 55 and older, receiving medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Hurl, 63, a combat veteran of Vietnam, currently receives care at the VA medical facility in Long Beach, Calif.

           Hurl is competing in the following events:

Billiards-nine ball (wheelchair)
Air Rifles
Horseshoes (ambulatory)

            “I look forward to the Golden Age Games each year so I can meet other veterans from across the country and go for the gold,” said Hurl.

           This event is sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary (VFW), and the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS).  Hosted this year by the Hampton VA Medical Center and the Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, the Golden Age Games demonstrate the value of regular exercise, recreation and friendly competition for all veterans, especially those dealing with age-specific illnesses.  Veterans compete in seven age categories in ambulatory, wheelchair, or visually impaired divisions.  Events include swimming, bicycling, table tennis, dominoes, shuffleboard, horseshoes, nine-ball, bowling, checkers, golf, croquet, shot-put, discus and air rifles.
            "America’s veterans have shown us the real meaning of patriotism, self-sacrifice and heroism," said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.  "Now, many of them are showing the way toward healthful living with habits defined by interests, not years.  The determination and grace shown by these participants is a testament to their character and spirit.”
            "The National Veterans Golden Age Games are a life-changing event for both spectators and athletes alike,” said Jim Donahoe, Director of the Veterans Canteen Service.  “You will be inspired by the courage, drive, and determination shown by the athletes.  It is really the sense of brotherhood and mutual support, however, that will leave a long-lasting impression and serve as an example for all of us to follow.”
            “We are proud to once again be a national co-sponsor of the Golden Age Games,” said Jim Mueller, commander-in-chief of the 2.4 million-member VFW.  “Everyone should take great pride in what military veterans have accomplished, whether in defense of our nation or on the field of friendly competition.  They are the foundation on which our great country was built.”


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Note to Editor: If you would like to interview Hurl, he can be reached after May 12 at (562) 491-1225. For more information about the Golden Age Games, contact Jenny Tankersley, National Veterans Golden Age Games Public Affairs Coordinator at (757) 728-3450.