It's May and Time to Roll

This week begins my serious preparation for the run. I put a lot of thinking into this preparation. What to pack? What goes where on the bike? When will I need this item?  How often will I need this item? Do I even need to bring this?  I also load all the overnight stop locations in my weather app so I know what to put on every morning, I hate to be cold! I pack tributes of those I am riding for that I will carry to the wall. I have stickers and pins to give to the children at the schools. I have Vietnam Commemoration stickers to give to the Vietnam Veterans we visit. It's a lot of thinking that goes into getting ready.

This year, I have added another task that needs careful thought. Every year I have been on the run I spend my nights staying up late blogging. I want to keep readers at home up to date on everything that happens on the run. I make sure to add the emotional parts of the day as well, I guess I am just emotional. This year, I have been asked to be the sit-rep writer for the Southern Route. This is a new job for me and I am a little uneasy about it. The sit-rep includes JUST THE FACTS. In my mind,  just the facts are, well, just so boring! This is going to require an even later bedtime. With this in the back of my mind, I want to do an even better job of packing. I want as many things as possible to be streamlined. It all has caused a great big THINK! 🤔

 On another note: This year's motto is MISSION > SELF which means, Mission greater than self. I love that! On the run we are working collectively towards one common goal. It is this goal that drives the run and remains the focus day in and day out. While on the run we are constantly thinking of the individual, making sure no one is left behind. Yet, the focus is the mission and what is best for the mission. In this day of ME-ME-ME it is a timely motto. I look forward to Ghostrider's leadership and working with him this year, it's gonna be great!

As we embark on this Journey to Washington D.C., we ask for your prayers of good weather and safe travels.

Day 2 - Phoenix, AZ to Las Cruces, NM

When you spend 6 hours alone on your bike you have a lot of time to think. I planned out all the things I was going to share with you about today. Then Santa Ed invited me to sit in while he was being interviewed for a documentary on Vietnam Veterans and Run for the Wall.  Totally changed what I was going to share.

I was invited because Santa Ed considers me the "Charlie Mike" of the mission. Charlie Mike stands for "Continue the Mission". I am not a veteran but because of my passion to care for and serve veterans and active service members the mission will continue. Santa Ed does not want, the Vietnam Memorial to turn into just another tourist attraction. He wants everyone to remember that every name on the wall was a person that could have had a life. But because they went to the war in Vietnam their life was cut short.  And the thousands that did come home from Vietnam were never the same.

We as a country, as a society, must never forget the sacrifices our service men and women make so we can live in peace!
That is why I ride. I ride for those that can't.

"The nation which forgets it's defenders will be itself forgotten"
Calvin Coolidge

I heard a very funny announcement over the radio today. "Watch out for cattle, New Mexico is free range country, cattle may be on the road". What the heck??? Did you know New Mexico has a free range policy? Yeah, me either.  From Deming to Las Cruces, free range. Your cattle can just wonder wherever they want.


Sleep well and remember when you say your prays tonight to pray for our service men and women and our veterans.

Day 4 - Mini Marines

Wow, another great day. We have been riding a day and a half and are still in Texas! What the heck?

Our first stop today was at the Permian Basin Vietnam Memorial. It is a beautiful place with very powerful visual displays that emotionally deliver a very hard punch to the Vietnam Veterans. Many shed a tear or two as memories came flooding back. I have provided a link to their website if you would like to pay a virtual visit.  http://www.veteransmemorial.us

At the basin the colors were presented by, I believe they are called Junior Marines, I call them Mini-Marines. Are they not the cutest things? I know, I know, Marines are not "cute" but these are!

I spoke with the youngest one's mother (Pictured here). His name is Rieker and he loves participating in the Junior Marines. He took his job as a member of the color guard very seriously, as you can see.

Also at the basin there is a Native American  that blesses the riders and all the bikes. 

I believe all of the gas today was donated, I can't remember giving the fuel team any money. All of the food is donated for all ten days. I will try to get a list of all the organizations that donate food and money for gas to post here to publicly thank them. 

I think I am getting the job of tail gunner down but every run it seems something comes up that I am not sure of. Old School (Platoon Leader) has got to be sick of my questions. He patiently answers them though. 

As we came into Colorado City today there was quite a bit of traffic. All the LA Riding paid off! Traffic is no big deal to this Southern California girl! 

Mileage today, 351 miles and yes we are STILL in Texas! Till tomorrow, God Speed and good night! 

Day 2 - Riding Sideways

I have never ridden a motorcycle sideways, didn't even know it was possible. Crossing the Arizona desert into New Mexico there was a strong wind warning. Hahaha, we found the wind and rode right through it. All the bikes were riding sideways trying to counter act the wind gusts that were trying to blow us over. Woohoo, what a ride!!!!

We have enjoyed catching up with friends we met last year, like Sergeant Major, out of Texas. He served 34 years as a Marine, three time purple heart recipient.  Picture below. I guess he is happy to see me too :)

Photo by Ron Stewart Photography, thanks Ron!

The police escorts are so helpful and make the trip across a state go so much smoother. New Mexico had six police escorts guiding us into Las Cruces. These six guys worked hard riding from one freeway on ramp to another, shutting it down until all the bikes passed and then riding ahead to block the next on ramp. They did this for roughly 100 miles. I think they have fun doing it as much as we enjoy watching them.

Funny thing, I am the tail gunner for fourth platoon. Every time a police bike would pass into my view, I would hear someone on the radio say 4. I finally figured out someone was stating that the police escorts were approaching the 4th platoon, roughly the middle of the pack. While riding I couldn't imagine that the police were transmitting on Channel 2, the channel we were using.  When we stopped for dinner I asked if it was them saying 4 every time they passed me. Sure enough, it was. I guess they didn't want to clutter up the airwaves saying 4 over and over on the police bands.  Pretty cute boys I think.

We traveled 398 miles today, serious wind, a little rain, a little wind storm and a nice cloud cover that kept things cool. I am so busy herding the platoon down the road I don't have too much time for visiting. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a little more time for stories. Tomorrow, 345 miles, Las Cruces, NM to Odessa, TX

RFTW -2 days, check-in & Meetings

Hahaha, check out that outfit. This is what I will be wearing for the next 13 days.

We arrived at the host hotel in Ontario, checked in and attended the Platoon 4 leadership meeting. Super informative, and well run. I think Platoon 4 has the best Platoon Leader of any Platoon and am thankful I was assigned as tailgunner to "Old School" he was organized, gave clear instructions and expectations.

He shared with us his story, actually many stories. I will share them at some point but not tonight.

As a tail gunner I have a few jobs. Check the gear on every bike in our platoon, make sure nothing is going to fly off while on the road and to stay alert to road conditions, traffic and that the platoon is moving down the road without any issues. The tail gunners are also to  give the Platoon Leader a count of how many bikes are in the platoon every morning. Relay any messages from the front of the pack to the back. That's incase the CB radios can't transmit the distance, we might be spread out for a couple of miles.

Tonight I have to memorize ALL the hand signals, there WILL be a test in the morning. I also had to hook the orange sleeves onto my vest. I am not to leave my hotel room without the lovely orange hat and orange sleeves. (putting those on my vest was a bit of a challenge).

Well, off to bed, we have another meeting at 8:00 AM and at 9:00 AM.  Then we have to add the Platoon stickers, tail gunner stickers and registration tie to our bikes.

#1 Tour of Honor - Hawaii

Wow, what a ride, we grabbed the #1 Hawaii title. 

We decided to participate in the Tour of Honor Motorcycle ride while we were in Hawaii. The Tour of Honor is a self-directed ride to memorials and monuments around the United States. You can visit as many sights as you want on any route that you choose. Trophies are awarded to the first three riders to visit seven destinations in each state. The #1 trophy had not yet been claimed for Hawaii so we decided, what the heck, let's do it! 

We rented bikes out of Waikiki and began our ride at 10:00 a.m. Luckily the young man working at the rental shop suggested we visit the sites in town last as we would be going against traffic at the end of the day.   

Today I am going to share with you the sites we visited and some of our experiences. To meet the rules of T of H you must take a picture of your rally flag and bike with the same view as posted on the T of H website. Which explains the unusual pictures. 

Please note: We were not prepared to ride motorcycles while we were in Hawaii so we did not have proper motorcycle clothing. Don't do as we do, do as we say! Wear long pants, gloves and a long sleeve shirt when you ride. 

Our first stop was to Punchbowl Cemetery. It is an ancient warrior cemetery located in a volcanic crater overlooking Honolulu. A wide staircase extends from the floor of the crater to the "Court of Honor" flanked on both sides of the staircase are ten "Courts of the Missing that include 28,778 etched names of soldiers MIA from World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. 

From Punchbowl Onward to Pearl Harbor

Bikes aren't allow on the ferry boat to the Arizona Memorial so I had to get a picture of the bike and the rally flag in front of the sign. The ride organizers are very careful, NO CHEATING! 

 

The official photo to prove I was there. 

I

USS Missouri Memorial, required photo

The USS Missouri is moored on Ford Island. It served from World War II through Desert Storm and is a highly decorated battleship, best known for hosting the Japanese surrender ceremony that took place on Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945

Now we ride to the opposite end of the island to Haleiwa.   

Wailua-Kahuku War Memorial located at Haleiwa Beach Park. 

This was the easiest of all the memorials to visit. It is located just off the side of the road, we pulled off the road and parked. No ferry ride, no shuttle...

This is a memorial to all the local veterans that gave their all in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

The most difficult photo was in Kaneohe at the Marine Corps Base

It might not look tricky but remember when I said "do as I say not as I do" well how we were dressed came into play here at the Marine Corps base. We rode up to the guard at the entrance and told him we wanted to see the Pacific War Memorial. He took one look at us and said, "I can't let you ride on base without, long pants, long sleeves, gloves..." We had to park our bikes outside and walk past the guard tower, obtain a visitor's pass and then walk over to the war memorial. When we received the visitor's pass we were told, "do not take pictures of anything but the war memorial".

This made it a little difficult to get a picture of our bikes anywhere on the base. Luckily the judges ok'd our entry with the photo we submitted.  Better luck to the next riders that try to get a picture on base.

Off we go to HUNT for the B-17 Memorial 

By the time we went looking for the B-17 Memorial, the sun was setting, the wind was picking up and it was getting cold. This monument is located at the Pali Lookout but we were  not sure exactly where. The monument is just a little plaque on the side of the ramp at the lookout. The road to the top of the lookout is one of the most scenic roads on the island. This is one spot we never would have ventured to if it weren't for Tour of Honor. 

I was  nearly blown off the side of the volcano trying to get this picture. 

Since we could not take our bikes to the monument we took this picture to prove we were really there.  I know the rental helmet and bike are dorky. Not at all like my Harley or Shoei.

The final stretch - back to Waikiki where the day began

   Hahahah, this picture could have gotten us a ticket or thrown in jail. Downtown Waikiki is very crowded in the evening. There was no place to park so we rode into the park on the sidewalks. Parked in front of the monument, snapped this picture and got the heck out of Dodge. Desperate times call for desperate measures. No way we were not going to get this last picture. I guess Hawaii Five-0 was busy somewhere else :)

This memorial honors four different regiments comprised totally of Japanese-Americans, who fought for the US in World War II.                

What a day, what an honor to visit the sights on Oahu that honor those that sacrificed so we can enjoy the freedom of living in this great country!!!
A big thank you to Jim McCrain and Robert Reavis for suggesting Tour of Honor to us.
I can't wait till the organizers list us as #1 for Hawaii.
Thank you to my great husband that willingly participates on these crazy patriotic adventures. You're the best of the best!!! 

Practice Run Tomorrow - 40 Days Out

40 Days Till RFTW 

Only 40 days till riders meet up in Ontario, California  at the Radisson Hotel.  That means, it's time to get super serious about practice runs. Tomorrow we head out for a 250 mile ride to Blythe, CA. Part of the ride will be exactly the same route as Day 1 of RFTW.  Riding conditions will be similar to what we will experience on the first day. Okay, maybe not quite as hot or structured but as close as we can get without the real deal. 

Looking forward to a great day of riding. I'll fill you in tomorrow night on how the ride went. 

For those of you wanting to join us for the start of the run, be at the Ontario Radisson Hotel on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. The ceremony begins at 6:45 a.m. Plan to arrive early as parking is a challenge but doable! 

I am looking forward to seeing DAR friends and ALR Post 716 friends at the send off. 

Ontario Radisson Hotel

2200 East Holt Blvd. 

Ontario, CA 

Time to get off the fence!

It looks as if the time for fence sitting is over. Fence sitting??? Yes, I have been sitting on the fence trying to decide whether to ride by own bike or once again ride on the back of my good hubby's bike.

This week I received an email from Chicken Joe, Assistant Route Coordinator, Southern Route, Run for the Wall, stating:

"Eyes,

You have been placed into a Tail Gunner position in the 4th Platoon with Robert "Old School" Reavis at the Platoon Leader.  He is excited to be able to take you into the platoon."

So that's it folks, I will be riding myself. The slow speed maneuvering has been my only struggle. It's a big bike and when it's slow going I feel like it's going to fall over. I have been out riding every Friday and Saturday for months and will continue to do so until May 13, when the run officially begins.
I am excited!!! Please follow along with us as we "Ride for Those That Can't" on our journey to the Vietnam Memorial.

One little muffin

One little muffin can represent so much. The good folks of Meridian, MS served the riders breakfast at the Lauderdale County Agricultural Center. It didn't seem to be a very affluent community but these good people baked hundreds and hundreds of muffins for us. It was extremely touching.  Such a simple, humble gesture showed how much these good people appreciate the sacrifices made by our veterans.

Day 4 Odessa TX to Prairie TX

Wow, What a day!!!!

Began at the usual 5am. It's getting harder to get up. Made it to the staging area on time and inside the American Legion Post 340 for a delicious breakfast of... you guessed it, biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns all homemade by the post members. I tried to hold back, only half a biscuit.

Met a few interesting characters, there's the General, he made us the "FNG" bead lanyard. See the little dog in the picture with him. That's driver, she has been on seven rides with him. Rides on the front of his bike. I will try to get a picture of them on their bike tomorrow. I love the goggles!

I began wondering why we were having these wreath laying ceremonies every single day, sometimes a couple a day. Then today I had the honor of participating in one. Made a difference, now I get it 

I saw the faces of the Vietnam Veterans as the wreath was laid and as they came up to the monument to trace their finger across the map of Vietnam. These veterans have not had or in some cases taken the opportunity to deal with that time of their life. This ride gives them 11 days of being with like minded people that love and support them and allow them to feel the love, pride and support of the American people. 

I had a Vietnam Veteran tell me a few days ago that whenever he begins to feel out of sorts he knows it's time to go on another run for the wall. 

The favorite part of my day was visiting Colorado City, Texas, a small town of 5 square miles and a population of 2,000 people. 

What the town did the the riders was a miracle. First off when we pulled in to "filler er up" the gas was paid for. Come to find out, the citizens of Colorado City paid for it. The fire department hung a huge flag to welcome us. Lunch was delicious, steak, chicken, potato salad and the most delicious bacon wrapped poppers I have ever tasted. Then they had a program with tap dancers, violin solo, a community band, students shared their veteran biographies and a Boy Scout leader sang, Proud to be an American. Wasn't a dry eye in the place. Colorado City wins for most patriotic city visited to date. I hear Tennessee is quite amazing. 

So here's a couple shots from Colorado City.

And finally, I thought it was time to talk motorcycles, but to tell you the truth I am so tired. I think I will save it for tomorrow. Here's a shot of Kenny on his bike. Can you name the bike? Kenny is a very nice Vietnam Vet from Colorado State. 

Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors, I am just too tired to care. For current on the ride information follow us on twitter @rideforthewall or Facebook page Ridingforthewall

I am better about posting on the fly throughout the day. 

Good night.

It's Tuesday so we must be in Chattanooga

Sat down and made a list of what day we will be staying where. I can see it now, "it must be Sunday  so we must be in Louisiana, hahahaha. Kidding aside, after four or five days I will forget what day it is and where we are. I am hoping this will help. I might need to laminate it tape it to the windshield of the bike. Oh wait, like Don would ever let me put tape on his precious baby. 

We are going to start packing today. We are allowing ourselves one change of clothes so one to wear and one to wash. Yikes, that doesn't seem like enough. I might have to rethink that one. And only two pair of shoes, yeah right. I will at least need my riding boots, pair of flip-flops and a pair of Converse. That might get me through. 

Preparing for Extreme Weather Conditions on the Ride

Preparations continue. Riding 10 days,  across the United States requires serious planning. The ride begins in Rancho Cucamonga, California, passing through Arizona where it may or may not be blistering hot,  New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and on into Washington DC. We will more than likely have super hot weather with temperatures above one hundred and on the flip side we may encounter rain, snow and hail. I don't like extreme temperatures in weather so I am preparing for any and every weather extreme we may encounter.

My neck gets very cold on rides, even warm rides.  I have tried wearing a scarf, but what do you do with the long tails. I am not trying to make a fashion statement and don't want a scarf tail whipping around behind me as we cruise down the road at 80 MPH.  So, in preparation I have knitted two cowls. This solves the tail problem but still gives me a nice warm wool covering for my neck.  I always like clothing options, so I knitted two cowls. One in typical motorcycle style, dark gray.  I chose a Possum/Wool blend from New Zealand. I think it will be warm and toasty. You may be wondering why I chose a Possum yarn and we may discuss that in a future post. Nasty pesky critters, especially the ones in New Zealand.

The other Cowl is knitted with an Aran weight yarn from Cascade Yarn Company in the color Liberty. Hahaha, yep, it's red, white and blue, my favorite color. Don't question it, Red White and Blue is one color in my world and they don't run!

REGISTERED

We are registered for the 2014 Run for the Wall. Only 42 days before it's Kick Stands up and we head our for the 10 day ride to the Vietnam Memorial Wall along with 33,000 other bikers. If you're wondering why…

Mission Statement: To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.

I am excited to be a part of such a great event. I will be blogging along the way in anticipation of publishing a book commemorating the 2014 Run for the Wall as well as honoring the Vietnam Veterans I meet along the way.