DEBBI'S DRIBBLE

CARDS 4 OUR TROOPS

2012-02-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

CARDS 4 OUR TROOPS

THERE ARE NO HALLMARK STORES IN AFGHANISTAN, KUWAIT OR GTMO !

THIS IS STICKY.....PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE BLOG.

I currently need Easter/Spring Cards by 2/4/12! All Deadline Dates for 2012 are at end of post......Check FACEBOOK page for updates. Thank you cards and letters of appreciation to the troops are wanted any time.

{PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW CAREFULLY....I REALLY NEED THE CARDS TO BE DONE AS I HAVE ASKED....I DO THIS BY MYSELF & NEED YOUR HELP TUCKING THE FLAPS & CARD BACKS INTO THE ENVELOPES....I'M SPENDING HOURS DOING THIS & NOT GETTING TO MAKE CARDS MYSELF}. It would also be very helpful if you can put 2 cards in a ziplock...leave ziplock open tho so I can enclose a note plus 2 All Occasion Cards.

I am a Former Army Mom/a Blue Star Mom. My only son (our only child actually) is now a US ARMY Veteran. In March 2007 I started sending cards overseas to the troops in care packages. I have made arrangements to send the cards in care packages. All Occasion Cards (Love You, Thinking of You, Hello, Friend, Missing you, Birthday & kids, etc. ) for them to send to their children/loved ones at home/something they can personalize) are always needed .....I have been getting requests for Get Well cards that can be sent to injured buddies too....packages are sent monthly so send cards as you would like. I will be taking any store bought cards I get to the local VA Hospitals & Fisher House....PLEASE TUCK BACK OF CARDS INTO ENVELPES AS SHOWN BELOW. Can also use donations of envelopes & cardstock always. $20 will give us the bones for 300 Cards.....cardbacks & envelopes. BIG NEED RIGHT NOW IS PRIORITY MAIL & REGULAR POSTAGE as I am getting alot of requests for more cards from the troops & always want to comply.

Glitter-free cards should be blank inside for the service member to write inside to their loved ones (their words are better than anything you can stamp out usually), must be with regular envelopes...,
tuck the flap into the envelope
(no clear envelopes please),
then tuck the back of the card inside envelope too.
Also, if you use dark paper please put light color insert so they can write on that. We always want Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside (thank you for your service, you are in my prayers, hope you come home to your loved ones soon, etc, No hope you don't get shot, etc.). Due to security issues these envelopes (envelopes are not required for the thank you cards to them if you don't want to put them in one) must be unsealed. Must have Easter/Spring Cards by 2/4/12 & you can always add Cards 4 Our Troops Kids & All Occasion Cards to your shipment. You may use your email address as your hallmark on the back of the card if you like. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate.If you are interested in participating please email me with any questions you may have or to ask for the address to mail the cards to: pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops at yahoo dot com (change the -at- to @ or click the link & PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT THE TROOPS BY USING THIS EMAIL TO SEND SPAM!). This is a year round project.

2012 Card Deadlines....

Easter/Spring Cards due 2/4/12
Mother's Day Cards due 3/2/12
Father's Day Cards due 3/23/12
4th of July Cards due 5/4/12
Cards 4 Our Troops Kids Cards due 6/1/12

Thanks to the Troops are welcome all year....take a moment to let them know how you feel about them....also All Occasion Cards (as generic as possible)

NEVER FORGET!

2012-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago was the anniversary of my daughter Ashley"s death & nobody remembered. She died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) so she didn't grow up to go to school & make friends. The friends I had then pretty much all went away as they were having their babies at the same time & didn't want to be around us as a reminder of what could happen. Steve & I have no immediate family around so it's just us. It is absolutely the worst feeling in the world that no one remembers your child....almost like they never existed. So that is why it is so important that I remember all these young heroes as I do. Please take the time to let these families know that you remember their son's & daughters who gave their ALL for every one of us. A friend sent me a video a little bit ago that I want to share....it's very special & it's about a young Marine that I know alot of you know about, LCPL Jeramy Ailes what was from Gilroy, CA. What an awesome tribute.

http://www.mercurynewsphoto.com/blog/2010/03/14/honoring-jeramy/

A great giveaway....

2011-12-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Check this one out

http://keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-annual-end-of-year-christmas.html#links

Old Navy's Operation Troop Donation

2011-07-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

Run For the Wall May 27, 2011

2011-05-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

After today, we will be in Arlington at the host hotel. Our ten day journey is almost over. That is not really true. This journey will never end for me. I will add the memories of this year to the past 2 years.

Our day starts early this morning. RG’s have to be out by 0515. I get to the American Legion Post for breakfast. Since I am working early, I have to go to the front of the line. Nobody objects because they know the RG’s are already at work. After breakfast I head out to relieve another RG so he can eat.

We hold our meeting inside the Post while everyone is eating breakfast. This is the final morning meeting and a lot of things are discussed. Cajun hands us our ride pins. They are really nice and I treasure mine. Then our duties are assigned. Once again we will be escorting each platoon into Arlington. Traffic will be very heavy and the RG’s need to make sure the platoons are tight and get in without any problems.

Preacher starts the last morning meeting and talks to everyone about what to expect. He then calls all the FNG’s, who are no longer FNG’s by the way, and tells them to line up. Those who started in California to the front followed by those that came aboard from all our other stops in the order they joined. Every year, the FNG’s get to go to Arlington as a group. RFTW is the only motorcycle group that is allowed to enter Arlington National Cemetery as a group. We have slots for 250 FNG’s between the Southern Route and the Central Route.

Then Preacher did one of the most touching and best things that I have seen done in my three years with RFTW. He called up Karoni, Pam, and Trish to the stage. Trish was not there so Karoni and Pam came up. At that point, Preacher talked about the laying of the Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Last year we had a drawing open to all the veterans for one of these positions. Five Dollar Marty got the honor and Mustang, a long time member who was an Ambassador this year was named. What Preacher said was that this year there would be no drawing. He said he hoped everyone would understand his choice. Then he announced that Karoni and Pam would represent the Southern Route. Outstanding! Nobody could complain. We all knew who both these wonderful young ladies were. Both of them have been waiting for way too many years to find out where their MIA fathers are and when they will be coming home.

I was standing at the side of the stage and saw Pam’s face when this was announced. Karoni had her back to me. Pam’s face showed first shock then she looked at Karoni and they embraced. The emotion from these two ladies was overwhelming. I could feel it where I was standing. Then they both hugged Preacher to thank him. When they came off the stage it was all I could do not to start crying as I hugged them and talked to them. They are just so special. They are what POW/MIA is all about. It is why Run For the Wall keeps going. We must never let this issue die. We must always work for a full accounting of all our PPOW/MIA’s.

I saw Preacher outside later and walked over to him. I had to tell him what I thought of what he did. I told him it was probably the best thing I had seen in my three years with RFTW. I told him how proud it made me to be a member of RFTW and that I know how much Karoni and Pam were honored by his actions. He told me he knew because when they hugged him they were shaking. Way to go Preacher.

These are the things that make RFTW so special. These are the things that make you realize that you are not alone. There are people in this country that do care. If they are lucky they get to do RFTW to experience the things we all experience on this journey we take. I have said many times, the pain from the past will always be there. What happened in Nam is one thing. What happened when we came home is something completely different. It was like coming home to a foreign country. We were the enemy. We were reviled and shunned for doing what we were asked to do. None of us wanted to go to Nam. It was our duty to go. We had no choice and then the same people who sent us over there, treated us like dirt when we came back. That is what most of us are dealing with now and I still have issues because of that. But once again, I digress from what this is supposed to be about. The mission is what counts and so let me get back to that.

Since this is the last day of our journey, platoon 7 made up of trikes, sidecars, and bikes towing trailers left at 0700 for DC. They have been at the end of the formation the entire journey. They go early because they take a longer time to get down the road. The Advance Team also leaves early. These people work extremely hard every day. They are on the road before most of the formation leaves. They get to the first fuel stop and get set up and ready for when the formation arrives. They work extremely hard and get all the bikes fueled in a short amount of time. They usually don’t get to mingle for very long with the main body because they have to leave for the next fuel stop. They deserved the honor of getting into DC early.

Today is a short 243 mile ride into out host hotel. I almost forgot, at the morning meeting Preacher announced that the fuel stops this last day are donated. There is no charge to the riders. That is always welcome news. Our first stop is 68 miles out at Fuel City for gas. This is a pretty short stay as it was a short ride to this stop.

Once everyone is ready to go, we all head to our last fuel stop in Front Royal. This is a 104 miles away. The ride goes smoothly. As everyone gases up, we head over to the parking lot in front of a hotel. While we are there, we are fed a donated lunch by the Tree of Life Ministries. Again, this will be a quick lunch so that we can be on the road again as soon as we can.

Once all the bikes are on the road, the RG’s place ourselves in the front and back of our assigned platoons. As we did when we headed into Chattanooga we will try and keep the platoons tight and get them into Arlington without problems. The traffic will become heavier as we get closer to our destination. The final leg went surprisingly well. There were no problems at all.

When we arrived at the parking lot across the street for the hotel, we had a Marine Color Guard, at attention, as we entered the lot. Where did they come from, you ask? SgtMaj called the SgtMaj of Henderson Hall and requested the Color Guard. Of course it wasn’t that easy to accomplish but in the end, they were there. What it all comes down to is Marines taking care of Marines.

I left and went to the hotel that Barb and I were staying in. It was located at Bolling AFB about seven miles away. How, you ask, did we get a room there! Once again, SgtMaj called over to see if they had any rooms. They did and he arranged for Barb to get in a day early and we stayed to June first.

After checking in and leaving my gear off, Barb and I headed back to the host hotel. I was leading a group of riders to Marine Barracks at 8^th and I. They put on a Friday Evening Parade. We have tickets for this, thanks again to a certain SgtMaj, and I will be leading the group. That is going to be fun since we have about 150 bikes to lead. After I briefed the riders, I told them I would be on channel 2 on the CB. I would keep everyone informed about about the progress and any turns we were making. Even with all that it was hard to keep everyone together. We did get separated and by the time I got to 8^th and I, I only had about 100 of the bikes with me. We parked in a lot under the overpass and gathered up. What the Marines wanted was for us to break into groups of 25 to be brought into the Parade Grounds. As we did this, each group was brought over to the grounds and seated. Well it started to rain so the Marines took us under the shelter of the overpass. Then there was heavy thunder and lightning. After some time, the Staff Sergeant in charge got a message on her walkie-talkie that the event had been cancelled. It was because of the lightning. Since the viewing stands were all metal, it was determined that it was not safe with the amount of lightning in the area. Even though this was very disappointing, it was understandable. Like the Staff Sergeant said, “It isn’t about the Marines, it is about those of us in the stands.” I’ll be back next year and hopefully it will go on.

That is the end of this days activities. Tomorrow is the last official day of Run For the Wall 2011. It may also be the most emotional day of all. It is the day we go to the “Wall”. For many Viet Nam Vets this is sacred ground. It is a place of healing and talking with our brothers that sacrificed all. It has a profound affect on us all. Until I am able to finish that report, thank you all that have read and commented on this and I am truly sorry it has taken me so long.

Run For the Wall - May 26, 2011

2011-05-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today we will be leaving Wytheville. But the town isn’t done with us yet. First, starting at 0600 they feed us breakfast. Some of the parents bring their young children to eat with us. That is always a treat. This year I ate early (RG duties) and didn’t get a chance to meet any of the young ones.

We all stage at the park again this morning. We are waiting for the school kids to join us. Everyone is anxious to see them. The FNG’s only know they will be there. Some of them know they will be putting on a show for us. Even though we have to be there early for meetings and the normal morning ritual, the students will arrive at 0900. We say the pledge of allegiance and are just waiting for the young students. We have pencils and beads and pins to give to them. They are all students of Spiller Elementary School in Wytheville. This is our eleventh year in Wytheville. The students in Spiller learn about Run For the Wall as part of their curriculum. Isn’t that amazing. They learn why we show up every year and what the Run is all about.

At about 0900 the students start arriving. We all go over to them and give them whatever we have. I have beads and pins. I hand them to the students and they hand me a paper star with their name on it. Some of the stars just thank us. Then a young girl gives me a rose. I told her I would leave it at the Wall for her but she didn’t say anything. After she walked away, I walked away from the rest of the children. I was real glad I had sunglasses on. As I have said many times, you never know what will set you off. It just happens and you have to deal with it.

After the kids all assembled at the Veterans Memorial, we did the pledge of allegiance again with the kids. It was time for the kids to entertain us. After a couple of short speeches the kids took over. They sang a couple of songs for us that made you feel good. These young grade school children really work at making this special. They do succeed and we appreciate every bit of it.

I had to leave for our RG meeting. Cajun gave out our assignments. I was assigned to his team. What we were going to do was block roads as we headed to our next stop. Our trip was going to be mostly on surface streets so we needed to make sure the platoons would all get thru. Otherwise, it would take us forever to get there.

Our first stop was in Montvale for fuel. Everyone filled their tanks and staged. From Wytheville, this was a 94 mile leg. We would only go 150 miles today. But we would be busy. After fueling, we headed for our next stop that is the Montvale Elementary School that is only 2 miles

As we pull up to the school all the children and their teachers are standing outside cheering. They have been waiting for us. As we dismounted our bikes the students went back inside. They wanted to get back to their classrooms. Our lunch was donated by the school. What we got to do, was go to different

classrooms to eat lunch with the students. This is special for us. As we eat, the students come over to us and ask us for our signature and where we live. I really enjoyed this a lot. I have a lot of fun with these young boys and girls. They make us feel special but in fact these young children are the ones that are special.

After lunch we go to the gym for a show put on by these students. They all sing songs and really entertain us. Like Wytheville, the youngsters really put their hearts into it. But after that we must leave for our next stop.

We are heading to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va. The question always is, why is the Memorial in the middle of nowhere. The answer is pretty simple. The small town of Bedford, Va. suffered the highest rate of casualties on D-Day. This Memorial was built with private funds. No government money was used. The Memorial is beautiful and something you don’t want to miss if you ever get to this area of the country.

We only have a short amount of time to spend here. One thing we did do is made sure that everyone paid to get in. Everyone donated $5.00 to the Memorial. The people who maintain the Memorial say our group always gives them more money than any other group that goes there.

Once we are ready to leave, the RG’s once again leave first to set up at intersections to make sure everyone can get back on the highway as a group. As when we came in, the local Police worked with us to make this a much easier task.

Our final stop will be the Salem VA Medical Center. It is only 42 miles away so it didn’t take a long time. While there we will be given another donated meal by the VA. Once we got everyone there, several of the RG’s went to a restaurant to eat. We ended up in a pretty nice restaurant that served mostly seafood. Seafood and me don’t get along but I decided to see if they had something else. I ordered a steak that turned out to be real good. One of the things I like about being a RG is the camaraderie we all have. The dinner was really good for us. I don’t know about the other guys but it sure was nice to sit down, relax, and blow off a little steam. After dinner, we found out that SgtMaj forgot to turn his lights off. Actually, there is a problem someplace in one of the bikes switches. We were able to push start him and off we went. We checked into our motel and got ready for the next day.

It is kind of funny about the last day of our journey. You get so close to so many of the people on the Run that you almost wish it wouldn’t end. You wish you could just keep going and not end it. But tomorrow is the last day and we will be at our final destination. I will continue this after the final day is over.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 25, 2011

2011-05-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Once again we are getting ready to head from Chattanooga to Wytheville, Va. Wytheville is one of the top stops on the journey. For me this was completely different. I will start where I left off last time.

If you remember, it was dark out and I was parked with my lights flashing directing bikes to the staging point. I was there for about 1 ½ hrs. Next, I was staging with the other RG’s with my lights still flashing. We went up to the usual morning meeting.

After that we head over to the Silverdale Confederate Cemetery. This is the final resting place for over 150 Confederate unknown soldiers. In 2009 the place was a disgrace. It was overgrown with weeds and you couldn’t even walk in there. The state of Tennessee, the City of Chattanooga, and none of the local veteran’s organizations wanted anything to do with it. Finally, some local vets decided they would clean it up and even try to identify the unknown soldiers.

In 2010, the grounds were clean and looked much more respectful. Plus, eight of the unknowns had been identified. In 2011, the grounds have been well taken care of and in fact 13 more of the unknowns have been identified. This is incredible news. These men fought for what they believed in and paid the ultimate price. They all need to be identified. I don’t care if they were Confederates. They are Americans and could have relatives that lived in the north or could have been from the north. They are honored dead like any American soldier that gives all. That is my opinion and you may not agree with me and that is okay.

What really makes me proud is that Run For the Wall actively supports these efforts. Without the money that we give to the organization, most of this work would not have been done. Without our continued support, most of the rest of the soldiers may never be identified. Someday I hope to enter the cemetery and know each of the soldiers buried there.

Now we are done and getting ready to get on our way. Remember what I said about my lights flashing. It has been about 3 ½ hours that they have been on. Guess what! I try to start the bike but there is not enough juice left in the battery. So we push start it and I am good to go for about 30 seconds when the bike stops again. Now I am done. Can’t push it up hill and no time to try a jump start. Short Stack brings a charger over to try jump starting the bike. Unfortunately, it is almost dead. They forgot to charge it last night. So up on the chase trailer I go. I find out where the local Honda dealer is and they take me there. The Chase driver stays with me until the shop opens and we get the bike inside. He has to leave to catch up with the group.

I told the service manager, Bill, what the problem was and what happened. He said they would test the battery to make sure it was good then they would charge it. A ½ hour later, Bill told me the battery tested good but needed a charge. He also asked it I knew the right light was out. I did and asked if he could replace it. No problem at all. So I went inside and sat on a chair. Next thing I knew I was sleeping. I woke up and one of the employees suggested I go over to a couch since it would be more comfortable. I did and fell right back to sleep. About 1130, Bill woke me up and said the bike was ready. I think that what they did was just let me sleep for a couple of hours. They must have figured I needed the rest. (I did) so I pay the bill, which was not that much, and start out. By now it was almost noon so I figure I would get something to eat. By the time I got on the road, it was close to 1245. A side note here is needed. Just as soon as we pulled into Chattanooga, we entered the Eastern Time Zone. That means we lose an hours sleep right off. That is one of the reasons I was so tired.

Today’s ride was only 280 miles so I figured I could catch up someplace along the way. Looking at the schedule, I thought if I was lucky, I could catch up by Blackwolf Harley in Bristol, Tn. I was flying down the highway trying to catch up. I got to Bristol, and I knew they were gone. I checked just for the heck of it and nobody was there.

Back on I81 I went. It was only 66 miles to Wytheville and I didn’t want to miss anything there. I got off at Wytheville in time to see some RG’s heading to the park. As I saw the entrance, I saw the tail end of the last platoon heading into the park. I made it. I caught up with the pack and wouldn’t miss anything. I was real pleased about that.

In the park we have the opportunity to meet some of the townspeople. They have been waiting for us. Mayor Crowe, talks to us and introduces several people who were involved with setting everything up for us in Wytheville. In case you don’t remember, this year the Mayor road all the way with us from Rancho to DC. This was the first time he had done that. In the past, he would meet us wherever he could with the time he had and lead us into his town then go the rest of the way to DC. When I was an FNG in 2009, Mayor Crowe road next to me from Baileyton into Bristol. He was more concerned about his riding and if he made me nervous that anything else. Of course, at the time I just thought he was just another rider. He has great riding skills and I told him. Later on I found out who he was. I have the Wytheville pin he handed out when we got there. It sits proudly on my vest.

That night at the local Moose Lodge, we are fed a steak dinner. It is here that many of the awards and plaques are given out. Preacher calls up the different groups up. He starts with the Ambassadors. Then the platoon leaders and tail gunners. Everyone cheers for these people. They all deserve all deserve it for the hard work they have done. Then they called up the Road Guards. We got a tremendous ovation from everyone. It was kind of embarrassing but appreciated. After all the introductions, we headed back to our hotel room or rest before we took up our mission in the morning.

For me, this was an easy day. I got a couple of hours extra needed sleep and made it to Wytheville in time for everything. By the way, if you notice that I don’t have many pictures this year it is because my camera stopped working. The new battery would only work for about five shots and the older one maybe an hour. It drove me crazy so I just stopped taking pictures. The last two I downloaded from Karoni’s facebook page. I will be getting some from another rider and also Bill and Tim. So all is not lost.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 24, 2011

2011-05-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning, looked around for my shoes, you know I had those mean old Walkin’ Blues. No, wait! That wasn’t what I meant to say. I am just confused. What happened is that when I woke up I knew something was wrong. I didn’t eat anything for supper last night. Well, I am a diabetic and this morning I paid for it. I was shaking all over. I knew my sugar was low. Way low with all the shaking I was doing. I looked for my tester but couldn’t find it. I practically emptied out my bags to try and find it. It was nowhere to be found. So I just took about 5 sugar pills and waited until most of the shaking subsided. Then I went to the lobby and had a continental breakfast. I ate many muffins.

I then loaded up and went to staging. At the Ag Pavilion, they had more muffins that I ate. I just wanted to make sure my sugar went up. I have to confess, I was really worried about not finding my tester. It would be very difficult to try and maintain my sugar levels without one.

Then I was reminded that our first stop of the day was the Tuscaloosa Veterans Hospital. In the past they filled prescriptions for Veterans. I didn’t know if they could replace my tester. I would find out when we got there.

(insert photo here)

I can’t remember if it was here or in Monroe when we had Pam Cain, MIA daughter, join us for the rest of the mission. She is our third MIA daughter. Her, Karoni, and Trish are all with us now. They are the reason we do this mission.

Speaking of Trish, I hadn’t seen her for a couple of days. I was wondering what happened to her. They I saw her. She had her right arm held against her body. I seems that she was walking down some stairs and texting Karoni, when she fell. She tried to catch herself and dislocated her right shoulder. Of course, it was all Karoni’s fault. LOL (I will make no joke about texting and walking at this time) I do have to hand it to her. It did not stop her from riding on the back of a bike and she went all the way. Good job, Trish. I hope you are getting better.

We gassed up in Tuscaloosa and then headed for the hospital. This is when the fun started. We had a police escort. The Tuscaloosa PD would stop traffic at an intersection then one of our RG’s would relieve them so they could get another intersection. We held the intersection until everyone was thru. I had a major intersection and held it. After about 10 min. and no bikes in site, I had angry horns beeping. I couldn’t hold it any longer. I started heading toward the hospital when over the CB they are telling all RG’s to hold the intersections. Do not leave. It was too late for me. I did hold another intersection until no more bikes came by. I got to the hospital and waited at an intersection until it needed to be held again.

In the meantime, all I hear is how three of the platoons are lost. It seems that platoons 1, 2, 3, and 4 all made the correct turn. But platoons 5 and 6 went straight. Platoon 7 made the turn but got lost later. At the turn we had a RG and a local LEO but they were ignored. Eventually, all three platoons made it to the hospital with the help of the local LEO’s. Just another example of what can happen when you try and get over 400 motorcycles from point A to point B.

(Insert photo here)

At the VA we are given a donated lunch followed by the chance to visit with some of the patients. However, several of us, me included, had to get meds renewed. With the help of a doctor who took me right where I needed to be. Once I told the staff what the problem was, they couldn’t have been more helpful. They had me fill out paperwork to get me into their system. Then they had to test my blood sugar level. After that I had to see a doctor. Since the tester they gave me was different from the one I lost, the doctor had to authorize additional test strips. I already had everything else I needed.

I had to go to the Pharmacy to pick the supplies up. Trish was there getting a sling for her shoulder. Lightbulb, one of the RG’s was taking care of her. She was in good hands. Since it would take a few minutes to get my supplies, I went to the cafeteria to get something to eat. After eating I went back and got everything then had to find my way back to where everyone was. I found it with only a few wrong turns just in time to mount up again.

Our next leg of 100 miles was to Asheville for fuel and snacks supplied by the local Piggly Wiggly. Under some trees by the gas station are hot dogs provided by the grocery store. We all get to cool off and socialize with each other. This is always a good time. Everyone gets to unwind a little. I got to talk to Karoni and Pam for a while. Two of my favorite young ladies on the mission with us.
I had to leave for a RG meeting. This was our last leg before we reach Chattanooga. Thunder Creek HD donates the meal and entertains us. As we tell the FNG’s every day gets better and it does. The pusher team heads out to take care of the interstate for us. There will also be RG’s posted when we get to Chattanooga. We are still under escort with the Virginia State Police. Sgt. Jesse used to lead this team for years. He was with us this year but is not retired and had turned the task over to another Officer. Sgt Jesse rode with us. Our task was to bump and run with the Officers. They would speed ahead and block traffic on an entrance ramp. Our job would be to relieve them and hold that ramp. That is fun accept that sometimes the people you are holding don’t appreciate it and since we are not LEO’s they want to go. We just stop them. I got to relieve at two ramps.

It was decided that each platoon would have two RG’s to lead them into Chattanooga. I was with 4th platoon and rode in the back with the Tail Gunners. The closer we got to Chattanooga, the heavier the traffic. The last rider, just before the Tail Gunners kept falling back. One of the Tail Gunners tried to get him to move up but he wouldn’t. Finally, a car jumped in front of him. Then three more cars jumped in our formation behind that car. All but one of the cars moved out of the formation as soon as they could. The original car stayed in. as soon as I could I swung out and signaled for him to move either one lane left or right. He did this. Then I signaled the rider to move up. He did and was yelling at me (of course I couldn’t hear what he was saying) and waving his arm. I looked at him and again signaled him to move up and the same thing happened. Finally, one Tail Gunner moved ahead of him and waved him to come up by him. I dropped back with the other tail gunner, Casper who I know, and looked at him and gave a what is his problem look. Casper put up his hand indicating they would take care of it. That was all I needed to see. It would be taken care of. Other than that, the ride into Chattanooga went without problems.

We arrived just about on time and had a nice meal. There were some vendors also. Plus, they had a version of the Tennessee Wall set up. It lists all those from Tennessee who gave all. Seeing things like that can be hard to deal with at times but we ride for those that can’t.

We are done for the day and head for our hotel that is right across the street. SgtMaj checked up in and was sitting outside the room when I got there. Seems there was a problem. When he first went to register, he was told he had no reservation. After getting that corrected, they gave us a room. Turns out it was a smoking room. It stunk so SgtMaj got spray and really sprayed it down. Many of you are thinking, so it was a smoking room, so what. Non-smokers will understand how offensive the smell can be. Especially if someone is allergic to smoke.

So we were sitting outside the room letting it air out. Two of our Chaplains were cleaning their bikes. Not wanting to let a good opportunity pass by, I told the one by my bike how good a job he was doing. SgtMaj joined in. We told then that we were a couple of old guys and that when they got done with their bikes, they could easily do ours. We had a lot of fun kidding them. After a while, we went inside to get ready for bed. 0 dark thirty comes real early.

Of course it was still dark when we got up. As I was loading up my bike, I had to wipe the windscreen because of the dew. I couldn’t believe it. Someone had cleaned the windscreen. Last night it was real dirty, today it was nice and clean. Then I looked at the bike, I couldn’t be sure but it looked like the bike was clean also. SgtMaj was saying the same things. We were kind of flabbergasted. We couldn’t believe the Chaplain’s had actually cleaned and polished our bikes. We decided to wait until the sun came up to be sure they did the whole bike. I went down and relieved one of the other RG’s at an intersection. We park our bikes with the flashers going and signal the bikes coming in which way to go. I kept looking at my bike and it looked great! The lighter it got the better it looked. I realized that the Chaplain’s that we kidded with had actually cleaned and polished our bikes. I was almost speechless. I didn’t know their names but I knew what bike one of them was on.

I will continue this in the morning once we leave Chattanooga. Our next goal is Wytheville, Va. This is another small town that really takes care of us. Until next time.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 23, 2011

2011-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today is a short 221 mile journey. But today is a day we all look forward to. That is especially true of the FNG’s. That is because today we stop at Jackson, Ms. This Harley dealer does an amazing job for the week leading up to Memorial Day Weekend. More later.

The hotel we stayed in had a continental breakfast set up in the lobby. I had several muffins of different kinds and a couple of glasses of orange juice. Then I headed over to staging. I got out my flag and started directing bikes to where they had to be for each platoon. Once that was done, we had our RG meeting where our duties for the day would be explained to us.

One major difference from last year, I was a RGIT last year. It was here that the Road Guard Captain presented us with our second yellow sleeve and we were no longer RGITS. It was a special moment for those of us that were RGITS. This year, there were no RGITS. We were not supposed to call the new Guards RGITS for some reason. They were given both yellow sleeves at the beginning. I really think they missed out on a nice presentation in front of the whole formation.

As we got underway, something else changed. The last two years, we would go downtown Monroe for a ceremony with the Mayor and other city officials. For some reason, this year we did not do this. I wish we had but the upper leadership makes those decisions.

Our first fuel stop is only 59 miles. It is a Loves Truck Stop in Tallulah. We do open registration here for anyone that wants to join us for the rest of the way. Top Sarge works real hard doing this. She has to make sure the riders all have the proper identification, insurance, registration, and endorsements. I don’t know how many additional riders we picked up but we have grown every day we had registration. I think we have about 400 bikes right now. That is just a guess on my part.

This was another fairly quick stop. We only stayed long enough for fuel, snacks, and/or facilities use. Jackson is our next stop and we are all anxious to get there. So we left after a stop of about 40 minutes for another short 65 mile ride to Jackson Harley Davidson.

This Harley Dealership is incredible. First of all they empty the showroom of all the bikes they are selling. Then they put up tables for all of us to eat the donated lunch they provide. But that is not all. They have what is known as the Trail of Honor behind their shop in the woods. They have displays covering every war.

They also have displays of weapons many of which can be used and they shoot of several of them. That can be a problem. When they shoot off the civil war era cannons they make one heck of a lot of noise. They are supposed to yell “FIRE IN THE HOLE” before they do this. I understand that they do, but since I am hard of hearing, I don’t get this warning. Neither do many of us. First time a cannon went off, I almost had a heart attack. I jumped so hard and my breathing became so ragged I swear my heart skipped a beat or two before I calmed down. Then they did it again from another direction and I jumped just as much. You could actually feel the cannon going off. They had machine guns, rifles, and at time would fire them also. I always looked toward the firing but was able to deal with it. The cannons just were not that easy to deal with.

As we got to the end of the walk, they had a half size replica of the Wall. I knew from last year it would be there. I started walking along it. People sitting at a table asked me if they could help me find anyone. They had all the names and locations in a book. I told them I didn’t need help because I knew where those I wanted to see were. As I walked along, I got to where the apex should be and looked for Ray’s name. I stared at it for a little bit. I was lost in thought when Bill walked up to me. He was having a real hard time but I couldn’t really help him like he did me last year. I was lost in thought and had a hard time to connect with him. I do apologize for that. I should have been there for him but wasn’t like I should have been. Sorry Bill. I did the best I could. I wish it were more.

There was also a parachute demonstration by the local Army Special Operations Group. Not only that, they gave Huey Helicopter rides to anyone who wanted them. Not for me. The sound of a Huey is the sound of Nam. It is distinctive and you heard it all over the country.

But back to lunch. I don’t really remember what was served but what I remember is some of the dignitaries that were there. The Governor could not make it so he had a State Senator who headed the State Veterans Committee. (I am pretty sure that is what he said but I can be wrong) Then they introduced the true stars. There were two Medal of Honor Recipients, some Tuskegee Airmen, a WWII Pow, and a survivor of the Battan Death March. These men were there for us. They wanted to show us they cared for what we were doing and the POW/MIA issue. Several speeches were made by some of the dignitaries. Some of them were really good and well worth listening to. It was after lunch when I started down the Trail.

It was now time to leave Jackson. We may be reluctant to leave but we are also anxious to continue our mission. The mission is the most important thing. Each of us will remember Jackson. We will all remember it differently. This was my third year here and my memories are different from each year. But that is what this journey is all about. Each year you take it, you see things differently. You can see the same thing as the year before but you will see it differently. Just like when you see something, the person standing next to you will see something different from you. It is one of the things that makes our journey so different for each of us.

Our last stop for the day is in Meridian, Ms. It is the longest leg of the day, only 97 miles. As a RG I got to do several things. The last thing was to stop along the road before a light and slow everyone down. There were a couple of quick turns to make here and slowing down was important. After everyone got thru, I headed for the Agricultural Center for another donated dinner. I was one of the last to arrive.

For dinner there was two choices, either pulled pork or catfish. The pulled pork was already gone so I grabbed catfish. They both came with fries so I thought I would eat that for supper. Well, as I grab my meal, one of the other RG’s comes up to me and asks if I could do him a favor. Of course I say yes. He needs to take two meals, two desserts, and two drinks to the Merchandise Trailer. They are open and working and never get to eat. So I grab another meal, scratch gets the two drinks and another dessert and we head down to where the trailer is. We give the ladies their supper and they were so happy. Like I said, they usually don’t get to eat until late on their own. So back up we go. I decide to just have the dessert which is banana pudding (delicious) and skip the catfish.

One other thing they do for us here. They collect all our dirty laundry and by the morning, they have it cleaned and folded and ready to go. I didn’t get it done. I would have had to walk down to my bike to collect it all then walk back up the hill. I just didn’t have the energy.

SgtMaj and I headed to our hotel. I had every intention of getting something to eat but by the time we got back to the hotel and settled, you guessed it, I was too tired and didn’t eat. I will take this up after the next leg of our journey.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 22, 2011

2011-05-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today’s journey takes us from Grand Prairie, Tx. to Monroe, La. After 3 days we will finally get thru Texas. Our morning starts with a donated breakfast by Starbucks. I needed more than coffee and donuts so I ate in the hotel where they had eggs, toast, and bacon. Since today was Sunday they also held a non-denominational Church Service. Our Chaplains put it on. I will talk more about the Chaplains at a later time.

After the usual morning meeting, we mounted up for the first let of our journey. This is a short 47 miles to Terrell, Tx. This small town has snacks, water, and sandwiches waiting for us. We gas up and then we dismount and head for the snacks. The town is always well represented. In addition, they present us several checks for our use. Money like this is put toward donated gas down the road.

The people of Terrell are always glad to see us and make sure we know it. In the past, we used to do registration for day riders here. Last year we picked up about 400- 600 riders just in Terrell. That was just way too many to handle. So this year they all had to pre-register. I don’t know how many we had but most of them just ride for the day. That is just fine. They all show how much they support RFTW and our mission by riding with us.

We depart Terrell for Longview, Tx. This is a 99 mile leg. As a Road Guard, I had to stop traffic on the main road. I did have help that was greatly appreciated. A Terrell Fire Dept engine blocked most of the road. I just had to stop the right turn lane from turning into the bikes. A woman in an SUV kept wanting to go and I kept stopping her. I went over to talk to her and what she told me was she had to pick up someone at her church. I gave her a card that tells her what is happening. I talk to her to let her know why I can’t let her turn at this time. I told her that about 300-350 motorcycles were about to go by and she would not be able to get by. After that, she kind of shrugged and accepted her plight. After all bikes and Chase vehicles went thru, I waived to her and went on my way. I had to get to the front of the pack to continue with my RG duties.

About 30 miles from our next stop, the Road Guards as a group take off ahead of the main formation. This is something we do at each stop. Our duties are to get there and set up Guards at the exit ramp and to direct the riders to staging after they had fueled. Just after we crossed into Louisiana from Texas, we saw some flags and signs along the freeway. At the overpass, there had to be at least 100 people standing there cheering and waving flags. They also had a Fire Truck set up with a large flag flying. It was a sight to see. Needless to say, it affects us all. Our Road Guard Captain, “Cajun” keys the mike and says how proud he is of his home state. In my three years of riding, this is the best greeting we have gotten from La. Many of us responded with just how beautiful it was to see. We reached our next gas stop and got set up for the main formation.

Our gas stop at Longview was different. We gassed up and kept the bikes together until we had a count of about 40 bikes then sent them to VFW Post 4002 for a donated lunch. The difference here is that the Advance Team stays here and lunch is brought to them. That is one of the disadvantages of the A Team. You don’t get to mingle with everyone on the ride. You leave before the pack to get to the next stop and set up again. They do a fantastic job.

Our next fuel stop is at the Quick Draw Casino. This is going to be a pretty fast turn around. It is 104 miles from the last stop. Along the way we see many people on bridges, along the freeway and they are all waving flags and cheering. Once again, this has the same effect on me that it always does. I am ambivalent about this as I explained earlier, but it is what it is.

Once again the A team had everyone fueled quickly. And everyone was able to take a break and get to use the facilities, hydrate, and eat some snacks. You get time to stretch your legs before you get back on the bike. This is also the time for everyone to socialize with each other. Other than breakfast, lunch, or dinner there is very little time to get to know those who you are riding with. After this fuel stop, we head out for our last leg of this day. That will take us into Monroe, La. This is a short 72 mile leg,

There is a change in the route from last year. Instead of taking I20 all the way, we bypass using I120. However, that turned out to be easier said than done. I was sent ahead with three other RG’s to set up a push. Our first RG stopped at the split to show the way. The rest of us set up the push. While we waited, we had a LA State Police Motor Officer show up and block the ramp. This is always good. However, after the lead element and the rest of the RG’s went by, he took off. As soon as he did, all the waiting cars took off also. So we kept waiting for the rest of the bikes. After some time, 7^th platoon, the chase vehicles, and 9-Ball rolled by. That was our signal to leave. Before we did that, I asked a couple of the guards if the other platoons had come by. Nobody saw them. Two of us waited for a few minutes then when no more bikes came by, we decided to leave.

After getting to the final destination, we found out what happened. First of all, platoons 1, 2, and 3 stayed on I20 and went thru Shreveport like we used to go. Platoons 4, 5, and 6 headed away from Monroe. Platoon 7 followed the correct route and went by us. One of the things that all platoon leaders are required to know. That is the route. The first three platoons followed the old route. Platoon 7 went the right way and platoons 4, 5, and 6 flat out screwed up. Or should I say the platoon leaders screwed up. The other problem is they rely on RG’s to show them the way. We can’t be at every intersection or exit. There just are not enough of us.

Everyone finally arrived at the Shriner’s Hall in Monroe. Another donated meal here. They really put on a spread. Fried catfish, (not for me) hush puppies, fries, and all kinds of rich desserts. I loved the banana pudding. I probably had several of them in addition to whatever other desserts I ate.

Breakfast is on our own this morning. The hotel had a continental breakfast so that worked fine for me. I just ate several muffins and a bowl of cereal. Being diabetic, it is important for me to eat breakfast.

In the morning, we head Meridian, Ms. It is a short riding day of only 221 miles.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run for the Wall May 21, 2011

2011-05-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Our mission today takes us from Oddessa, Tx to Grand Prarie, Tx. We will visit the Permian Basin Memorial in Odessa plus visit the small town of Colorado City, Tx.

Trish Burnett, an MIA daughter, who rode with us last year, is with us again. I have had the opportunity to talk to Trish on a several occasions this year. She has become much more friendly. She is much easier to talk to. As I thought about this and I think I know why. Last year, Trish was an FNG and didn’t really know anyone. Being an FNG can be overwhelming. You experience things you just don’t expect. Your emotions are always running away from you. Being an FNG is a once in a lifetime experience. But this year, Trish knows many of us. Plus she has experienced RFTW once already. So this year she is a lot more relaxed around everyone. It is good to see since she is one of the reasons we ride. She is an MIA daughter who had her father returned a couple of years ago. Her family finally had answers and got some closure.

Once again this year, Karoni Forrester, Mia daughter, meets us in Odessa. That is her hometown and her father’s hometown. He is on the Permian Basin Memorial.

Breakfast was at the American Legion Post 430. The Post donated the breakfast. After breakfast we had a short 12 mile ride to the Permian Basin Memorial. This is a beautiful memorial.

This view is from the back of the Chopper looking toward the main part of the memorial. You may notice the statue in front of the chopper of the three soldiers. They are waiting to the chopper to land since one of them is wounded. Plus the ground around them simulates a rice paddy. For many, once they realize where they are standing, you will see them immediately walk fast to get out of there. They will not go near the chopper again.

As we do at each memorial, we place a wreath from RFTW. Usually, the FNG’s are the ones that get to do this. At this memorial, Capt. Ron Forrester’s little girl, Karoni was part of the ceremony. She got to present the wreath. It could not have been a better choice. It is one of those little things that are done on this mission that mean so much to us
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This is a picture of Karoni standing in front of the honored names helping present the wreath. I didn’t ask her, but I am pretty sure she is looking at her father’s name as she stands there. She is such a strong woman to be able to do this, but I know how much her “Daddy” means to her. You can spend five minutes with her and you will also know this. I also know that her “Daddy” is very proud of her. May he rest in peace and may Karoni and her family one day get the answers to all their questions. Never Forget!

This year we did not visit the Big Springs Memorial. I was on the Advanced Team for several days last year and didn’t get to visit this memorial. I was looking forward to the visit this year. I don’t know why we didn’t go there and nobody explained why. Instead we headed directly to Colorado City for fuel and then lunch. Colorado City is another one of those small towns that go all out for us. The whole project is run by local school children. I think they are junior high school age. Once we get there and enter the warehouse there is a lunch at each table for all of us. We go in, get plastic knives, forks and spoons plus something to drink. It is open seating so we can sit anywhere. The meal consists of green beans, potato salad, and one of the best steaks I have had. A local rancher supplies all the beef. While we are there, the children put on a show for us. This year they had a dance group of about 8-9 year old girls. They did a fantastic job with it and got a well deserved standing ovation. They had a couple of singers and of course speeches. One of the things the students have to do is visit a local veteran and make a presentation that is set up in one part of the warehouse. This is just another example of how small town America helps RFTW on our journey across this country.

After Colorado City, we have two of the longest stretches back to back. We travel 116 miles to the next fuel stop. As usual the Advance Team did a great job getting everyone fueled up and ready to go. Of course, everyone takes a break and hydrates. Hydrating is very important when you are riding when it is hot and humid. I drink so much water that you would think I would be spending all my time in the bathroom. But it doesn’t work that way by hydrating, you prevent yourself from dehydrating and be in danger of heat stroke or exhaustion.

Our next ride is 122 miles to Grand Prairie. This is the end of this segments day. When we get to the La Quinta Hotel, there are all kinds of people with flags. They also supply us with dinner some entertainment. The local Dallas Vet Center has a mobile counseling vehicle. One of the really nice things they have done is to make a replica dog tag for everyone who has pre-registered in California. Bill picked mine up for me. They also had these real nice Challenge Coins for us. It was a very nice surprise. As the day comes to an end, we got cleaned up and got ready for the morning. Tomorrow will be busy in the morning. We have to leave early.

As I have said before, there is no stopping for any weather other than hail. But that is just a thought while I am trying to finish this day’s journey. I will take the journal up again in the morning.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 20, 2011

2011-05-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is day three of our mission. Now the platoons are starting to shape up. Most of them are riding together a little better. There are still problems since we have so many FNG’s. But with practice, they will all get better.

Like everyday on this mission we have a mandatory riders meeting. We cover any changes that are made to the day’s ride. Sometimes a route has to change because there has been construction that might become a problem for a group as large as this. Plus we pledge allegiance to the flag and say a non-denomination prayer. And also have a 50/50 and raffle off some items.

Breakfast this morning was donated by VFW Post 10124. It is nice to get donated meals. It helps cover some of the expense we have when we make this journey. At 0800 or thereabouts, we have been running behind this mission, we depart for a short ride over to the Las Cruces Veterans park. This is a short ride from our staging. Well this year was different. I was determined not to break down. I did pretty good at that.

This Memorial is dedicated to the 1800 New Mexicans on the Battan Death March. Of those 1800 only about 900 survived. Last year I had a problem here. I saw something that set me off. That happens on the mission to everyone. But it doesn’t matter. If people see you struggling, they will come over and give you a hug or words of encouragement. That is what the mission is all about. We are all there to help each other thru each day and get us all to the end of mission.

At the Memorial they had a man speak who was involved with the project to build this Memorial. I was unable to here all his words but mainly he told us that the statue of the three soldier’s faces were of his father and an uncle. The third face was of Phillipino who he knew. I can’t remember that name but it was someone he knew, also.

As I was walking back to the bike, I saw my friend Tim. He is an FNG this year. He was obviously in trouble. I went over to him and he said to the effect that he finally understands what I have been saying all along. I told him it was ok and that he needs to take several deep breaths so that he could focus on riding his bike. Our other friend Bill, who was an FNG last year was there also and talked to Tim. It seemed to help Tim and he was ready to go after that.

Our next stop was just a fuel stop. It went well and we got in and out of there without any problems. As I sit here and try to write all this out and get my thoughts down I need to apologize to all of you. I have been unable to keep this up. Usually, I do this before going to sleep at night. I have found that I have not adjusted well to getting up at 0-dark thirty hours everyday. Today is actually the end of our sixth day as I put this on paper. I am three days behind.

One thing this mission does to you is drain you physically and emotionally. Right now I am having problems with the physical part. Of course I am affected by many emotions. That is because each time you ride down the highway or visit a memorial or some small town, you may see the same things you saw the last two times you took this journey. However, you may not see them the same way. Or you may see something you really didn’t see last time. Each time I have taken this journey, I see something that I didn’t notice or I see something a little differently than last time. That affects you. As I have said in the past, you just don’t know what or why something will get to you. You just have to not fight it. Everyone on this mission at one time or another will shed tears. We all know it happens but nobody will laugh at you or think any less of you. We all know that we could be next. It is really one of the things that make this mission so special for all of us.

My words do not do justice to this at all. You have to experience it yourself to truly understand what happens. I know about four of the FNG’s on this year’s mission. Most of them thanked me and SgtMaj for inviting or convincing them to do this. Guess what! It wasn’t us. We try to express how this mission affects us. We haven’t invited anyone. All that joined us this year made the same decision we all made in the past. It was time. We had to make this trip. It was time to try and heal ourselves. It was time to try and visit with our brothers and sisters on the Wall. My words are inadequate to really describe to you how this mission helps many Viet Nam Vets with healing. It has helped me in many ways. Each mission will help a little more. The pain of Viet Nam and what happened after will never go away. That will be with me for the rest of my life. But I do believe that I will heal a little each time I go on this journey.

Once again I have digressed from this year’s journey. But in some respects when I do digress, it is because of this journey we take every year. Those of us that have done this for multiple years know what I say and will understand it. We really are a big family. I look forward each year to seeing everyone again. It is hard to describe the emotions and feelings I get from this journey. Bill M. is on his second year and understands more than last year when he was an FNG. Tim M. is an FNG so his experience is completely different from anything that Bill or me are having. But I try to see them as much as I can but am too busy to spend as much time as I can with them. Ken K. and Tom from Sac. Are just overwhelmed by what they have seen. I have talked to Ken about things but haven’t been able to see Tom too many times except when he is on his bike. Being a Road Guide keeps me extremely busy but it also is something that helps me on this mission.

But back to the mission. The next stop is for fuel in Van Horn, Tx. My wife and son stayed in Van Horn when they took their cross-country trip in 2010. They absolutely love the place. NOT! They stayed in a hotel (unnamed) when it was about 90 out. Well guess what? The A/C in the room did not work. I guess the hotel was not very receptive to my wife’s complaint and took some time to agree to put them into another room. But that was not our experience. We had a fuel stop then sent everyone to another donated lunch at the convention center. Many of the RG’s and I decided to just eat at the McDonalds that was right next to the fuel stop.
Once again, the Southern Route Coordinator Richard “Preacher” Moore did the presentation of plaques after lunch. I have seen this many, many times and that is probably why I choose to buy lunch instead of taking the donated lunch. I would have had to stay for all the presentations. We then saddled up and headed for our next stop. We had a police escort all the way to the freeway and many townspeople outside waving flags or just waving to us. Again, for me I have mixed emotions about this kind of thing. It is very nice to see but I sometimes still say to myself, ‘Where were you 40 years ago? What did we do to make you despise us so much? What is so different now that you try and make yourselves feel better by greeting us in this way now?”

Once again I digress. Our next fuel stop is in Pecos, Tx. On the way here we leave I10 and transition to I20. By the way, we have another time change in Van Horn. We are on Mountain time instead of West Coast time. Lose another hour of sleep. Pecos was a pretty quick stop. Just fuel, quick run to the head and back on the bikes. Our final destination of the day is Odessa, Tx. Ray “Too Tall” ? is one of the owners. His company supplies us dinner. They put on a great spread. But as you ride up the freeway, you first see this gigantic US Flag flying. We exit and cross over the freeway and turn down the frontage road to his business. Many people and flags to greet us. The local PGR is out in force and many townspeople are there. As road guards, we direct all the bikes in and show them where to park. Once everyone is parked, we get to join in the festivities. For me the best part is this is where Karoni Forrester joins the mission. If you don’t remember, she is an MIA daughter. Her Marine father was shot down in 1972 when Karoni was just about 2 years old. I first met her in 2009 when I was an FNG. I had the privilege of taking her to Phoenix on my bike. She is such a special person and I am glad I have gotten to know her.

After dinner, we were done for the day. We all headed to our hotels where we checked in and got some sleep and thought about what tomorrow’s day will bring. Each day gets better. The FNG’s hear this all the time from us and by the end of the mission, they will all realize how true that is.

I will try and catch up daily but don’t bank on it. I guess I am feeling my old age and have to sleep a little more than I did in the past. Not matter, tomorrow will be better and the mission is what is most important, anyway.

Run For the Wall May 19, 2011

2011-05-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today is the start of the longest riding day. We will travel from Tolleson, Az to Las Cruces, NM. This will be a tough test for the main body and especially the FNG’S. They will all have to stay focused on their immediate surroundings. They can’t let their attention stray at all.

Our first stop was for gas in Marana, Az. a distance of 102 miles. The day started out in the 60’s instead of the hi 90’s low 100’s like it has been in the past. The main problem for today was the gusty winds. Some are worse than others.

Once again, we see people on the overpasses. While this is easier for me to deal with, it still tugs at my emotions. Sometimes I wonder where they were 40 years ago. Back then, if they were on the overpass it would have been to throw things at us. Now times have changed. They cheer us on. As I think of this, I start to think about things. My father was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. He also fought in Europe. The WWII generation is called our “Greatest Generation”. They do deserve that for what they did. Then I think that maybe Viet Nam Vets can lay claim to being one of the best generations also.

When we came home there were no parades. We weren’t welcomed home. In fact, we were vilified. We were made to feel like third class citizens. Most of us didn’t let anyone we met know we were Vets. This country made us feel ashamed of our service. But now look at what we have done. We badgered the VA into giving us the benefits we were promised. Agent Orange damaged many of us, some more severely than others.

But the most important thing in my mind is that we demanded respect for today’s Warriors. We are determined that this country will not do to today’s Veterans what they did to us. We take care of each other and make sure the present military veterans get the help they need. We will never turn our backs on our fellow vets. It will not happen. And that may be our greatest contribution to date. Like I said, we can lay claim to being one of our greatest generations. We now stand tall.

I digress. Sometimes I just have to say something regardless of how appropriate it is. It is what I am feeling at the time and I need to say it.

After leaving Maranna, we headed for Wilcox, Az. This is another of those small desert towns who go all out for us. After gassing up, we head for the local VFW where we are fed lunch at no charge to us. Most meals are donated at every town we stop in. As we enter the lodge, people are lining the sidewalk to the entrance. They shake our hands and give us hugs and welcome us. They tell us thank you for coming. They actually got it backwards. We should and do thank them for all they do for us.

In the past, after lunch we would ride past the Wilcox Elementary School. This year we didn’t because the children were out of school. The principal told us that that would not happen again. It was so much fun. These are young kids. Maybe 7-10 years old. They line the fence with their teachers and we beep are horns, rev our engines and make as much noise as we can. The kids light up and really enjoy it a lot. We do too.

Our next leg is the longest. It is 122 miles. It will take over 2 hours for the pack to travel this distance. Our stop will be at the Savoy Truck Stop where we will have a time change to Mountain Time. This is a pretty quick stop. Just a gas and go. At least that is what it is supposed to be. But many riders need to use the facilities so it takes a little longer.

After Savoy it is a quick 72 miles to Las Cruces for the night. We will stay at the Hampton Inn. Nice hotel and nice rooms. Las Cruces Harley Davidson supplies dinner. It was very good. They also had a ceremony with dignitaries that basically thank us for stopping in Las Cruces. Again, we are the ones that thank them. One of the things we do is present plaques to those that take care of us. These are nice plaques that just try to show those people how much we appreciate them.

After dinner we headed to our hotel to try and get ready for the morning. We have to be at the American Legion Post at 0600 for meetings and to stage the platoons as they come in. Today was a pretty good day, Nice cool temperature but gusty wind all day.

Tomorrow goes from Las Cruces to Odessa, Tx, It will be one of the good days. Each day gets better as we go along.

Rich 'Yankee' Martin
Sgt. USMC
1965-1969
Viet Nam Vet
1966-1968

Run For the Wall May 18, 2011

2011-05-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

The mission begins today. We leave California for the start of our 10-day journey to DC. The RG’s staged at 0515 so we could get to the staging area. Once there we were all assigned different duties. I relieved one guy whose job it was to direct the riders to the platoon they are assigned to. I did that until I had to leave to join the team I was assigned to. I was part of the Exit team..

By the way, when we left it was cold, windy and raining. When we started out, it was still dark. There are five of us on the team. So we just move down the highway at a steady pace. We rarely had to slow down as most of the traffic was heading in the other direction. About half way to our first gas stop, the rain stopped. It was still windy and cold. We arrived in Coachella Truck Stop and filled up. The Advanced team was getting setup for when the main body arrived. It is amazing how hard and fast they work once the main body arrives. They can fuel over 200 bikes in about 15 minutes.

Our job was to direct the riders to the next staging area and make sure they didn’t try to stop at the fueling location. The riders already know who we are so pretty much follow our instructions. After the last bike is fueled, the Advanced Team Leader collects the money from his team and goes in and pays the bill. In the meantime we hang out, take a break or do what we want for a few minutes.

The Advance team will then mount up and head to the next fuel stop. After some time, we mount up and head to the same stop. The next stop is in Blythe, of Ca. This small town goes all out for us. Not only does most of the town line the streets to wave and cheer, they feed us lunch. While we are eating, the high school band plays for us. They also have a missing man table set up and tell us what it signifies. I have heard this several times and it never gets old. It just touches your heart.

After we left Blythe, the rest of the day was just riding on to Tolleson, Az. We did have other fuel stops but they went well as usual. Also, again this year as we were going thru the desert, we would go under an overpass that had people cheering and waving flags. No matter were you looked you couldn’t see anything but desert. These people would just get there around the time we were expected by, just to show us they supported us. I have seen this for the last three years and always affected by it. Sometimes more than others.

Our Ambassador’s go up to these people and talk to the all and tell them how much we appreciate seeing them there. That is one of the jobs of our Ambassadors. They also stay back after someone has fed us the make sure those people also know how much their efforts mean to us. Is that a great job to have or not? The Ambassadors are all former Route Coordinators and also State Captains. They are people who have put a lot of time and effort into making Run For the Wall so special.

I do have a confession to make. Today is actually Thursday. I started this yesterday evening but was so tired I couldn’t finish. I would drop my netbook when I fell asleep, or I would have to erase the 20-30 identical letters that would appear when I fell asleep. Finally I just shut down and went to bed. I no sooner laid my head down and I was fast asleep.

I will get started on today’s blog when we get to Odessa, Tx. Friday afternoon. So far this has been just as exciting for me as the past 2 years. The farther east we go, the better it gets.

Run For the Wall 2011-May 15th to 17th

2011-05-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

These installments are written by Rich "Yankee" Martin. Rich is a Vietnam Veteran & a member of PGR. This is his 3rd year participating in "Run for the Wall".

May 15, 2011

Today is the day! I left for RFTW in Rancho Cucamonga. I met Doug “Sgt Major” Lyvere in Gilroy at 0930 so we could ride down together. It seems like this day has taken forever to get here. The anticipation is torture. It seems like the day was never going to get here.

This is my third year doing this mission. My first year, 2009, I was an FNG. The whole mission was an emotionally draining experience. By the time I got to DC, I was just drained. It was extremely hot and humid there and I could not drink enough water to stay hydrated. At least it seemed that way. Friday night, I got to tour the Commandant of the Marine Corps home at view the Evening Parade. The Parade is spectacular. On Saturday, as an FNG I got to go to Arlington to visit the Tomb of the Unknowns. Then on to the Lincoln Memorial for a group picture before heading for the Wall. I almost didn’t make it. I almost turned around and ran in the other direction several times. But my mission was to place a picture of an MIA at the Wall. I was successful doing that but I couldn’t do anything else.

2010 was my second year and I became a Road Guard. That was quite an experience. It made the mission so much better. I was busy the whole way and worked with the most dedicated people you will ever meet. Road Guards are responsible for getting everyone to DC as safely as possible. We take our responsibilities very seriously. Once again, this was a very emotional ride. You never know what will set you off. Something minor will trigger something and start the tears flowing. It usually happens when you are not expecting anything. I still was not able to spend anytime at the Wall last year. I couldn’t visit with any of my brothers. I am hoping this year I can spend time with them. That is my personal mission for this year.

This year, I have been looking forward to this even more. I can’t wait to see everyone. When we arrived in Rancho this afternoon, there was a surprisingly large group already there. Lots of hugs and catching up. It was good to see Cowboy, Cajun, Scratch, Wrong Way, Lightbulb, Stoney, Bandit, and DJ. Pied Piper 2009 Route Coordinator was there this year. He missed 2010. Too Tall, 2010 Route Coordinator and his wife, Too Short, are here again. DJ from Kansas is here. These are just some of the people I greeted. More will be here on Monday and Tuesday. We did have a Memorial Service for Top Sarge’s husband, Vance, who passed away this year. They are long time RFTW people. They are well known and loved by many people. Top Sarge (Shirley) will be driving one of the support vehicles again this year.

Our ride down here was pretty uneventful, except for the anticipation I was feeling about getting here. We did get a little sprinkles at least three times. Enough to wet the windshield but not us. Traffic was light most of the way. Even when we got to the LA area the traffic was relatively light. By the way, we only made 2 strategic changes of direction. One of them was because of the GPS. But that is the fun part of riding motorcycles. You have to overcome and adapt.

I will continue this with my thoughts about Monday and Tuesday before I send it out. We actually leave on Wednesday so the next two days are just meetings and more meetings.

May 16, 2011

More riders have been and will continue to arrive today. I will spend the day seeing more of the RFTW family and that is what we are, After 10 days of riding together and experiencing this mission together, you become family.

Most of today is spent making sure people knew where they had to go to register and sign in. Last year we had about 900 people pre-register. That is nationwide. This year I heard there were about 1050 pre-registered nationwide. Rumor has it that SR had about 300 register just today. In the past we usually would leave Rancho Cucamonga with 200-250 bikes. So this should be an interesting mission.

Today was a day of mostly greeting people you met in the past. We had a leadership meeting at 1730 where this years Route Coordinator, Richard “Preacher” Moore reminded us of why we ride. He also covered other important information. When that ended, the Road Guards went to dinner together. We had about 25 of us in several tables pushed together. We went to a Famous Dave’s and had a great dinner. Of course, they did separate checks and as veterans, we got a 25% discount. It was nice having dinner with everyone. We get to relax before we start work on Wednesday.

May 17, 2011

Most of the morning was spent in our Road Guard meeting. There was a lot of information passed down. A long time member of the Central Route who is now on the Board of Directors took the time to explain why some of the changes were made. It seems that most of the changes on the CR were done a year or two after we did them on the SR, CR was always catching up. So this year they decided to have the SR wait until next year for any changes so that CR and SR will be working on the same page.

The rest of the day was just spent greeting all the riders coming in. My friend, Tim Mermod, made it in this afternoon. He made it in time for the FNG meeting. That is an important meeting for him to attend. Most of the afternoon was spent talking to FNG’s. I remember when I was an FNG how people would come up to me and welcome me and answer any questions I had.

Some of the people who arrived today were Robert and Alica Padilla. I met Robert last year and this year we did a Welcome Home for Alicia’s son when he returned from Iraq. I also saw Mayor Trent Crowe, of Wytheville, Va. This year he was able to make it all the way out here so he can go all the way. You will hear about Wytheville once we get there. It is a special place for us to visit.

Another special arrival today. If you have ever seen a video of Rolling Thunder one image everyone will remember is that of Marine SSgt Tim Chambers standing in his dress blues saluting the riders as they go by. He has stood there for 4 hours until the last rider passes. Last year he was in Arlington saluting us when we arrived at the host hotel. This year he is going with us all the way. He will be in one of the vehicles since he is unable to ride a motorcycle. He is not 100% physically at this time. He insists he will be out at his post again this year. I just don’t know how he can do that with his condition. We will see when we get to DC.

The mission starts in the morning. As a RG, I have to be ready to go at 0515 in the morning. But I can’t wait until morning. The mission is what matters and that is why we all are here. I will continue this after the first days travel.

Run for the Wall 2011

2011-05-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is participating in "Run for The Wall".....10 day motorcycle ride from So. Calif. to Washington, D. C. He will be writing his story along the way & I will post it here. I did this a couple years ago & people loved it. Hope you will too. Will start posting tomorrow.

Recycle your greeting cards

2011-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

As the holidays are now we all start putting decorations away & tossing out the cards you received from Family & Friends. I am hoping that you can send the card fronts (don't send the photo cards from Aunt Edna or anyone else please) to me so that they can be recycled into new cards for our troops next Christmas/Wintertime. This year I was able to send card packs to over 1200 troops. I am hoping to do more next year (last year was about 1000). Please ask friends & family to do the same. Cards will be collected all year (all greeting cards) Please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com for address on where to send them.

Thank you so much for your support!!

Wreaths Across America

2010-12-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

A small donation each month can put a wreath on the graves of many who stood up for you & our country when they were needed. Check out the story here.....

My Baby is 24!!

2010-08-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

The Communicator turned 24 today.....the first of his birthdays we have spent together in 5 years. A good day & I'm a happy mom

OPERATION: MOM BLOOD DRIVE

2010-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Gold Star Families License Plate Project

2010-07-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Please vote daily for this....whether or not you live in CA!!!

CARDS 4 OUR TROOPS

2010-07-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

THERE ARE NO HALLMARK STORES IN AFGHANISTAN OR IRAQ (YES...WE STILL HAVE TROOPS THERE) !

THIS IS STICKY.....PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE BLOG.

I currently need Cards 4 Our Troops Kids by 07/01/11.... ! All Deadline Dates for 2011 are at end of post......Check FACEBOOK page for updates.

{PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW CAREFULLY....I REALLY NEED THE CARDS TO BE DONE AS I HAVE ASKED....I DO THIS BY MYSELF & NEED YOUR HELP TUCKING THE FLAPS & CARD BACKS INTO THE ENVELOPES....I'M SPENDING HOURS DOING THIS & NOT GETTING TO MAKE CARDS MYSELF}. It would also be very helpful if you can put 2 cards in a ziplock...leave ziplock open tho so I can enclose a note plus 2 All Occasion Cards.

I am a Former Army Mom/a Blue Star Mom. My only son (our only child actually) is now a US ARMY Veteran. In March 2007 I started sending cards overseas to the troops in care packages. I have made arrangements to send the cards in care packages. All Occasion Cards (Love You, Thinking of You, Hello, Friend, Missing you, Birthday & kids, etc. ) for them to send to their children/loved ones at home/something they can personalize) are always needed .....I have been getting requests for Get Well cards that can be sent to injured buddies too....packages are sent monthly so send cards as you would like. I will be taking any store bought cards I get to the local VA Hospitals & Fisher House. Can also use donations of envelopes & cardstock always as well as card front from greeting cards you have received & aren't keeping so we can recycle into new cards. BIG NEED RIGHT NOW IS PRIORITY MAIL & REGULAR POSTAGE as I am getting alot of requests for more cards from the troops & always want to comply.

Cards should be blank inside for the service member to write inside to their loved ones (their words are better than anything you can stamp out usually), must be with regular envelopes...,
tuck the flap into the envelope
(no clear envelopes please),
then tuck the back of the card inside envelope too.
Also, if you use dark paper please put light color insert so they can write on that. We always want Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside (thank you for your service, you are in my prayers, hope you come home to your loved ones soon, etc, No hope you don't get shot, etc.). Due to security issues these envelopes (envelopes are not required for the thank you cards to them if you don't want to put them in one) must be unsealed. Must have Cards 4 Our Troops Kids for the next packing by July 1st as well as All Occasion cards (which I need year 'round). You may use your email address as your hallmark on the back of the card if you like. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate.If you are interested in participating please email me with any questions you may have or to ask for the address to mail the cards to: pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops at yahoo dot com (change the -at- to @ or click the link & PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT THE TROOPS BY USING THIS EMAIL TO SEND SPAM!). This is a year round project.

2011 Card Deadlines....

7/1/11 Cards 4 Our Troops Kids (cards to send home to kids)

8/5/11 All Occasion (Thank you cards and letters of appreciation in observance of 9-11 (10th anniversary)
9/2/11 Halloween (no body parts or ghoulish PLEASE)

10/1/11 Thanksgiving

11/4/11 Christmas Cards (NO GOLD STARS)

00/00/11 Winter /New Years Cards

Thanks to the Troops are welcome all year....take a moment to let them know how you feel about them....also All Occasion Cards (as generic as possible)

More Emails Received from Troops

2010-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have received more emails from this past mailings to share.....for those who do not make cards but would like to help we could use Priority Mail postage stamps so that we can send cards that we get requests for in between packings. I am also collecting card fronts from store bought cards that we recycle into new cards.

Thanks!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ms. Dresser,

My name is Kelly. I just wanted to write a quick thank you for the cards that mysteriously appeared in our barracks. We don't have easy access to a PX and it's so great to have cards to send home. Both my Dad and brother's birthdays are coming up and thanks to you they may actually get a card in time (the other half is up to the post office!)

Thanks so much for taking the time to make these beautiful cards. Your work is greatly appreciated!

V/R

Kelly Fxxxxx
Medford, Oregon
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ma'am,
My name is SPC Tricia Sxxxx and I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan. I'm writing to express my gratitude for the homemade cards that you've sent. My unit received them in a care package today and since I love to write and am crafty myself, I snatched them right up. The other girls in my office love homemade cards as well and we were hoping that you'd be willing to send us some more. It means a lot to us knowing that there are people who care and support us through all we do, and we think these cards are a fantastic way to do so. It means so much more knowing the kind of thought and effort you've put into helping us stay in touch with our family and friends. Once again, thank you, and hope to hear from you soon!

With warm regards,
Tricia Sxxxx

Emails received from the Troops

2010-03-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some emails I have received from Troops who have received Cards we have sent overseas.....if you have been debating over whether to participate in this project I hope this will give you that push you need.

______________________________

Hey,
I just wanted to say thank you very much for the cards. It is my favorite thing to get out here because I send a lot of stuff back home. Thank you a million times for your support. I attached a picture for you to know who I am and if you guys ever need someone to send these cards to, send them our way. Everyone in my shop says thank you as well!!

V/r
SPC Jessica M. Cxxxx

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
- Will Rogers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Debbi Dresser,
Thank you so much for your wonderful card to me. You encouraged me a lot
with your warm and loving care.
Especially your handmade cards you enclosed were so beautiful. I wish to
have more. You enclosed 4 cards. I was so selfish to use them by myself.
Would you forgive me not to share it with other soldiers?
I really appreciate you and your support.
Please pray for us. We need your prayer support so badly.
I pray and bless you and your beloved ones.
May God bless you.

CH (CPT) Abrahamyoung ki Xxx

"A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a
broken spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)
_____________________________________________________

Hi
I wanted to pass along a big thank you for the homemade cards
and all the goodies. I sent the cards out to my family. I attached a
letter I typed up to answer some questions from the folks that sent
things over here and just to let you know who you sent your items to. I
shared with my whole office and everyone passed along their thanks.

v/r
Michael A. Mxxxxx, Capt, USAF
________________________________________________________________________

Dear Debbi Dresser,
I wanted to thank you for the cards, they are very creative and tastefully done. We all appreciate having your loyal support and are honored to serve our country.
Our family and friends appreciate them too!

I attached our command photo.

Thank you once again!
V/R,

LSCS(SW) Don F. Xxxx
______________________________________________________________________

Ma'am,

I received a box on behalf of my company here in Baghdad. Inside were a few greeting cards that came with a slip of paper with your email address. I have meant to contact you sooner and I apologize for the lateness in my gratitude. The box was full of great things such as DVDs and food items. My Soldiers attacked it with fervor from a taste of America! I happened on the cards because they were perfect for sending my wife for the upcoming holidays and her birthday. She received one of them for Valentines Day.

My Soldiers are so grateful for support packages. We know our mission here is now being overshadowed in the press by our brothers and sisters on the offensive in Afghanistan, your support of our mission is incredibly motivating. Many of my troops I are on their 2nd, 3rd and even 4th deployment here. We have seen chaos and lawlessness blossom into a young democracy. Streets that once rang with gunfire and explosions are now full of trucks and cars, people and children moving freely with almost no fear of the cowards who tried so hard to destroy the will and progress of the country. We are so close to achieving victory here, we can see it, we feel it and we cannot wait for the elections on March 7th. We know they will be successful because the Iraqi Security Forces are taking the protection of voters seriously. Side by side, we are planning with them and supporting them, but the brave Iraqis are taking the lead in every aspect of our mission. It is incredible. So much good news each day!

Once again, I want to thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and urge you to let others know that our Soldiers are working tirelessly here to get home. We must always remember the sacrifice of our fallen heroes, many of whom stood next to us during the times when the outlook was bleak.

Very respectfully,

1LT Erik Axxxxx

--
"The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…"
- Sun Tzu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I WAS ABLE TO USE THE CARDS AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU HAD A WEB SITE THAT WE MAY PURCHASE SOME ON.

THANKS AGAIN.
Rose T

-------------------------------------------------------------

Debbi,

I wanted to send you this email just to say thanks for the cards included in some of the care packages we recieved here. I have personally used some of them and so have my soldiers. The cards make it very convenient to send notes home to our loved ones. The variety of the cards helps to cater the note to certain events or holidays. Please continue to do what you do for our support. Thank you and know that your cards are being put to good use.

SGT Allen D. Xxx

"Lead By Example"
-----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Debbi,

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful cards you and your friends made for us. They are very handy for sending thank-you notes back to all of the awesome people back home who send carepackages and letters out here.

We all really appreciate the support from folks like you back home.

Semper Fi,

Maj Tammie Xxxxx

----------------------------------------------------------------

Ma'am,

I want to thank you for the cards you made. They were very wonderful
and I sent one to my wife and two daughters. I know they will enjoy
them very much. Again Thank you for your support to the troops.

SFC Jason A. Mxxxxxx

-----------------------------------------------------

good afternonn miss debbi dresser my name is spc jose m gxxxx im a reserve soldier who is right now in iraq and i went to heavens ground thats where most of the stuff that is to give away to soldiers is and i was looking at the post carrds and i started looking at some of them there and got the ones you send and i must say that they are precious i would like to thank you for the supports you give and the work you put into them i took around 20 post cards most of them the ones that could be for any ocasion and im going to send them to all my family, they arer in a nice and detailed way of making them that i know there is a lot of work and love put into them i saw one that was more than beautifull and i send it to my girfriend on her birthday and she cried because the postcard pplus what i wrote made her feel special, once again i would like to say thank you for your suport and have a good day.

ATT:

SPC Jose M. Gxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Debbi,

I am a service member currently deployed to Kosovo and just received some of
your homemade cards. Just wanted to let you know that I think they are
wonderful, and also wanted to thank you for supporting America's troops, we
are truly appreciative of all that you do for us. God Bless and take care.

Very Respectfully,

SPC Juliet R. Fxxxx
---------------------------------------------------

Dear Debbi,

We just recently received your latest Op Care and Comfort boxes with the enclosed Valentines Day cards. They were very well received, and trust me the cards will be used. I took one out myself and already sent it home to my wife to celebrate Valentienes Day. We thank you so much for your support and the joy you bring to our lives while away. We have just completed our first quarter of the year over here, things are starting to happen very fast. That is a good thing because time goes by fast, but bad because it has become normal for us to be over here, away from home. Packages like the ones you sent us with all the goodies, magazines, books, etc are a small reminder of home, and it causes us to pause for a second and remember home. It is a very good think to remind ourselves, plus who can deny candy, chocolates, and the rest of the goodies right!

I am sure the cards you sent will be received well at home. I am pretty sure they have been taken up by Soldiers and will be used. I get nothing but thank yous and smiles when I show our Soldiers what is in the boxes, I just can't say it enough, it means a lot to us.

We thank all of you so much for you support. I hope this new year has been good so far to all of you. I wish you the best, God Bless all of you, and look forward to the next time we hear from you.

Respectfully,

Ruddie Xxxxxx

Valentines on the way to Troops

2010-01-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Packing was yesterday & we were able to send Valentine's plus All Occasion Cards (2 of each per baggie) to nearly 700 troops in care packages. Great job by all the card makers who volunteer their time & art to this cause especially as it was so soon after Christmas & New Years. I wish to thank all who helped. Hope we get more helpers as the year/decade goes forward. Thank you for all your support!!

Happy 373rd Birthday National Guard!!

2009-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Chairman Marks National Guard’s 373rd Birthday

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 – Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today commemorating 373 years of service by the National Guard.

Here is the text of the chairman’s message:

On the Thirteenth of December each year, we celebrate the creation of one of America’s most enduring institutions – our National Guard. The Guard has a proud history of serving and protecting the American people at home and defending our allies abroad.

Now, more than any time in our history, our National Guard keeps our military, our Nation strong. We would not have been able to maintain over eight years of sustained combat operations without this incredible service and the sacrifices of Guard families and employers who also contribute.

During World War II, National Guard units were among the first in the fight. America’s Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen performed valiantly during the Cold War in far away places from Korea to Europe. Over 20,000 Guardsmen served on active duty in the Vietnam War, and over 75,000 answered the Nation’s call in support of Operation Desert Storm.

Today over 70,000 of you are currently supporting expeditionary operations in locations around the world while still maintaining vigilance and crisis response stateside. Your efforts are making a remarkable difference at a critical time in our country’s history. We could not do it without you.

On behalf of your fellow service members of the Armed Forces, the Joint Chiefs and I thank you and your families and employers for 373 years of courageous sacrifice and service to our Nation. Because of you, the National Guard is Always Ready, and Always There.

Sincerely,

M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy

HAPPY 234TH BIRTHDAY US ARMY....HOOAH!!

2009-06-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Two hundred and thirty-four years ago, the United States Army was established to defend our Nation. From the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror, our Soldiers remain Army Strong with a deep commitment to our core values and beliefs. This 234th birthday commemorates America’s Army – Soldiers, Families and Civilians – who are achieving a level of excellence that is truly Army Strong both here and abroad. Their willingness to sacrifice to build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is without a doubt, the Strength of our Nation.

-------------------------
JCS Speech
United States Army Birthday 2009
By Adm. Mike Mullen , Pentagon
Sunday, June 14, 2009

The history of our Army is the history of America. And today, without question, our Army is the best fighting force this country has ever seen.

Whenever I have the opportunity to visit with you – our Soldiers, and our Army families – it’s hard not to feel exceptionally proud of the difference you are making as you defend our Nation and create security and stability around the globe.

It’s difficult as well to miss your fighting spirit and your remarkable resilience, which were so critical to turning the tide in Iraq, and remain indispensable as we shift our main effort to Afghanistan. Your legacy of success has always been paced by a trademark ability to learn and adapt. As you train and teach to those hard-earned
lessons, you are writing the history of warfare, line by line.

Indeed, your versatility is indispensable to every facet of war – especially our efforts to prevent war itself – from building partners to defending our homeland. You know that no one can do this alone.

You also understand what eternal debts we owe our wounded, their families, and the families of the fallen. The Soldier’s Creed of “Never leave a fallen comrade” inspires a Nation to care for them with a commitment that is for life. And in this charge, as is true of so many others, you lead the way – “always fighting from the heart.”

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it is an honor to wish our Army and Army families a happy 234th birthday. Hoo-ah!

Remembering Flag Day

2009-06-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Every Flag Day, June 14, America recognizes birthday of Old Glory with its own holiday. In 1885, Wisconsin school teacher B.J. Cigrand started a grassroots campaign that began with his students celebrating Flag Day. After nearly 30 years of state and local celebrations, President Woodrow Wilson made Flag Day official in 1916. Flag Day became a national observance by an Act of Congress in 1949 and was signed into law by President Harry Truman. For more information, including educational materials, visit the National Flag Day Foundation website, USFlag.org, the Library of Congress website, and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) website.

RFTW 2009 - Pt 6 (Rich)

2009-05-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

May 19th
This segment covers Meridian to Chattanooga. This was one of the few times that breakfast was on our own. However, the hotel had a continental breakfast for free, so once again, free breakfast. As we do every morning we have our meetings. Each morning we also pick up new registered riders. What we do is get all the new FNG’s up front to applause from the rest of us. The coordinator than asks us to look at them and asks us what we say to new FNG’s. We all holler “Welcome!” Then they are told that they are a part of our group and if they have any questions, to ask anyone wearing an arm band of any color. Our job is to get them to their destination, whether it is part way or all the way, safely.

Again, we depart with a gas stop (not free) with a destination of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. As we roll up to an entrance you notice flags lining each side. Then you see the patients lining the walkway and cheering us. Many of them are in wheelchairs and accompanied by hospital staff. As we dismount, we go over and mingle with the patients.

(photo to follow)
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center

While here, we were fed lunch and were able to visit patients in their rooms. I have trouble doing this for some reason. It is something I am working on to overcome my reluctance to visit my brothers and sisters that are bed ridden. The director of the hospital gave a short speech thanking us for being there and making the Medical Center one of our stops.

(photo to follow)
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center Director

After lunch and a visit, we mounted up for the ride into Chattanooga. As a side note, I had emailed and called a guy I served with in the Marines. His name is “Buzz” Griffey. So far he has not returned any email and phone calls. Last year when I saw him, he was not in great health. I haven’t talked to him in several months and I am getting worried. I told him I was doing Run for the Wall and that one of the stops would be Chattanooga. That is where he is from even though he lives in Chickamauga, Ga. He has 8 acres just south of the battlefield. We toured it last year when I was there. Hopefully, he will call me soon.

But back to the story. We stopped outside of Asheville for a gas stop and a surprise snack stop. If you have spent any time in the south, you will recognize the food chain store called Piggly Wiggly!. I swear to you that is the name. I have proof. See the picture!

(photo to follow)
Piggly Wiggly! They really exist!

While here, a local motorcycle club provided snacks which consisted of hot dogs and chips. Of course, I had to have something. I couldn’t just ignore that good old southern hospitality, could I. like I said earlier, too much food and not enough exercise.

On the road again and heading for Thunder Creek Harley in Chattanooga. We were warned to be alert because we would be getting there right around the commute hour and that traffic would be horrendous. Once we got there, everything turned out pretty good. Traffic was heavy but our road guards did their normal outstanding job and got us all thru without any problems. We got to Thunder Creek and found parking to be real bad. We were parked on a long downhill driveway. I wasn’t too comfortable with that because my bike is loaded. I managed to pull way over and turn slightly left so that the bike wasn’t pointing downhill. I felt a little easier with that.

(photo to follow)
The driveway at Thunder Creek HD. It doesn’t really show its steepness

The HD shop provided supper for us. Hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fixings. They had entertainment set up outside, also. There were vendors and also the Tennessee Veteran’s Memorial Wall. It listed those men and women from Tn. who served and gave all. It is another instance of why I love sunglasses. I can’t look at it for too long.

They did have entertainment. Of course it was country and you know how much I just love country, NOT! But one thing I did do. I found the cheapest pair of gloves I could find. Along the way, Karoni lost one of my summer leather gloves and I lost one of my summer gloves. So all I had was a leather set. I bought a padded, fingerless set that I used the next couple of days. Fortunately, the HD part of the gloves that I paid so much extra for are all black and hard to see.

RFTW 2009 - Pt. 5 (Rich)

2009-05-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

May 17th

This segment of the journey covers Weatherford,Tx to Monroe, La. We met in the morning and as usual had our morning meetings. Sometime, either today or yesterday, I don’t remember when, I switched to 2nd platoon. There we ride side by side. One of the biggest advantages is that you also get to refueling earlier and are able to stretch your legs and make a pit stop with time to spare.

Our first stop was the small town of Terrell, Tx. Once again, people were cheering and flags were waving as we pulled into the gas station (free gas) and then staged. The town set up an area where they had snacks and sandwiches for us. After a quick pit stop I got on line for some snacks. They had pimento cheese sandwiches, PB & J sandwiches, and ham salad sandwiches. I tried a pimento and a PB & J sandwich. As we were enjoying our snacks and drinking our water (you got to hydrate) the town mayor started the ceremony. He talked about how much it meant to the town to have us make Terrell one of our stops. We pick up more riders here like we do at almost every stop.

(Photo to follow)
Terrell, Tx. snacks and townspeople

He talked about our mission and how important it is. He then presented us with a check for $780 to use for gas or whatever we wanted. Then the local Raytheon plant presented us with a check for $1000.00 that they raised. A couple of local MC riding clubs dug in and came up with a couple of hundred dollars also. We were given over $2000.00 at this stop. You may be wondering what happens to this money. You will find out later on this journey.

We head out to cheers of thanks from the townspeople. Why they thank us is hard to get a grip on. They appreciate what we are doing and support us. We should be cheering and thanking them. That we try to do by waving and sounding our horns as we leave. It touches your heart as you leave these small towns. These people are proud of their town and country and our mission.

Our next stop is Longview, TX. for lunch. It is put on by the Longview VFW Post 4002. Another free meal is provided. I thought I would lose some weight during the trip but if anything happens, I will gain some. All the free food and no time to exercise. Not a good combination.

I have to say something here that might upset some of you but it needs saying and it is my opinion. When we returned from Viet Nam, this country turned their backs on us. The best thing that could happen was that people ignored you. At least when they did that, they weren’t spitting at you or calling you “baby killers”. But what hurt more than anything was the lack of respect and support from veteran’s who served before us. An example of that is the VFW. Viet Nam Vets were not eligible to join. After all, we didn’t really fight a “War”. We were shunned by the very same people who should have known better but for some reason chose the path they took. That is one reason I wouldn’t join any VFW today. I know they have changed and realize their mistake, but I still can’t forget. Again, if my opinion, and this is only my opinion, offends you I am sorry. I know many people who are members of the VFW and they do a lot of fine work on the behalf of Veterans.

Our next stop was Monroe, La. We finally made it out of Texas. A big state with some absolutely wonderful people. The scenery was not what I expected. The southwestern part of the state was mostly flat and relatively dry. Not desert but not lush and green. As you got closer to Ft. Worth, it became greener and more trees. My friend Terry Bishop who rides with Star Touring in Orange County once told me that Texas had a lot of hills. I have to admit, there are hills in Texas and it is nowhere near as flat as Kansas.

As we crossed into Louisiana, we were greeted by an overpass of people. Flags flying and waving to us as we have seen many times on this journey. I don’t think I will ever get used to it. But the biggest surprise was that there was an Apache Attack Helicopter hovering about 3 feet off the ground to our right. As we rode past, the prop blast form the rotors hit us and the whole formation moved to the left as we went by. Another thing that happened was that the State Police picked us up as we crossed into the state and escorted us the whole way. They even shut down I 25 so we had the freeway to ourselves. What a site with about 400 bikes plus chase vehicles and many cars and RV’s that were part of our group.

In Monroe, we had another free dinner at the Shriner’s Hall. I found out one major thing about Louisiana cooking. They love fried food. As someone said, if they pick up a piece of food, and the grease doesn’t drip off, it isn’t cooked right!!!! But the meal was catfish.

(photo to follow)
Lined up outside the Shriner’s Hall

And in LA, they know catfish. Problem is, fish and me just don’t agree with each other. I ate what other things they had, and left the building quickly. Either that or getting sick was the alternative!

May 18th

This segment covers Monroe, La to Meridian, Ms. After our usual morning meetings we head for downtown Monroe for the Veterans Memorial. We are greeted by the Mayor and several other people. At the Memorial, we again lay a wreath and listen to a short speech from the Mayor. We present the Mayor with a plaque of appreciation for having us in Monroe. We do this at many locations to thank those that support us. As we were leaving, cold water was waiting in the main building compliments of Monroe, La. We mounted up and headed down the highway with more bikes. I think we are up to about 300 bikes.

Again we had police escort. The Mississippi State Police picked us up at the La border and would escort us thru the state. We had a gas stop in Tallulah. Ms. These are always the same. How long to they take? Surprisingly we can get those 300 bikes thru the gas line and back formed up in about 20 minutes. How do we do this? We approach the pumps in two lines. We have an advance crew that handles the pumps and collects the money. They tell you how much you owe and they always round up the amount. You get no change. So if you put in $5.25 you would be charged $6.00. The system works great once you have been thru it once or twice. The advance team works hard to make sure we get in and out.

As usual, along the way we see people on the side of the road, on overpasses and across the freeway waving and cheering. It never gets tiring and it does affect us. I still wonder where these people were 40 years ago. But at least they are here now.

Jackson, Ms. is something to see. We stop at the Jackson Harley to a rousing welcome. People are all over cheering. We pass thru a line of people who are dressed in modern all the way to the Revolutionary War outfits. As I pass I get several Semper Fi,s. Once we fuel up and park we are treated to a special meal in the shop.

(photo to follow)
Army SOC Parachutist landing at the Jackson HD Shop

(photo to follow)
A small sampling of the people lining the road at the Jackson HD shop

When we were done eating, the special guests were brought in. There were two of the Tuskegee Airman, a former POW, and 3 Medal of Honor Recipients. Unfortunately, I can’t remember any of their names. I lost what notes I had with all the names on it.

Outside the shop they had set up what they call the “Trail of Honor Reenactment”. They had displays of each major conflict from the Revolution to Viet Nam. It was here that I ran into the person who yelled “Semper Fi. It turned out that he was in one of my sister squadrons in Chu Lai. He was with VMFA-115. We had a long talk about our experience in Chu Lai.

At this point I was talking to a guy named DJ from Kansas. We decided to leave early for Meridian. Along the way, we once again had people waving to us along the freeway and on overpasses. By now you should know how much this means to me. I am still getting teary eyed when I see this. It is really special and appreciated. After the Sgt. Maj. got to the room he asked me why I left early. I told him I was just tired and needed to do laundry and wanted to be able to relax. He asked if any people were on the overpasses as I went by. I told him they were. He told me the State Police estimated there were close to 700 people along the way. That is a lot more than I saw. But by this time I am tired and needed a little break from everything.

RFTW 2009 - Rolling Thunder (Doug)

2009-05-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was Rolling Thunder - all the bikes come together in the Pentagon parking lot and run to the Wall. The term comes from the Vietnam War and is descriptive of one of the sounds of war and power. When 400,000 motorcycles start their engines, you can hear them for blocks. At 0530 I'm up and ready to go. Off to the Pentagon and find that the lot all ready has a few thousand bikes staged. I take my bike to the "VIP Escort" area as I have the privilege of having a Gold Star Mom riding on my back seat. Their are a hundred or so of us and their are a couple of "deuce and halfs" for the GSMom's/Dad's that don't have helmets. Their is zero shortage for scoots, just a shortage of the required helmets. No shortage of GSM/D''s, unfortunately. We spend the next couple of hours talking to friends from different groups, listen to the scoot noises and basically relax. At 1100, a bus pulls into the far end and off step the Gold Star Mom's/Dad's. The riders sitting on a grassy hillside near the bus stand and applaud. As the GSM/D's start walking thru the assembled bikes, row after row of rider's stand, come forward and form a corridor that the GSM's/D's walk thru. And we cheer and salute as row after row comes to attention to recognize these brave people and the sacrifice they live with.

At 1145 the last of the bikes are staged. It started at about 0430 - over 6 hours. At 1155 a lone B52 does a low fly over and then at 1200, we roll. Many of the participants are Vietnam Vets, but everyone is there for the vets. Being in the Gold Star contingent, I'm out of the lot by about 1208, and passing a Marine SSgt standing at attention, presenting arms. (He had his orders to deploy delayed so that he could be there to render this honor) And he will hold that until the last bike passes. The ride goes a pretty good distance in a large circle - I'd say about 3 miles. 3 miles of 3 or 4 deep people waving, cheering, saluting, holding the signs, being very respectful. One of the largest turnouts I've ever seen. Wanting to high 5, touch, thank, salute - it is a great day for vets of all time. We stage at about 1245 (took that long to go around) and walk over to the Wall (I needed to get a couple of rubbings). We walk over to Thunder Alley, and watch the last bikes come thru to final staging - about 1545. And the Marine SSgt can order arms. An amazing site.

As we drove in the parade, we passed thousands of bikes that elected to sit and watch rather than do Rolling Thunder. THOUSANDS. I have no idea how many veterans were here nor do I know the final count on bikes in and/or around DC and/or the Pentagon.

Doug

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Once each May, amid the quiet hills and rolling lanes and breeze-brushed trees of Arlington National Cemetery, far above the majestic Potomac and the monuments and memorials of our Nation's Capital just beyond, the graves of America's military dead are decorated with the beautiful flag that in life these brave souls followed and loved.

This scene is repeated across our land and around the world, wherever our defenders rest. Let us hold it our sacred duty and our inestimable privilege on this day to decorate these graves ourselves -- with a fervent prayer and a pledge of true allegiance to the cause of liberty, peace, and country for which America's own have ever served and sacrificed. ... Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction.

We know, as have our Nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice and independence. Those true and only building blocks of peace were the lone and lasting cause and hope and prayer that lighted the way of those whom we honor and remember this Memorial Day. To keep faith with our hallowed dead, let us be sure, and very sure, today and every day of our lives, that we keep their cause, their hope, their prayer, forever our country's own." --Ronald Reagan

RFTW 2009- Last Day & End of Mission (Doug)

2009-05-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

Last Day, 238 miles, two stops - Must start earlier as getting into DC can be a challenge. The numbers keep fluctuating but we currently have about 625 pieces of rolling stock with just shy of 590 being scoots. And the Central Route will be coming in close behind. If you ever been to DC, you know what that can mean. DC has a tendency to always have road construction someplace, new roads opening and other roads closed. Not to mention construction on other projects springing up all over the place. And in my opinion, the roads are in really bad repair. Scoots feel every bounce, especially those towing trailers. And the GPS's have problems keeping up with all the changes. Some turns are into the wrong lane so knowing the route that specific day is critical. In order to make things less of a problem, we'll be sending 7th Platoon in ahead of the main pack (scoots with trailers, trikes, etc) as well as all but one chase vehicle (chase being the vehicles that pick up any broken motorcycles - or like we say, the Harley truck!)

We still have out Virginia State Troopers but from here on in we have to obey most of the traffic laws. These guys are great - originally the State said no to an escort so these 6 (now down to 4) were volunteering to do it on their own time, money and expense and use their own scoots. At the last minute, the state said do it officially. They've told us that out of all the groups they escort, we are the most well organized and smooth operation out there. When we do "breakaways" - the road boss sends us individually or in pairs to "impede traffic" - we're normally on our own. Now the LEO makes the signal and the road boss dispatches us with them. Usually we play ketch up as their bikes are Kawi 1000's and have a huge low end and can jump out hard. Some of the RG's have to get told to speed up to catch up - I don't need the direction and I'm astute enough not to try and pass them. These guys move!!Breakfast supplied by a Service Organization and then we form up at 0630. RG's take off for our posts and then we move out. It is smooth until we hit traffic. This section of the interstate is 2 lanes each direction. Sounds like a lot but the traffic tends to pace us and we have to constantly "push" them past us. You really can't blame them - if they don't know who we are, they assume we're the Hell's Angels. I think our average speed is about 45. Thank goodness I'm a RG as we are moving considerably faster as we have to constantly dodge ahead to open the roads, block on ramps, etc. We pull into Tom's Brook a hair ahead of schedule, gas up, pee, hydrate and stage. Final riders meeting with cautions about traffic and the specifics about pulling off the freeway (in DC) and where to park. We're on the road again for the last 86 miles and the anticipation is great. People on overpasses, etc, per usual (and again, where were the "people" when my brothers and sisters came home!) and we still get teary eyed. Very uneventful ride and then into the staging point at the host hotel. We actually send everyone into the parking lot across from the hotel as the hotel wants people checked in BEFORE parking. Its almost like old home week. Most everyone leaves their scoots and head into the hotel to register, have a drink, cool down and start the story telling. Families that flew in or caged in greet their loved ones, some of us hug the ones that are going elsewhere and we might not see again, and some just check in and crash. I take off as I'm staying elsewhere and I'm going to CMC House for a tour followed by the Evening Parade at Marine Barracks. The Road Guards did a fantastic job for 3000 miles.

Never forget!

End of Mission. Not a lot to do today (Saturday). Tomorrow is Rolling Thunder - all the scoots will stage at the Pentagon parking area (the estimate is that we'll have about a half million scoots. But this for another email. Back to today. There are only two official RFTW functions - one is the dinner which I won't attend as I'm going to a Gold Star/Stories of Service event in the same time frame. The other is the group photo at the Lincoln Memorial at 1300. Around 1100 many of us are already in the area. We move around the Vietnam Memorial grounds and visit the Nurses Memorial ( 3 nurses - one kneeling and looking at the ground where a helmet lies - a Fallen Hero died here. Another is giving comfort to a wounded hero. And the third is looking skyward to the sound of a medevac chopper either coming in with wounded and Fallen or going to get some - a non stop occurrence in a war. Then we move to the 3 Soldiers - these are three guys looking towards the Wall where their brothers and sisters are - they like many of us can hear the voices and see the faces. We never forget. Emotions at this time can be overwhelming and often are. Even for me. Then, if we're up to it, a trip down to the Wall a slow walk that many have never been able to make and that some, like myself, have finally done it. I don't know why but its always massively emotional for me - so many of our finest. (I'll put a link at the very end if you want to learn about statistics on the Wall) . Off to the Lincoln Memorial. We have 10 minutes to move about a thousand participants on two the stairs, get seated and get the picture as the Park Police can not leave the stairs blocked. We are asked - "How Far" and as a group, we shout "All the Way". All the Way across our nation to insure that the world will not forget our veterans EVER again. Immediately after we have three ceremonies - one for just Road Guards starts at the 3 Soldiers where we have a short "service - we brought some ashes with us across country - a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant who served 4 tours in 'Nam and was a Road Guard on RFTW for 5 years. After the service we escort his widow down to a special spot on the Wall where we leave his ashes. Then, on this years RFTW, we had photo's and BIO's of 40 of our MIA's - carried by 40 bikes - and along with some children of the MIA, we take those pictures to the apex in the Wall where we have a short prayer and leave the photo's so no one will ever forget. And lastly, we lay the RFTW wreath and plaque at the apex. We salute the plaque, the wreath, the photos, and our brothers and sisters. End of Mission.

Never Forget. The Mission rules.

Got to go. RFTW 2010 starts in just 360 days.

Coming with us?

http://thewall-usa.com/names.asp

Happy Birthday to the Merchant Marines!

2009-05-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

The history of the Merchant Marines finds its way back during the Revolutionary war. Private armed and unarmed ships were issued a “Letter of Marque” commissioning the ships to become private spies and to prey on enemy ships. Therefore the men who manned these vessels were history’s first US Merchant Marines. Thus from those beginnings and even up to the present the Merchant Marines have been a vital part of support for the nation’s armed services. During WWII they had transported explosives and supplies across treacherous waters often with out the ability to defend themselves from enemy attacks. National Maritime Day is May 22nd. Each President declares the proclamation of this important day from the first proclamation which was on May 20,1933.

RFTW 2009 - Days 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Doug)

2009-05-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Day 5 - Weatherford, Tx to Monroe, La, 4 stops, 350 miles.

Another great day for the Mission - we've grown some but I'm not sure to what numbers. You can join/register every nite when we stop and for a short period of time in the AM. We always welcome the FNG's has its what keeps us going as an event. More bikes but not really any new style paint jobs.

The Road Guards I'm having the pleasure of riding with are great. Friendly, competent to the max, knowledgeable. Great bunch.

Church service - non denominational (like 'Nam and most conflicts) and then on the road at 0800 (for Spike, who I understand just had a birthday, the big hand is straight up and the little hand.......... never mind). Breakfast was on our own which means I had my coffee and some oranges. Or, I ate at the hotel as it would have been free. We got free gas this AM (RG's only) so another little savings!! First destination is Terrell on I -20. And of course, as we drive, people on the over passes and along the sides of the road. In Terrell we get greeted by about a hundred, gas up, pee stop, water, and we're gone!!! Off to Longview - and we're flying. Heading for lunch and a longer break. I'm wearing summer riding clothes but its still comfortable and I don't have to worry about rain as much. In Longview we're fed lunch by the local VFW. Most meals are BBQ oriented, but they're free. And plenty

of liquids, oranges and bananas. We had an hour some a few got to cat nap, but then swoopin' time is here! And we're off to Minden for a quick gas stop before moving on to Monroe (our nite stop). Yet again, people waving us on. More flyovers from the local Guard (I assume). More and more dedicated Americans. A fairly quick day because of the distance we need to cover although we did have two smaller ceremonies. And everyone is so sincere about it.

Day 6 - Monroe to Meridian, 3 stops, 208 miles.

Ceremony in downtown Monroe. Welcome us and pray for the fallen and MIA. Everyone understands the Mission. I think I forgot to mention that most of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi we have State Trooper escort. No stopping for lites, stop signs - nothing so we are making excellent time. Lunch in Jackson is provided by a Harley Davidson Dealership situated near a Memorial. And the kids again do the lunch and show us thru the Trail of Honor. Again with a lot of emotion for us. Afterwards, off to Meridian. This was is something else. Almost all the way we have one or two aircraft flying around us. Helicopters hovering or fixed wing making flyovers and doing it all very dramatically. Overpasses filled to over filled. People in larger numbers sporadically along the sides. When we crest a small rise and start across a fairly large bridge, we are given the heads up to two rotary wing aircraft hovering at the other end - very close to the ground. The prop wash beats us pretty good but boy does it bring back the memories. Two choppers - one slick for medevac, one Cobra armed to the teeth. Not happy memories, just memories. Then thru the downtown area, a few dozen turns and we're at the dinner/nite stop. Visit with the patients at the VA. More food. More people thanking us, more ceremonies, more prayers. More everything. More emotions. Kids all over the place wanting to touch us, talk to us, have their picture taken with us. Be a part of this. Great kids and awe inspiring.End of Day. The Mission Rules!!

Day 7, Meridian to Chattanooga, 298 miles, 3 stops.

When ever we have a day with about 300 miles things have to move quickly. The average speed so far is about 54. That's actually quite fast but when you're moving this many vehicles it makes a long day. Breakfast at the "AG" Pavilion and then we're gone. We're up to about 450 scoots. Along the way - more people on the bridges cheering and saluting. Its almost the norm. We visit a VA hospital (about our 4th) and they feed us. Good healthy food which actually tasted good. Not to mention, yet again, free. We spend some time talking to the patients - always bitter sweet - we know they wait for this day to come and it makes me wonder where all there families are - but they seem to enjoy our coming and visiting.and then we're off to Chattanooga. In Chattanooga we're welcomed by a pretty good crowd. And then we eat although I have no idea who supplied the food. BBQ, pulled pork, etc is getting old but its free. We say goodnite to our hosts after the ceremonies and head for our hotels.

Day 8, Chattanooga to Wytheville, 276 miles 4 stops.

Departing Chattanooga we stop to lay a wreath at the Confederate Cemetery. Quite impressive. We stop in Knoxville for Crispy Creme - I have no idea who paid, but it wasn't us. My brother in law came down but I was only there for a few minutes. Its a truck stop so its BUSY and we spend some time just dodging trucks. Same thing the RG's do on the freeway. More pushing and cruising. The highways are a lot narrower here so we need to very careful. Its getting more difficult to move the pack and we've grown some. Lunch in Bristol at another Harley Dealer. Then we pick up a Police Escort into Wytheville Memorial Park. We are greeted there by the middle school and they show us around the Memorial and the trucks with unbelievable paint jobs - all honoring the fallen. Off to the Moose Lodge for a steak (STEAK) dinner.In the morning the kids serve us breakfast in the cafeteria and afterwards put on a patriotic show for us. Every kid is smiling and telling there stories. Just wonderful. And very teary eyed.

Day 9, Wytheville to Roanoke, 125 miles, 1 stop.

There is a reason for this very short mileage day. We're headed for the Montvale School for a wreath laying and some stuff from the school. A huge welcome for us. The kids take us inside for lunch and to see that they have hung posters with each of our names on them - we need to sign them and then at the end of day, they take the posters down and put them in their archives. Then the kids put on a show involving some cute skits, military hymns, and singing. You have to be there to appreciate this. The kids are happy and smiling and having a great time with the songs they are singing. It would be wonderful if our politicians could come from this part on the country. America to the max. After the ceremony we get a group shot of the 34 of us RG's and then get everyone ready for the trip to the D Day Memorial. BTW, we are up to 625 scoots and of course we're on the narrowest of roads.

Even with the Virginia State troopers its difficult to move. We're playing bump and run but trying to get back up to the front is difficult. The National D Day memorial is huge and beautiful. There is a wall depicting the Rangers trying to scale to attack the Germans but they're taking a beating. There is a large water area depicting the beach front with a dead soldier on the beach and another struggling thru the water. There is a water system that "shoots" air thru the water making it look and sound similar an actual assault. Very good. At the hotel now. Dinner was on our own.

Tomorrow is the last day of the trip - we get in to DC at about 1:30 which means shower time before CMC House.

The closing of the Mission and my thoughts in a couple of days.

Never forget.

The Mission Rules.

Doug

RFTW 2009-Day 2, 3 & 4 (Doug)

2009-05-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

I've gotten behind because of being tired. The heat in the first couple of days just destroys you completely. Since I am behind the narrative might be a little disjointed or I might have an occurrence on the wrong day. Bear with me as it really shouldn't matter.

Day 2 - Phoenix to Las Cruces, NM (390 miles 4 stops). Basically a miserably hot day. But what makes the day another good day is again, the camaraderie amongst the Riders, and the unbelievable support and attitude of all of the people along the way, and, the Mission. Again, 3 gas stops - one or two free or donation only. Breakfast was at the Hotel (included) and coffee, water, fruit, etc at the Staging point somewhere inside a blast furnace. At breakfast we also get our first of many freshly "charged" cooling bandana's - the hydration team keeps a very large cooler filled with water & ice and these are soaking in them. They're a God send!! Off we go onto the freeway with a couple of hundred well wishers waving flags, holding signs, saluting, etc. No matter how many times it happens, its wonderful. Today we run straight to the first fuel stop, and pull in with a warm welcome from the people of the town ( Marana). About a total of 40 minutes for the pack to fuel, pee, drink a gallon or two, refresh their bandanas, poor water over their heads (seriously) and get back on the scoots. Road Guards had about 10 minutes less as we are already deployed to get the intersections blocked and to go onto the freeway and start "pushing". This is always interesting. "Pushing" means getting 4 RG's on the side of freeway before the on ramp connects to the highway. We stand in the traffic lane and gesture to the vehicles to move over 1 lane so our scoots can get on. Then we hop on our scoots and ZIP on up the freeway to our pack. The "zipping" is the fun part. Although we did this 3 times today, we also were waved at by people on overpasses and the sides of the route. We had people in the middle of nowhere doing it, we had people doing it at every gas station. Makes us feel good, proud, and a little dejected - where was this appropriate action when the Vietnam era vets were returning?!

Lunch provided by the people of Wilcox - and not bad. Not to mention the hero's welcome as we pulled into their fairgrounds and the Elks Lodge covered the lunch. After lunch, back on the scoots with fresh water and bandanas. Pushing and zipping, trying to keep the cages from getting into our formation which does not have any room to spare. Same things all day - people treating us very nicely, making us feel very good. At Las Cruces some of the Riders go to the Memorial we will all go to, tomorrow.

The morning Road Guard meeting - day 3

Most of Road Guards-2009 Southern Route (find Doug)

Day 3 - Las Cruces to Odessa (341 miles - 4 stops)- This AM its "breakfast on your own" with free coffee, fruit etc at the staging point. Then off to our Memorial that some went to the nite before. Hard to describe - a statue of 3 soldiers standing together in the middle of a field. As I'm walking towards it I'm walking on a "ridge" of dirt about a foot wide and about a foot high (the whole "park" is riddled with them. It goes thru a field of grasses about 18 inches tall. Then, just as I get to the soldiers statue, I realize the park is (simulated) rice paddy and the soldiers are coming in from a patrol. Most emotional - as the memories flood back, and for some reason, guilt. I go off (as some of the others have) to find some shade and a peaceful place to think - or actually to try and not think. After awhile, we saddle up, debate on rain gear (with general consensus of not necessary) and off we go. And 10 minutes into the leg, it RAINS, I mean it pores and now we're soaked to the bone. On The Mission we do not stop between scheduled stops. It requires a fairly substantial area to park 300 scoots so we just continue on. We get to out next destination, another Vietnam Memorial, and then put dry clothes on over our wet clothes. The theory is the rain stops and the temp goes thru the roof and everything will be dry RAPIDLY. Lunch again provided by the locals, gas again partly provided for - short break, and back on the saddles. This stays the same for the next part of todays run. Rain, COLD, people cheering!! Mile after mile.

When we pull into Odessa, more people. Its an unbelievable trip. So many people that want to say thanks for what some of us did, and what all of us are now doing. I think everyone should make this trip - if not for the healing, it will make you a HUGE believer in Welcoming home all of todays military. And this trip shows you the side of America that our media doesn't and that our politicians apparently ignore.

Day 4 - Odessa to Weatherford, 291 miles, 4 stops. Looks like a dry day but we wear slightly warmer clothing than long sleeve shirts. When moving we can, and often do, poor water over our selves to stay cool and the clothing dry's in a matter of minutes. But you can not warm up while driving so you try to predict what the weather will be like.

Our first stop is a Memorial for all wars but the emphasis is WWII and primarily the Philippines. Part of the Memorial has actual imprints of the bare footsteps of the 89 state residents that survived the Battan Death March. The whole Memorial is just for this state. It a large half moon design with some small walkways to the other conflicts. Very emotional as we are reminded again of all those that went before us and paid the ultimate price. I love it when the idiots in places like Bezerkeley accuse the vets of being war mongers. Vets no what the price of war is, and we know its way to steep. We hear some very moving speeches and again salute the flag and participate in the singing of our National Anthem. We have a wreath laying ceremony jointly with some of our rider's and some of the local vets. Beautiful.Police escort patiently waits (as our bikes cook in the sun, our helmets warm up) and we don't care. No complaints from anyone. Everyone sucks up their water and listens to the speech makers or they walk away in quiet contemplation. Everyone here is extremely sincere. Our emotions run very deep. Its one hell of a crowd.

After awhile we're back on the bikes heading east (more or less). RG's blocking intersections, rolling road blocks on the on ramps, weaving in and out of traffic to insure the ease of flow. The people in the pack have it harder than the RG's. Droning along while we can actually change up, run off the freeway change speed, etc. I enjoy what I'm doing - getting a large group of bikes to the East Coast.

We stop in Colorado City for lunch. The middle school kids serve us our lunch (taco's with all the trimmings - bring the food to our table). While doing that, the middle school band is playing and doing one heck of a job for any age group. The middle school kids go table to table asking us what else can they do for us. Then like every stop, they have the ceremonies honoring us and all vets. To be honest, I don't hang around for these - way to emotional. But what you see and hear from the kids in these towns is not rhetoric, not something they've memorized. Its their beliefs. And they are sincere. We have a future in America because of these kids and their parents. The hope that America will remain free and strong is right there in front of us. I've never felt that you have to be obsessive about our country - you can and should disagree when you don't like something, but never forget the good in this country.

On the road again. People again waving flags, honking, yelling. Middle of nowhere, on overpasses, sitting under an umbrella with no living spaces within site. More and more American's.

And that's it for tonight. I'm literally falling asleep as I type.

Never Forget.

The Mission Rules
Doug

RFTW 2009-PT 4 (Rich M)

2009-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

May 16th
Today covers Odessa, Tx. to Weatherford, Tx. The first days of this journey all the way to Odessa have been very hot (100+) and dry. That is about to change on us. We had breakfast and staged at the American Legion Post 430 in Odessa. And yes, it was free for us.

After breakfast, we had our usual meetings and instructions and then departed for the Permian Basin Memorial Site. This is another very nice Memorial. Part of what was at the memorial is pictured below. It depicts three soldiers waiting for an evacuation helicopter. They are in a simulated rice patty. That was extremely hard for some of the riders once they realized what they were looking at. It was here that a wounded Iraqi War Vet talked to us. He actually thanked Viet Nam Vets for the legacy that we left and hoped that his generation would be able to carry on that tradition. he thanked us for all we do to show support for his generation of Veterans. He also promised that his generation would make sure that the next generation of veterans would not have to endure what we did. I have probably shed more tears on this trip than on anything else I can think of. Shiloh’s words, once again started the tears flowing. At least I am not alone because every vet standing there, felt the same pain remembering 40 yrs ago that I felt. We also felt the pride in what we did and what we have passed on to men like Shiloh.

Part of Permian Memorial

A little about Shiloh. He was injured by an IED that killed 3 of his brothers. His driver and he survived. He has been in recovery for a long time. For the first 45 days, he was put in a coma to help him recover. He had terrible burns and lost most of the fingers on his left hand. He had a bandage on his nose because the tip of his nose fell off about 2 days ago. That was a good thing, according to him. It is all part of the recovery. And he was thanking us. This country owes men like him a deep debt of gratitude for what he has done.

After the ceremony, we mounted up to continue our journey. We started with about 200 bikes in California. We are up to about 250 bikes now. People join all along the way. They must be registered to ride with us.

Our next stop was the Big Spring VN Memorial. We were told that there were scattered showers and that we should miss them. WRONG!!!! It started raining almost as soon as we got on the freeway. Of course, nobody stops. It doesn’t make any difference how hard it is raining. The mission comes first. Then the rain stopped. I was dry again in about 5 minutes. Just a few miles from the memorial, it rained again. This time we got soaked to the skin. We didn’t stop until we were all there. At this point, I put on my rain gear.

This was another very nice memorial in a small town. We laid a wreath and were welcomed by several people. After I went to the detaled map of VN and found Chu Lai. That is where I spent most of my time in Nam. One of the people who welcomed us was a man wearing a Navy Hat that said Corpsman. When I see one of these people, I try to ask them the same question. I knew the answer in this case before I asked it. I called out “Doc” and he immediately turned. I knew he served with the Marines. I shook hands and asked him if he served with Marines. He said yes. I gave him a hug and told him he was as much a Marine as those he served with. Then I said Semper Fi and before we knew it, both of us were hugging and crying in each other’s arms. I told him how special he was and how much men like him mean to Marines. Even though it was overcast, I was so glad I had on my sunglasses. They sure do keep out the sun!

We finally mounted up in our rain gear. Even though we were soaked on the inside, and now dry on the outside, we all had a warm feeling in our hearts from this visit. It was special to be there. More and more I am glad I am taking this journey. This is only the 4th day and I can’t imagine what is coming. Everyone says “you ain’t seen nothing, yet!” we headed for the small town of Colorado City, Tx. Once we arrived, we were treated to lunch again.

This time was different. Middle school students prepared everything. They set the tables and actually served us. Lunch was beef taco’s and cookies. They were great. We got to hear from several of the kids who spoke for the school and city. They all did a great job. Part of what the kids did was to make murals of each of the members of the town who had served. They went back to WWII. They had pictures of each person and a small history of what they did in the service. The students had to gather the pictures and do the research for whichever person they did the mural on.

(Photo added here later)

This is an example. I chose this one because of what it says. He was a WWII Vet who would like to see the New York Yankees. There is a man after my heart. They had done quite a lot of these. They were all done tastefully and for those they paid the ultimate sacrifice, with a lot of dignity. These are all middle school children. The future of our country. Seems like the next generation will turn out pretty good.

We left Colorado City and headed on to Weatherford. After a fuel stop we arrived in Weatherford for dinner at the American Legion Post 163. After dinner, we headed to our hotels.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0bMVE8mIWi66OjkWPygqqkbEBs4IJ68El

RFTW 2009-PT 3 (Rich M)

2009-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

May 14th

This leg of the journey covers Phoenix to Las Cruces, NM. This was another hot, hot, day. We all drank a lot of water and at times poured water over our shirts to cool off. After our first gas stop in Marana, we headed on to our lunch break in Wilcox, Az. Again, you would be riding thru the desert and all of a sudden you would see people on the side of the road or on an overpass waving flags with signs. Forty years ago, people would probably be throwing rocks at us. Times have changed and Viet Nam Vets are starting to be appreciated. It feels so good.

As we were riding along 4 Apache Attack Helicopters appeared. They ran from one end of the formation of about 300 bikes, and down the other side and back around about 2 more times. After they left, we saw 4 Warthog attack jets coming toward us. They did the same thing only much faster and about 5 times. As they came down the sides of the formation, they started wiggling their wings. There was no doubt about why they were there. What a total adrenaline rush that was. The present day military shows Viet Nam Vets in many different ways that they understand what we went thru and that they understand the legacy that we left for them to carry on. Again, I am sure glad I had sunglasses on.

As we pulled into Wilcox, a small desert town that made Blythe look large. We were given free gas again. Then it was on to the local American Legion Post for lunch. That was also free of charge. Every stop that we make for lunch has either been at an American Legion Hall or VFW Hall. We have a small ceremony and then present thank you plaques to the local people who have worked so hard to plan and set up our lunch.

But this leg of the journey has been mostly riding. No Veterans Memorials or Hospitals to visit. We just road on and waved at people as we passed them holding up their signs.

May 15th

Today’s leg of the journey covers Las Cruces, NM to Odessa, Tx. Again, a lot of heat during this leg. We have been in the desert since leaving Rancho Cucamonga. It is starting to get to people a little bit.

Our first stop was the Perriman Valley Veteran’s Memorial ( sorry, no pictures here. My camera died because I forgot to charge it) in Las Cruces. It was a very nice place that had the names of all the local residents that served in the military. Those that perished, were identified on each plaque. Many names for a small population. While there, we placed a wreath at the base of the flag. The local Marine Corps League were the color guard and did a great job of posting the colors. Several people spoke here and at times I had tears in my eyes again. I just wonder sometimes why it has taken this long for this country to embrace those of us who served in Viet Nam. I just have to keep saying to myself that it is better late than never. There are times when that is so hard to do.

It was during this leg of the journey, “Mustang”, went down. It was scary to see. Mustang is a couple of years older than me. As we were riding along, he seemed to be drifting off his line. Finally, he went over the white line and hit the rumble strips that roused him and he came back on track. Well, it got worse until he actually went off the pavement and into the dirt. Surprisingly, he brought the bike back under control. He did it again and everyone was trying to get him to stop. He kept slowing down and by the time I got past, his head was hanging down and he was just staring ahead.

One thing has been made clear to us. Do Not Stop for a bike that breaks down or if a bike crashes. Only the person closest to the crash stops. We are on a mission and if someone crashes the mission goes on. There is a medical team following the bikes and they will stop and take care of any injuries.

The next morning, Mustang, was with us. It seems he got stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction. As he said, his heart was beating a mile a minute, he was having trouble breathing, and once he stopped the bike layed over on its side. He said the medical team told him he was griping the bike so hard that they had a hard time getting him to let go. They got him to the hospital and treated real quick. He was back with us the next morning and telling us not to all stop for an accident. It really was a relief to see him. The rumor mill had him near death with a heart attack and even worse.

Once again, everywhere along the route, people would be waving flags and cheering as we went by. It really does get hard to ride sometimes. Your vision gets blurred when they well up with tears. When I see these people, especially when there are young children, I sometimes find myself drifting and thinking about things I do not want to think about. I snap out of it when the bike next to me starts to move up on me because I am slowing down. But I will get to the Wall. I am on a mission and I will not fail. Keep me in your thoughts as I go on this journey because at times it is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Without the support of those riders that have done this before, at times I am not sure if I could continue.

When we got to Las Cruces, we were fed by Las Cruces Harley Davidson. We also got free gas again. The Harley shop stayed open late to feed us. They did make some money on parts that people bought. Is that a Harley joke waiting to be told???

Again, we had free gas at least twice on this leg. We were fed lunch and supper free. These small towns really go all out. It is nice to see and even more humbling to experience. Why do they do it? I don’t really know. Maybe it is their way of making amends for what happened when we came home. They may not have had anything to do with that period in time but maybe they want us experience what our homecoming should have been like when we were young.

Tempers did get a little frayed this evening. It seems the Days Inn (where Sgt. Maj. And I had reservations) cancelled a lot of the reservations. I went over and sure enough, no reservation. What they say happened was that one of the buildings lost power and water. It was being worked but they could not use it. They transferred our reservation to another hotel that was under renovation. In our room, the bathroom worked and the beds were ok. We were good to go!

No pictures to send with this. I either let the camera go uncharged or flat out forget to take them. My emotions are so strong that I sometimes forget what I am doing.

RFTW 2009-Day1 (Doug)

2009-05-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

Wed, May 13, the beginning of the Run, of the Healing, of the Welcome Home, of one of the most memorable and emotional things anyone, ANYONE, can do or experience. Be warned about two things - I do not remember what I wrote yesterday, and I write from the heart.

Last nite, the last thing before I crashed, I said "see you later" to Rick Pittman. A very special friend and who came down to this event because I asked him to. Very fitting for a veteran of his stature, and our era, to see these many people heading out on this Mission.

0 Dark 30 (somewhere around 5:30 AM - to dark to see the time). The Road Guards met in the Base Camp parking lot, finished insuring tight bindings on everything on our scoots, and headed over to the staging area at Victoria Gardens Mall. Hot food and drinks, fruit, cereal milk, you name it - all donated! Even though you know we had a mess of sign ups, you don't see the magnitude until this. As both Routes stage initially at the same location, its awe inspiring - about 550 scoots, some with passengers, and many cages that will accompany us on this years Run. Over 40% are FNG's. Rider's from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britian, and half of our States. The patches tell the stories - patches honoring our Fallen from all of our conflicts, some names, unfortunately new. Some of the vests actually tell the story of this persons life. Some, are bare as they might not have "traveled" the world. Old, young, and in between. All ages. And the scoots !! Every brand and probably every model. And of course the bulk are Hogs (we know because our chase truck driver meets most of them!!! I had to squeeze that in there.) The conversations at this point center around last years Run, who brand of bike is best, this years ride, old friends seeing each other for the first time in many many years. And, of those that have left us. We know that this year the Central Route will not see Robley Rex - he died 4 days short of his 108th birthday. A lot of us will seek out the FNG's - FNG's keep the Mission alive.

Morning prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem and then the morning meeting. Welcomes all the way around. All the FNG's are spot lighted so we can hug and welcome them. Then everyone reports to their assigned platoon. The lead element has the Route Coordinator and 4 other bikes. This is our Missing Man formation - 5 bikes - two in front, two in back, and the middle bike rides on the left keeping the right side vacant. The Mission is ready. Its 54 degrees. We start the engines - do you know what 500 (counting both Routes) roaring engines sound like!? The Road Guards go out to block traffic with the help of the LEO's, all the way onto the freeway. Behind them comes the pack - 7 platoons with the 7th being the scoots with trailers, trikes, etc. We have a few hundred people waving at us, cheering, flying the colors of our nation, military flags, signs applauding us, you name its there. And for many of us, the first of the tears and chills. As we pull out to head for the freeway, I actually relax. As the bikes pick up speed the engine noise becomes a thing you can actually feel. We start on to the freeway at 8:00 AM (0800) - and its shut down for us with many civilians and LEO's standing at attention saluting along with members from the local military organizations, service organizations, Motorcycle Clubs, and the Patriot Guard. You feel good and some emotion as you realize you are being honored. Once on the freeway, we increase speed slowly as we cover close to 3 miles. Road Guards start earning their keep - keeping the scoots 2 seconds apart regardless of how they are riding - side by side or staggered. Making sure that there is no loose gear. Things flying off into a pack of motorcycles at freeway speeds is not good. And a couple of RG's take off with the fuel crew to get them set up at the gas stop in Coachella. This you have to see and experience. We put 300 plus bikes thru the gas station in 20 minutes. Cruising on the freeway is different than normally. We have people along the sides of the road waving, holding flags, banners posters, cheering, etc. And on the overpasses, and on the balconies of some of the highrises, in the windows of passing vehicles. 94 miles later, a short break with head call and visiting the hydration team for our free water and cooling scarves, and of course, fuel. The latter occurs at every stop. Then we're off - Advance Team (Fuelers) and then the RG's, about 5 minutes in the lead, then everyone else. We already have some RG's out, posted at intersections, gore points, etc. Everything to make it easier for us to get the Riders to and from. Along the way, more people on the overpasses sides of the road,etc all waving flags etc. Saluting us, cheering us, reminding us that we are not forgotten, that the veteran means something. Amazing it seems, I'm in the company of vets and civilians, old and young - all with one purpose - Never Forget. The patriotism is something you can feel and is shown over and over again. At almost every stop - Pledge of Allegiance. No one has to be told to stand, to remove their covers, to be quiet. The Pledge, over and over again. And when they play the National Anthem, same thing. And many are teary eyed.

RG's job while underway consists of many things - the scout stays out ahead and looks for vehicle issues, traffic jams or congestion, lane closures, traffic entering the freeway (we get in front of those cages to slow them down). We make sure the cages don't pull into any gaps in our formations. We make sure all the bikes are registered with RFTW.

On the road again, and heading for Blythe - roads are wide open. People sporadically along the freeway and on the overpasses. At one over pass - 200 plus bikes from the Patriot Guard and American Legion Riders. On some, civilians and LEO's. On some, bikers. And kids all over the place waving the flag so vigorously you're afraid they'll lose them. American's who remember what America means and is. American's that remember the sacrifices made by our vets.

Stop in Blythe (101 miles) for lunch paid for by one of the SO's, gas virtually free. Free lunch at the parking lot we stage. Greeted by a crowd waving flags and then into the Fair Grounds for lunch. We walked thru an Honor Guard (with Swords) with non stop applause. A little decompressing and then the ceremonies - Salute, sing, prayer, dedications, listing the names of the local Fallen Hero's. Then back on the road, this time to Tonopah (94 miles) for gas and fluids, before heading into Phoenix ( and its now 110 degrees ) to meet vets at the VA Center and to drop off Karoni Forrester. All the way with hundreds cheering us on.

Finally into Phoenix - with the LEO's supplying traffic closures for us. Dinner served at the Radison - free. We are the hero's for doing what we've done and what we are currently doing. The veteran's are being remembered as they should always be remembered. We are all drained physically and some emotionally. Wait.

Never Forget.

The Mission Rules
Doug

RFTW 2009-PT 2 (Rich M)

2009-05-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a Pre-mission photo I found...that's Rich on the right. I'm gonna try to Stalk him & Doug across country.

----------------------------

Here is the next couple of days taking us up to Phoenix. As I send this, We have already been to Las Cruzes, NM. Odessa, TX, and Wetherford, TX. I will try and catch up but it is extremely hard to write without stopping. The emotions have been running wild.

Southern Route 2009 All the Way

May 12th
Today we started out by visiting the Riverside National Cemetery. At the cemetery we visited the Medal of Honor Memorial. Every listed Medal of Honor Recipient is listed there. We were greeted by three MOH Recipients. Remember, you don’t win the MOH, you are a recipient of it. Greeting us were Col. Millet (Army), who was a WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam Veteran. He was awarded his Medal for actions in Korea. Also John Baca (Navy), a Viet Nam Vet. Also there to greet us was Rick Pittman (Marine), who was awarded his Medal for actions in Viet Nam. I have met Rick before.

To meet these men is, for me, a humbling experience. These men put their lives on the line in a manner that most of us can’t or won’t do. They epitomize the reason this country is so great. As I walked around the Memorial, I spotted names that I
knew. William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody received the MOH. There were legendary
Marines, like Dan Daly and Smedley Butler who were both awarded 2 Medals for
actions in two different campaigns. I saw John Basilone, who received the Medal
for actions on Guadlecanal and instead of staying safe in the states, said he wanted to be with his men. He did not come home from Iwo Jima.

(Photo added later...)

After that we went to the MIA Memorial on the grounds that was designed and built by Col. Millet’s son. He told us about the Memorial and what it means to him. It is touching to listen to him. Thank God for sunglasses. Part of the Memorial is something that was written. The government would not allow what he wanted (by the way, he did the work on this gratis) and made changes. In the part that says,” and some were lost, gone forever from their families…” should have said, “and some were left behind” A minor change of words but a major change to the meaning.
Master Sgt. Rick Pittman

After that we went to the MIA Memorial on the grounds that was designed and built by Col. Millet’s son. He told us about the Memorial and what it means to him. It is touching to listen to him. Thank God for sunglasses. Part of the Memorial is something that was written. The government would not allow what he wanted (by the way, he did the work on this gratis) and made changes. In the part that says,” and some were lost, gone forever from their families…” should have said, “and some were left behind” A minor change of words but a major change to the meaning.

(Photo added later...)

The statue itself was inspired by a POW. I can’t remember his name but the face of the statue is the POW’s face. This man saved the lives of at least 2 other POW’s. They had given up until they saw the torture that this POW had endured. He was the only POW that not only attacked his guards and escaped for 4 hrs. by crawling away, but he also told them he would kill them. The other 2 POW’s both decided to try and live so that they could tell his story. They did. That is how we know this. Here is the statue and remember, the face is his face.

The statue and the sculpter

One of the things you can notice is the brown color on the chest. The statue is bronze and used to be all brown. He is kneeling in water. Over the years everything has changed color but the chest. As we were told, his heart is still beating strongly for all POW’s. Inside his chest are six suspended stones in a heart shaped container. Each branch of service is represented plus the sixth is for the civilians killed. Hearing this was incredible. I know I had tears streaming down my face. So did many others.

After returning to the hotel, I had the distinct pleasure of being introduced to Karoni Forrester. She is the Texas State Director of the MIA Families. Her father was shot down in 1972 over N. Viet Nam. He is still Missing in Action. She was heading to Phoenix and I had the honor of having her ride with me.

May 13th
Today, we headed out on the first day of the journey. I had Karoni on the back of my bike. Getting out of Rancho Cucamonga was real difficult. A lot of traffic (what else) so we had a lot of stop and go. Most of the drivers knew who we were so they tried to stay out of the way. But it was still taxing on the nerves. Plus I was told by other MIA families that I had “precious cargo” and to get her to Phoenix in one piece. Just what I needed but it sure helped me stay alert. Plus I asked her if she felt comfortable enough would she take pictures on the road. She was and she did. I still haven’t had the time to look at them. Everyone on the ride was great to her. Since this ride is to remember the MIA’s of all wars, the riders all talked to her whenever we stopped.

As we are progressing along Rt. 10 in 100 degree heat, we get off the freeway in the middle of nowhere. After a few minutes I start wondering what is going on. Nothing, nowhere to be seen. A small airport comes up and I think we are going there for a ceremony. Not there! Then all of a sudden, there is this woman standing by the side of the road with a flag waving at us. Then we see some buildings and more people. They lined the streets of this small town. We pulled into a gas station to fill up and the gas was free! This happened in Blythe, Ca. a small town in the middle of the desert. They supplied gas. But they were not done. All along the main street, people where standing and cheering and waving flags. How do I describe the emotions running thru me. I can’t really do it justice. All I can say is that I wish every Viet Nam Vet could experience the absolute chills this gives you.

Again, Blythe was not done. We went to the fairgrounds where the town fed us lunch. But they didn’t just feed us. As we walked into the barn ( that is what they call it) the local High School ROTC was there. We got to not only walk through a column of raised swords, but the people who were putting this on, were cheering and yelling and telling us welcome home and thanks for what we were doing. I am getting teary eyed just writing this down.

Of course, they had a ceremony. They introduced the people who worked to put this on. Then, our Southern Route Coordinator whispered something to the MC. Remember, Karoni was there. Next thing you know, they call her up and introduce her to everyone. They explain who she is (the daughter of a MIA Marine aviator) ask her to say something. I don’t know what she said at this point because I am trying not to just start bawling. She came back to the table and you could see the tears in her eye. Later she told me that it is never easy for her to speak but if she knows it is coming she can prepare herself.

We headed out onto the freeway again with a lot of memories of this wonderful town. As we headed to Phoenix, there were some incredible sites. I was told I would see this but it was still a thrill. You would be in the middle of nothing, and all of a sudden, someone would be off the freeway or on the overpasses waving and carrying an American Flag. It may be one person or many people. Nothing around but these people. We got into Phoenix after a long, hot ride. Tommorrow is another day.

The last segment of the ride, we started using a “Missing Man” formation. It consists of a formation of 5 bikes. The sixth bike is missing from the formation. It symbolizes the missing warrior. Well, I was asked to participate in this. It was an honor that was special since Karoni was my passenger. We lined up next to the missing man. Karoni was just blown away by the experience. It is something she will remember for the rest of her life.

This is also the end of Karoni Forrester’s journey with us. She had friends pick her up in Phoenix and the she was flying home. Before she left, she told me how much this meant to her and that she was just overwhelmed by everyone. Many of us felt the same way about meeting her. She was really an incredible young woman who, we all hope will someday, get her “Daddy” back.

Texas State Director of the MIA Families
Karoni Forrester

The link below will take you to a location that has my SPOT account and the
tracking map for this leg of the journey.
.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0fn69OqyBqqEPYf3C5G78zqVZhscllZUp

Run for the Wall (RFTW) 2009 -- Rich's story

2009-05-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

One of the PGR Ride Captains that we know, a good friend of ours, is making his first "Run for the Wall"....something he's wanted to do for a few years now. He was having some issues with his bike so almost didn't make it but he headed down south a couple days after the rest & will also be sending me updates of his trip across this great land of ours.

Run for the Wall

May 10th
Well, I decided to take a chance on the bike and head on down to LA. I did some heavy testing on Friday and Saturday without a problem so it is time to leave.

I was on the road by about 8:00 am. It was cool out but then I got on the freeway and it became a little colder. I decided that if it was any colder some morning, I would need a warmer jacket. So back home I went to get one. So it was 9:00 am by the time I actually started.

My first gas stop was in Santa Nella. All the way down there, I kept waiting for something to happen. For those of you who don’t know, my bike was in the shop for over a week waiting on a part from Japan. It would still be waiting but I have the shop put a fuel pump in. Since the problem acted like it was running out of gas, I told them to replace the pump. Everything else in the fuel system was The bike ran great. I filled up and started heading for LA.

It was real hot and about halfway down 5, I stopped and took my jacket off and just had a long sleeve shirt on. I took my time getting there. Cruise control was set at 80 MPH and I tried to relax. What I found was that I couldn’t stop thinking about the trip and my brothers that are on the “Wall”. I have found excuses not to go for several years now and this year, I ran out of reasons. So I am going. It is kind of a relief now that I am starting on my way. I guess I am looking for some kind of closure but I am not sure if I will get it. Only time will tell.

May 11th
Today was a pretty quiet day. I got to have lunch with an old manager of mine. We worked together as young men and watched our families grow and each other get old!! We spent about 1 ½ hrs at lunch. He is still working as a Regional Manager for a company. We had a good time talking about what we have been doing and how everything is going.

After that, I just took Rt. 66 back to the Hotel. I spent the rest of the day, meeting people, registering for the run, and getting a few patches. I actually, met a lot of people from all over. Since I am an FNG, I get to wear this nice PINK button. At first I didn’t want to wear it but several people convince me that I should. What it does is identify you as a first timer and many go out of their way to talk to you and welcome you to the ride. It is pretty nice. Since most everybody is a veteran, you feel pretty welcomed anyhow. Some nice stories are told about past rides and about their service. It is great to be a veteran and I am so proud to be one.

Run for the Wall (RFTW) 2009 -- Pre-mission

2009-05-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

As he did last year Doug Lyvere (SgtMaj, USMC ret.), Assistant State Captain, California, PGR, will be sending reports from the road as he and the riders make their way from California to Washington DC during the "Run for the Wall". I know ther were many reader who followed this last time & have asked if I was going to post it again this year. I will also get updates from one of our local PGR Rider Captains, Rich Martin, also.

Please, enjoy their commentary and impressions as once again, patriots and veterans come together - remember they ride for those who can't.

A couple of things - first, please remember that I said that its very difficult to remove names from the mailing list temporarily. So if you don't want these 6 to 12 emails, put in a filter for the subject line containing "RFTW" (or just don't read them). 2nd, although I say "I" a lot, its only because its my experiences - many others did the same work I did. Its just the actual experiences may be different. Since Rich Martin is on this Mission, and MIA family member Karoni Forrester does the first leg, I will ask them to give me a copy of their notes/comments so that I can forward that on
also. And for those of you that don't have a clue to what I'm talking about and for those that do, go to www.rftw.org - after logging in and reading about the Mission, and why we do it (IMPORTANT) look for the "sit reps" and photo's - and this year I'm a Road Guard on the Southern Route.

The RFTW, culminating with Rolling Thunder, is a vastly emotional trip and experience for everyone. A large portion of the participants are veterans, mostly of the Vietnam Era. Many are employed so this is "vacation" time. We visit VA Hospitals, schools, American Legion and VFW Posts. We meet veterans from all the wars, including our current ones, and we lend an ear. HOWEVER, that's the easy parts. We also go to many memorials, mostly Vietnam or at least partially Vietnam.

I arrived at the "Base Camp" (Hilton Garden Inn in Rancho Cucamonga) on May 10th as I had some classes to attend. Being a Road Guard for 3000 miles for a couple of hundred bikes is a little different than PGR Missions. In these classes we're briefed on LEO issues - all the way across our Nation. Our job is to get several hundred people to DC - safely - and although it sounds like plenty of time (10 days), its not. If you read the email you'll see why time is short.

When I pulled in there were only about 30 scoots (motorcycles, trikes, some with trailers, some scoots with side cars). Fantastic paint jobs. And the Riders. Leather or denim clad OF COURSE, some covered with patches and pins for where they served, or for past missions. Men and woman, some with spouses or significant others, but all with the same Mission - NEVER FORGET, never compromise our service man and woman again, and never leave any behind. And never ever forget the way we treated our Vietnam Era Vets. A 3000 mile parade and healing is starting.

Monday, May 11 - more bikes start arriving. Old friends (I've known them for a few years or just seconds - doesn't matter - its a band of brothers) that I have not seen for awhile. The names are sometimes descriptive and telling - PegLeg, Tanker, Honey Buns, Straight Arrow, Biker Girl, Hogwash, Doc (Doc's are Gods to many of us) Wrong Way, Cowboy - I can go on forever. Hugs, handshakes, maybe a few drinks - no one gets rowdy, sort of a quiet tenseness waiting for the Mission to start. Reminiscing about those that didn't come home, those that did but have since left us, the normal complaining about the lack of medical care for us and our brothers and sisters. And at this years pre-run meeting are Dianne Layfield (Gold Star Mom and a very phenomenal person in her own right), and 3 Medal of Honor recipients John Baca, (Army, Vietnam), Col Millet (Army, WWII, Korea - where he earned the MoH - and Vietnam), and Marine MSgt Richard A Pittman (Vietnam). We spend the day doing registration and welcoming more participants. And of course some classes for all the leadership. Quiet times to talk and laugh.

Tuesday, May 12 - Registration, testing for Road Guards (and we lose a RG when he dumps his bike in the parking lot during skill evaluations and breaks 5 ribs - bikes ok), classes, and the FNG trip to Riverside National Cemetery. At the RNC, the FNG's first go to the MoH Memorial and see the names of every MoH recipient (some TWICE), and meet "our" three. Then a walk past the "Leave No Man Behind" monument. An upright slab of black granite with a single soldier lying on top (and I believe looking skyward - for the choppers that never came back for him). Never Forget. And finally the POW/MIA Memorial along with the designer, the Col's son. He explains the meaning and what you would not know if you weren't told - the
inscription which says in part "and those that were lost", changed by an ungrateful government - from what he wrote "and those that were left behind" or they would not allow the monument. But the face of the bronze figure is that of either our first POW or MIA (I can't remember) - the government didn't catch that. This bronze figure is of a man in nothing more than a loin cloth, kneeling on a pile of rocks arms bound behind him - a POW, and MIA. Inside his bronze chest (you can not see this) are 5 softball size rocks, hanging on individual chains, but in a cluster, representing the service academies (2 for the Naval Academy of course). The symbolisms is that you can bind the man, but his spirit and heart remain free. And his face IS
looking skyward, for the choppers that have YET to come, but he still has hope.
Never forget.

Tomorrow, early on Wed May 13, it starts - our trip across our Nation.

The Mission Rules.
Doug Lyvere

JetBlue Offers $1 Flights for Troops

2009-05-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

May 05, 2009
Richmond Times - Dispatch

RICHMOND, Va. -- JetBlue is tossing a sharp salute this month to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. Active-duty service members will be able to fly out of Richmond International Airport or Washington Dulles International Airport on JetBlue Airways for $1 this month.

Men and women serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard can book the $1 fares on flights from the two Virginia airports for travel to any nonstop domestic destination.

According to JetBlue's Web site, reservations must be booked between today and Thursday, May 7 -- or while seats last -- for travel dates from May 8 through May 31.

Service members have to purchase the special-fare flights by tomorrow, the New York-based airline said.

Richmond International serves Fort Lee, which is home to about 7,900 active-duty Army soldiers.

Using 100-passenger Embraer jets, JetBlue provides three nonstop flights daily from Richmond to New York; one each to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and two to Boston.

"This is a remarkable gesture by JetBlue," RIC spokesman Troy Bell said.

From Dulles, JetBlue flies nonstop to Long Beach and Oakland, Calif.; New York; Orlando; Fort Lauderdale; and Boston.

JetBlue is offering the $1 fare in honor of National Military Appreciation Month, the company said in a statement. The airline also has pledged a $15,000 donation to the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project.

"JetBlue salutes the men and women serving in the United States armed forces during this special month of appreciation and every day of the year," JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said.

When they check in at the JetBlue ticket counter, military travelers must present a valid Department of Defense Common Access Card and documentation of their authorized leave from duty.

WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER...THE 1ST 100 YEARS

2009-05-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

‘Home of Warrior Care’ Hits Century Mark

By John J. Kruzel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2009 – Walter Reed Army Medical Center opened its doors here 100 years ago today as an 80-bed facility at a time of U.S. peace.

Civilians and troops attached to Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Warrior Transition Brigade gather for a group photo in front of the post’s original hospital in Washington, D.C., April 21, 2009. The Walter Reed General Hospital was used until the 1970s when the Heaton Pavilion facility was opened. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

“There was no ceremony, no dedication and no fanfare,” Walter Reed historian Sherman Fleek said. “Medical treatment and care commenced quietly.”

Not long after, the hospital swelled with World War I casualties suffering from head injuries, amputations, mustard gas exposure and other injuries. The Army’s “Home of Warrior Care” expanded to as many as 2,500 beds as veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam returned home wounded.

In recent times, the Defense Department’s largest military hospital has adapted to the needs of war-injured servicemembers from the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the broader fight against extremism. Today, the 247-bed center is one of the world's foremost medical facilities, Army officials said, with 60 outpatient clinics and 16 operating rooms and a staff that combines patient care, teaching and research.

Army Col. (Dr.) Norvell V. Coots, commander of the Walter Reed Health Care System, said the medical center staff learns something new about military health care from each of the soldiers it treats.

“When you add it all together, these individual nuances in a soldier's treatment, his or her medical or surgical care, their special technology needs, and the impact on family members and loved ones, all teach us invaluable lessons in patient care,” he said in an e-mailed response to questions.

The Military Advanced Training Center, a recently added 31,000-square-foot rehabilitation center and gym with a nearly $9 million price tag, is one example of the hospital responding to soldiers’ needs.

Since it opened in September 2007, troops who have undergone amputations have used the center’s computer- and video-monitoring systems, infrared camera-assisted motion analysis and other sophisticated technology to help them adapt to new prosthetic limbs.

On the center’s bottom floor last week, a young Afghanistan war veteran inside the mirror-lined workout area stood on a prosthetic leg as he finished sets on a weight machine.

Army Sgt. Joshua Ben was a cavalry scout with the 82nd Airborne Division deployed to Kabul in late 2007 when he encountered a massive ambush. Ben was told some 300 insurgents had been hiding in the tree line, waiting for his convoy.

“We had four trucks patrolling through this one town, and we hit a straight gravel road that was about four miles long,” he recalled. “My truck took nine [rocket-propelled grenades]. The first one came through the door and took my leg off.”

The sergeant also was shot eight times, with his protective equipment absorbing the blows of six rounds. He was one of a dozen soldiers in the 18-man unit to suffer wounds.

Ben, who plans to use the GI Bill to earn an undergraduate degree in forensic science, now is an outpatient who lives at Walter Reed’s Mologne House and is part of a warrior transition brigade – a regimented recovery infrastructure designed to ease the healing process.

“It’s gone pretty good,” he said of his time at the hospital. “It’s just all about the recovery. Physical therapy every day, and going to appointments.”

Walter Reed, however, has not always enjoyed such favorable reports regarding its outpatient care.

In early 2007, the Washington Post published a series of articles that shed light on poor conditions at the hospital’s facilities, describing America’s wounded warrior outpatients living in moldy rooms laden with belly-up cockroaches and stained carpets, and soldiers forced to face a cumbersome bureaucracy at the hospital.

In the wake of the reports, a bipartisan panel was tasked to fix problems with wounded servicemembers’ care. Since then, the hospital has implemented a series of sweeping reforms amid what Coots referred to as the "era of opportunity."

During this period, the Army launched the Warrior Transition System, which assigns a primary care manager, nurse case manager and squad leader to each of the wounded. Among other initiatives, the hospital now boasts the Soldier Family Assistance Center and a primary care clinic that exclusively treats those recently injured.

“So many great initiatives have developed out of that crisis,” Coots said via e-mail. “National and military leadership from around the world come to Walter Reed to see and earn about all of the great things that are being done in this world-class facility.”

Army Maj. Walter Reed, who earned his first medical degree in 1869 at the age of 17, is best known for leading a research team to the watershed discovery that mosquitoes were responsible for transmitting yellow fever. The hospital that bears his name continues the quest for medical breakthroughs.

The medical center is at the forefront of research covering post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional and mental manifestations of the war experience, Coots said.

“It has always been a place for research, and through all of these years, great advances in the science and application of medicine have been made by notable staff members,” Coots said. “War has always been the motivator behind rapid advances in clinical care and medical technology, and that is certainly no different now.”

SERVICE ITSELF IS OUR HONOR

2009-04-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is required reading!! Excellent reading from a woman in the Army in Afghanistan. Share far and wide.

This article was written by a service woman in Afghanistan responding to a column raising the debate about the sacrifice of America's Sons and Daughters in Uniform. It is very well written and something that every American should appreciate. Her comments bring it closer to those who do not understand or appreciate that the freedom they have is fueled by the blood of others.

Service itself is our honor
Saturday, March 21
Sarah Albrycht
United States Army
Afghanistan

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before
us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full measure of devotion -that we here highly resolve
that these dead shall not have died in vain.
- Abraham Lincoln,
Gettysburg Address

A few nights ago, I walked a quiet mile with hundreds of other service
members. It was a clear night in Bagram, Afghanistan. Although it was late, the birds were singing, perhaps roused by the unusual occurrence of people walking under their trees at the late hour. Soft voices broke the solemnity, but no words were discernible. Suddenly, as if on cue,soldiers, airmen, seamen, marines, broke off the sidewalk and lined the road, spacing themselves regularly and assuming a position of silent watchfulness. The honor cordon had formed.

Heads began to turn right as flashing blue lights appeared far down the
road. As the vehicles neared,one by one, service members assumed the position of attention and rendered the hand salute. In the back of an open truck sat eight military members,and between them, at their feet, was a flag draped casket. As I rendered my salute, I thought about the fallen soldier. I did not know his name, his unit or his home. I never saw his face or spoke to his family. I did not know why he volunteered for the Army or what he was doing when he was killed. But there was much I did know. I knew he had fought and died in an honorable cause, a cause that had little to do with our policy on Afghanistan. This soldier had volunteered to put his very life on the line in service to his nation and his brothers-in-arms. I see no more honorable cause that that.

In a column, Mr. Putney has again raised the debate about the sacrifice of America's "sons and daughters" in uniform. Some have argued that we must continue the fight to honor their memory"so that they have not died in vain." Others argue we must stop the wars to save soldiers from this fate. I think an essential understanding of what motivates those of us in uniform is missing in this debate.

We are not your sons and daughters, whom you must protect and defend. We are your sword and your shield. We are men and women who volunteer to place our lives on the line so you do not have to. We do not decide when or where we will be sent. We go. You are our advocates, not our parents.

We trust you to care for our families, to hold our jobs, pay for our
equipment, salary and medical care and yes, to honor our sacrifice. We trust you to vote for good political leadership, to speak out against bad policy decisions and to demand public accountability. However, we do not count on you to explain the honorable character of our service. We are ennobled by the very fact we serve.

Our "high moral cause" is one of service to a nation whose principles we
believe in. We miss the point of political debate when we distill it down to numbers of service member deaths. Debate should be about the policy that leads us in or pulls us out of war. I, as a soldier, am personally insulted when debate about war becomes not about policy, but about deaths,because it implies that my service is at best uninformed or ill-conceived, and at worst valueless.

I know my life is in the hands of others because I choose for it to be that
way. I am not your daughter, a child who must be guided. I have made my choice and pledge my honor to it. I will thank you to remember that because we serve our nation, none of us dies in vain, regardless of the cause; end of debate.

Every day a new Marine enlists or an airman puts on her uniform is a
reminder that our defenders come from people who still believe in our nation and the values it aspires to, as flawed as we sometimes are. War does not make our sacrifice honorable, death does not make our service honorable; service itself is our honor. We, your American service members, do not seethe cause for which we may give our last full measure of devotion, as our nation's goals in Iraq or Afghanistan, and perhaps that is the difference. Our cause is our Nation, in all her beautiful, imperfect glory.

So on a dark night in Afghanistan we stood under a velvet sky of a million stars to honor one man who lay under 50. We never doubted what he died for. Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe II died for you, the United States of America. That, Mr. Putney, is no goof.

Sarah Albrycht is a Bennington native serving in the Army in Afghanistan.

5 YEARS AGO TODAY....IN MEMORY

2009-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

The following fallen Heroes died on April 6th 2004 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. All were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Please remember them & their families.....today & always.

Semper Fi!

• Pfc.Benjamin Carman, 20, Jefferson, Iowa

• Lance Cpl. Marcus Cherry, 18, Imperial, Calif.

• Pfc.Christopher Cobb, 19, Bradenton, Fla

• Lance Cpl. Kyle Crowley, 18, San Ramon, Calif.

• Pfc.Deryk Hallal, 24, Indianapolis

• Pfc.Ryan Jerabek, 18, Oneida, Wis

• Lance Cpl. Travis Layfield, 19, Fremont, Calif.

• Lance Cpl. Anthony Roberts, 18, Bear, Del.

• Staff Sgt. Allan Walker, 28, Lancaster, Calif.

• 2nd Lt. John Wroblewski, 25, Oak Ridge, N.J.

• Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Fernando Mendez Aceves, 27, Ponce, Puerto Rico

2009-04-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

By Samantha L. Quigley

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2009 - A recent increase in mail addressed to "Any Servicemember" has prompted the Military Postal Service Agency to remind the general public not to send mail or care packages addressed in such a manner. "Mail to 'Any Servicemember/Any Wounded-Recovering Warrior,' deposited into a collection box and erroneously accepted at a United States Postal Service post office will not be delivered," MPSA officials said in a news release. "This restriction applies to all classes and types of mail."

The Defense Department suspended the "Any Servicemember" and "Operation Dear Abby" programs in 2001 following the terrorist attacks. The policy was adopted as a way to bolster force protection.

"Even though these programs may provide an excellent means of support to deployed personnel and wounded-recovering warriors, they also provide an avenue to introduce hate mail and hazardous substances or materials into the mail system," MPSA officials said in the release.

The Dear Abby program, founded by the newspaper advice columnist, delivered mail to U.S. servicemembers overseas during the holiday season for 25 years. "Any Servicemember" mail grew out of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Since shortly after the start of recent operations in the Middle East, many grassroots organizations have made sure servicemembers know they're remembered. Those interested in writing to servicemembers can visit the Defense Department's Community Relations Web site and click the "Citizen Support" link on the right side of the page to find groups that support troops with letters.

The Maine War Front

2009-03-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Maine War Front
by G.I. Film Festival

Far away from the war, in Portland, Maine there are people who think about the war every day. They get up every morning, not with the thought of having to pay their mortgages or the thought of far away adventures, but theirs is the thought of continued service to their country – to give back in some small measure. Whether it is 3 am in the morning or 3 pm in the afternoon, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, these volunteers get up and go out to make a difference in the lives of our departing and returning soldiers.

They see the faces of those deploying to war and the faces of those returning from war every day. They count their numbers and pay their respects in smiles, handshakes and hugs. Who are these dedicated men and women? They are the volunteer troop greeters in Portland, Maine and the subject of an emotionally revealing documentary, The Way We Get By.

The Way We Get By follows three senior citizens, Bill Knight, Joan Gaudet, and Jerry Mundy as they battle with the critical issues common to the nation’s ever-growing aging population. Through their candid and moving stories, viewers are provided with a truthful look at what millions of Americans face each day: loss, heartache, and joy. We learn that you are never too old to serve and that it is never too late to give back to this country.The Way We Get By is directed by Award-winning director and editor Aron Gaudet, who has a personal interest in the story; his mother, Joan Gaudet, is a troop greeter and a character in the film. Aron witnessed how becoming a troop greeter changed her life, which convinced him this was a story that could inspire other people.

Aron has worked on films in the United States, Jordan, and India and worked on projects for the Red Sox, Boston Bruins, and Stephen King. He has earned a total of 8 Telly Awards, 2 Emmy nominations, 2 Vermont Association of Broadcasters awards, and a Michigan Association of Broadcasters award. Aron currently lives and works in Boston and produced this film with his partner, award winning television journalist Gita Pullapilly.

The GI Film Festival is proud to announce this film as an official festival selection the 2009 festival lineup. The GI Film Festival is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization and the only film festival in the nation to honor men and women in uniform. If you like to see more movies like this and believe in our cause, please consider supporting the GI Film Festival with a tax-deductible donation. Every donation helps us continue our mission.

Influx of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan to be Met With Rising Violence

2009-03-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Influx of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan to be Met With Rising Violence

By John J. Kruzel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 - The number of attacks in Afghanistan is likely to rise with the influx of additional U.S. forces there, an International Security Assistance Force commander said today.

An increased U.S. presence in the region will spur NATO-led pressure on insurgents and improve efforts to counter narcotics and makeshift bombings, Netherlands Army Maj. Gen. Mart de Kruif, commander of the ISAF's Regional Command South in Afghanistan, said.

But the overall addition of 17,000 U.S. troops to the American contingent in Afghanistan will be met with increased violence at the outset of the plus-up, including a possible uptick in insurgents' growing use of homemade bombings, the commander said.

"That will lead in the first couple of months after the influx of U.S. forces to what I think is going to be a significant spike in incidents," de Kruif told reporters at the Pentagon.

The United States has roughly 38,000 forces in Afghanistan with the deployment of additional troops to begin in late spring. NATO has some 32,000 forces there.

De Kruif expressed optimism that security would improve following a round of Afghan elections slated for August, adding that there's no current evidence suggesting insurgents are focused on disturbing the balloting process.

"I think that what we are doing now is actually planting the seeds, and that we will view a significant increase in the security situation across southern Afghanistan next year," he said.

The area covered by Regional Command South comprises a restive section of Afghanistan that has been the scene of heavy insurgent activity. Under de Kruif's command is a roughly 22,000-strong composite force with troops from the United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Canada, among other contributors.

The command's focus centers on security and stabilization operations and building government institutions, including a national Afghan security force, de Kruif said. He added that he hopes ISAF will be able to assume a mentor role to the Afghan National Army and Police in three to five years.

Meanwhile, one of the multinational force's major security concerns is the "nexus" of the narcotics trade and networks responsible for launching attacks involving improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, which account for 70 percent of the region's casualties, according to the general. Over the past two years, such attacks have increasingly targeted the civilian population, de Kruif said.

"The insurgents changed their overall strategy from attacking our strength, being ISAF, towards focusing on terrorizing the local nationals, the Afghan people," he said. "For ISAF, that means that we have to deliver a 24/7 security in the focus areas where we are placed. It's no use of getting into a village at 8 in the morning and then leave that village at 5 in the evening."

De Kruif noted that the higher frequency of attacks has not been matched by an increase in the IEDs' sophistication, nor is there evidence suggesting materiel from Iran is being used in the assembly of the explosives. The most common IED is detonated by a pressure-plate mechanism triggered by the victim, about 70 percent of whom are Afghan nationals, he said.

"Based on the fact that these IEDs are relatively easy to produce, we don't see any real signs of influence by other countries like Iran with the fabrication and the use of these IEDs," he said. "So I would not say that IEDs are sophisticated yet."

Emerging technology in the field of IED detection and equipment like the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, which deflects the impact of explosions, are helping stem the threat of IEDs, de Kruif said. But the key in defeating the tactic also demands that a basic counterinsurgency objective be achieved.

"The first step is having an approach in which you win the hearts and minds of the people. So that means that every day, although we have an IED threat, our forces will go out and have a 24/7 presence amongst the Afghan people," he said. "Because by the end of the day, it is the Afghan people who will deny the use of IEDs by the insurgency."

Sesame Workshop Reaches Out to Military Families

2009-03-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

By Samantha L. Quigley

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2009 - Sesame Workshop continues to find unique and creative ways to reach out to the very youngest in military families, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today during a sneak preview of a new primetime Sesame program.

"There are few characters more beloved than the Sesame Street friends, and through Elmo and Rosita, military kids can better grasp how to reconnect with their loved ones after redeployment," Lynn said. "They will see that they are not alone in feeling confused or anxious, and that they and their families can learn new ways of ... supporting one another."

"Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change," is scheduled to air April 1 on PBS at 8 p.m., in conjunction with the start of the Month of the Military Child. The show, which features Queen Latifah, musician John Mayer, and of course, Elmo, allows viewers to step inside a few military families' lives and learn how they've coped with life-altering changes.

With some help from Elmo's friend Rosita, the trio talks with real military families who have faced changes because of a loved one's injuries, which can be either external and visible or internal and invisible.

And Rosita can relate to the military children. Her father's legs "don't work any more," and he uses a wheelchair. he finds that just like her father and her, the military families are adapting to changes in the same way: together.

The relationship between Sesame Workshop and the military, which produced "Talk, Listen, Connect," an initiative providing support and resources for military families facing deployments or changes due to combat, began several years ago, Lynn said.

"The program we are celebrating today is a terrific effort to help those families," he said. "Many of our servicemembers will tell you they fight for our country, but they also fight for our kids and they fight for their kids.

"I know they appreciate groups like Sesame Workshop that are looking out for their interests at home," Lynn added.

The initiative offers some of what Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said men and women in uniform deserve for their service.

"Those who serve our country in uniform deserve the very best nurturing we can provide, and that includes helping their precious children learn to live with a mom or dad who may not be quite the same person they watched go off to war," Shinseki said. "We are grateful to Sesame Street for bringing the sensitive subject to the wider American audience through this TV special and its accompanying educational materials.

" Since the inception of Talk, Listen, Connect two years ago, the initiative has grown and evolved, Sesame Workshop's president and chief executive officer said today.

"[It] has struck a chord, we've noticed, with a military community in a way that we never could have expected," Gary Knell said. "Through this project, we're helping kids and families unite and find reassurance that they are not alone in their journey.

"Who would have thought Elmo and Rosita could help these families find ways to grasp and to cope with their changing circumstances?" he added.

That's exactly what is happening, however. Sammy Cila, 9, who participated in the new special with his family, said the one thing he'd like other military kids to know is there are other kids going through this, too.

"There's no need to be worried about it," he said. "It's actually great [to know] that there's other families that are going through the same thing.

" Sammy's father, Army Sgt. Sebastian Cila, who was serving in Iraq when his left arm was severely injured, sang the primetime program's praises, too.

"I believe it will help families tremendously. I was thrilled with the project, [and] I think they did a great job," Cila said. "It just kind of gives some insight and some behind-the-scenes of what families go through with injuries and disappointments.

" Cila's wife, Anna, agreed. "They did a really nice job portraying the situations that the families are going through," she said. "It's true to my heart that what we saw today is something good; something really good is going to come out of it.

" About 800,000 Talk, Listen, Connect kits have been distributed in the two years of the initiative's existence. Each contains DVDs and print materials to help military families cope with different aspects of deployment, change and even loss.

More than 1.3 million kits have been produced and are being distributed at no cost to families, schools, family support programs, hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The kits, produced in both English and Spanish, also are available for download from the Sesame Street Web site.

Obama mulls making vets foot bill for service injuries

2009-03-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is just wrong!!!

By David Goldstein
McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The plan would be an about-face on what veterans believe is a long-standing pledge to pay for health care costs that result from their military service.
But in a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Obama to take the plan off the table.
“Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans,” said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “If the president and the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] want to cut costs, they can start at AIG, not the VA.”
Under current policy, veterans are responsible for health care costs that are unrelated to their military service. Exceptions in some cases can be made for veterans who do not have private insurance or are 100 percent disabled.
The president spoke Monday at the Department of Veterans Affairs to commemorate its 20th anniversary and said he hopes to increase funding by $25 billion over the next five years. But he said nothing about the plan to bill private insurers for service-related medical care.
Few details about the plan have been available, and a VA spokesman did not provide additional information. But the reaction on Capitol Hill to the idea has been swift and harsh.
“Dead on arrival” is how Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington described the idea.
“ . . . when our troops are injured while serving our country, we should take care of those injuries completely,” Murray, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, told a hearing last week.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said at the same hearing that the plan was “a consideration.” He also acknowledged that the VA’s proposed budget for next year included it as a way to increase revenue. But he told the committee that “a final decision hasn’t been made yet.”
For veterans, that was little comfort. (Read More)

Faith At The Front: How do you stay busy during deployment?

2009-03-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Check this out for a possibility to win a free e-book...

Faith At The Front: How do you stay busy during deployment?: "we have been known to do things like go out for ice cream, for dinner!!! Also the last time, we got"

Actor Defends Troops; Hits Filmmakers

2009-03-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

March 10, 2009Chicago Tribune

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Gary Sinise fumes.

As we talk and tour the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in the South Loop, Sinise's gravel-and-coffee-grounds growl picks up momentum and passion. At one point, he's hard to interrupt to ask a question as his voice succumbs to infuriated frustration. Especially when talking about director Brian De Palma.

Listen: "He was out to get the troops, to depict them as child rapists. That's the truth he wanted to tell. That's one particular, horrible episode that happened by, clearly, some criminals who happen to be in the American military."

But we're jumping ahead of the conversation.

On this day Sinise is in Chicago promoting "Brothers at War," which opens Friday. He served as executive producer on the documentary, in which director Jake Rademacher follows two of his younger brothers, both soldiers, to their theaters of war in Iraq.

"This movie is not going to be your typical blood-and-guts, negative, depressing thing about Iraq," Sinise says. "What's great about this film is there's a personal investment, because the filmmaker is making it about his family."

Sinise has picked the venue for our conversation. "We've got a little history here," he tells me.
In 2003 it was here, on the third floor, that Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band first entertained troops. The band, a musical side project for the actor, is named for his most famous role, Lt. Dan Taylor in "Forrest Gump." Sinise has been doing USO tours in Iraq and fundraising events ever since, playing bass at 30-some dates a year, in addition to his gig as Mac Taylor in "CSI: New York."
"I have a profound respect for people who serve," Sinise says as we walk through an exhibit of Iraq photographs by female soldiers.

Sinise is polite, but forceful -- he's a vehement defender of the military, he says, with a point of view that often goes ignored.

"Brothers at War" represents a natural evolution in Sinise's crusade to bring attention to the men and women in the armed forces.

The film also reflects a national trend, with more Iraq movies ("In the Valley of Elah," "The Lucky Ones") and documentaries ("The War Tapes," "Gunner Palace") being produced than during any other war.

"It's unusual that there would be so many films about a current conflict," Sinise says. "Quite often it's in retrospect." (READ MORE)

Yes...I'm Alive!

2009-03-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

SORRY i HAVE BEEN SO QUIET FOR SO LONG BUT I WILL BE BACK POSTING & WILL UPDATE YOU ALL WITH WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN MY LIFE THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS PLUS...KEEP WATCHING.

On the Ground: Troops in Iraq Focus on Schools

2009-03-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2009 - U.S. forces in Iraq increasingly are putting down weapons to build schools in their changing role there.

Some of Diwaniya's brightest female students between 13 and 15 years old participated in their new school's opening Feb. 26.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked with the local government and contractors to open the Irshad Secondary School for Girls.

"With my partners the Iraqi engineers, and with diligent effort, we were able to provide for you this beautiful school," Army Lt. Col. Dwight Davies of USACE said. "It is a great joy and privilege to provide an opportunity for such gifted young ladies to learn and evolve and support the future of Iraq."

The Irshad students are among the top 20 percent of young female students from within and around the city.

"We are happy for this school. It is very nice," a student said in English at the ceremony, before repeating it in French, then Arabic.

"Our old school was too small and not ours. We borrowed it, shared it with others," she said, recalling the overcrowding that sometimes prevented students from having a full day of school.

The school's size provides a better environment for teaching these girls, an English-speaking teacher at the school said.

"I have girls of my own," she said, explaining why she wanted to teach young girls. She said she enjoys teaching and is happy for the new school. "I can participate in helping small girls in building their personalities and to be good people and good members of society to build the future of Iraq," she said.

During the ceremony, students waved Iraqi flags and flowers, chanting, "Long live Iraq!" They also chanted in Arabic of a brighter future, a safe country where its people prosper and flourish.

"I have three kids, so for me it's pretty inspiring and pleasant to see [students] with so much energy and enthusiasm. I was so impressed," said Mike Klecheski, leader of the U.S.-led provincial reconstruction team in Diwaniya province.

"This country is making a lot of progress, and the extent that we can be partners in this progress is wonderful," Klecheski said.

He stressed the importance of the partnership with the Iraqi government. "We work very closely with them," he said. "Construction of a school like this is really a partnership, in every sense of the word."

Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, and the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion also are part of a partnership to improve schools.

Members of Abu Lakah's village council requested to meet with the soldiers at the village high school south of Baghdad to discuss how U.S. forces could help them improve the school and others. They also discussed how to help with village building projects and plans for the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group members, said Army 1st Lt. Kirk Tooley, 3rd platoon leader for Company B, 1st Battalion, 172nd Infantry Brigade.

The village council and town members recently joined to raise money for a fence and an extra classroom, Tooley said. Even with the extra classroom, desks made for two students have four students sitting at them.

"The school not only needs at least four additional classrooms, some minor repairs are needed in the previously built classrooms," Army Capt. James Reed, a civil affairs officer, said.

Reed and Tooley offered to help the leaders send proposals to the Iskandariyah council, asking them to invest money into programs to help employ the people of Abu Lukah Sol, build up infrastructure, and build, repair and enlarge schools in the village.

Many council members told the soldiers how safe they feel in their village now. The elders said they have complete faith in the local Iraqi forces to control security situations and are thankful to the Americans for helping to secure the area and train the Iraqis.

"We live on Patrol Base Hamiya around the outskirts of Abu Lukah and other villages," Army Sgt. Brandon Waugh, squad leader, said. "As noncommissioned officers, we are used to training soldiers, so training the Iraqi army is second nature to us, and training Iraqi police to conduct presence control is also in our lane."

Waugh's younger soldiers, many just out of basic training, are now instructors, which sets them up for future success as NCOs. Waugh said he is glad to see the progress made in Iraq and shares his experience from previous combat tours with his younger soldiers.

"Every now and then you'll hear someone say something about this not being our job," Waugh said of the civil affairs work. "We leaders are quick to interrupt and let them know that this is also part of being a soldier.

"After my last tour," he continued, "I never would have thought I would go this long without being involved in a firefight or an explosion. I am here now and can honestly say Iraq is well on its way to being stable."

(Compiled from Multinational Division Center news releases. Army Sgt. Rodney Foliente of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team and Army Spc. Tiffany Evans of the 172nd Infantry Brigade contributed to this article.)

On the Ground: Troops in Iraq Focus on Schools

Looking for Military Families to Help

2009-01-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

I just received this & thought that it was good information....PLEASE SHARE!

Subject: Looking for Military Families to Help

Department Adjutants, please read over the below information and distribute throughout your state. Should you have any questions or need any assistance please don't hesitate to contact me.
Andrew Tramontana
The American Legion
National VA&R Commission
Assistant Director of DoD Outreach
Heroes to Hometowns Program Coordinator
Office: (202) 861-2700, ext. 1408
Mobile: (202) 631-9924

Hello,

As you may be aware, Rebuilding Together and Sears Holdings have for combined forces to assist veterans and military families in need with free home repairs and modifications through the Heroes at Home program. I am hoping you can let these heroes in need know that help is available and direct them to their local Rebuilding Together affiliate.

We are actively seeking more veterans to assist. The program is open to low-income and disabled veterans of various military backgrounds, military widows and active duty military families. We are writing today because we need your help in spreading the word about our services.

Please ask veterans in need to contact their nearest Rebuilding Together affiliate as soon as possible. Affiliates can be easily found at http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/content/organization/map

Since the inception of Heroes at Home in 2007, we have completed nearly 300 projects across the country with a combined market value of over 3.8 million dollars. In 2009, we plan to complete hundreds more projects and we need your help to find more veterans who need assistance.

If you would like to learn more about our program, or if you have a veteran to recommend for our services, please contact any one of Rebuilding Together's Veterans Housing team,
Vanessa Georgeson mail to: vgeorgeson@rebuildingtogether.org ,
Hyewon Kim hkim@rebuildingtogether.org ,
or T.J. Cantwell tcantwell@rebuildingtogether.org ,
who will be happy to assist you.

Also, feel free to visit our website at www.rebuildingtogether.org/heroesathome

With the assistance of people like you, we will continue to help our veterans and service members remain comfortable and safe in their homes and give back to those who have given us so much

FAMILY OF OIF VETERAN IN NEED

2009-01-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

NOT ALL WAR WOUNDS ARE VISIBLE

Pvt. Joseph Aaron McMath
April 11, 1984 - January 13, 2009

Dear Valued Supporters,

Pvt. Joseph McMath was a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served two tours in Iraq with the Striker Brigade Unit and received the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Bar (second award), the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Pvt. Joseph McMath came into our lives at Operation First Response in the summer of 2008. During that time Joseph was struggling financially and we were honored to serve this brave warrior.

We received very sad news that Pvt. Joseph McMath passed away on January 13, 2009. Joseph struggled with PTSD for a long time and his family did all they could to try to get him the help he needed but he could not continue the personal war he experienced in his heart and mind each day. His family is struggling as I am sure you would expect, they had already reached a point of financial hardship and now they have a $9,000 funeral expense. The family is in hopes of receiving a VA Death Benefit of $2500 - leaving a cost of $6500 remaining. A trust fund has been set up in Pvt. Joseph McMath's name to help pay for his burial. If you would like to reach out and help this Heroes family, the information is as follows:

ELECTRONICALLY -

LINDA C MCMATH
FOR JOSEPH A. MCMATH FUND
COMMERCIAL BANK
ROUTING NUMBER 061209332
ACCOUNT NUMBER 1001089489
CHECKS OR MONEY ORDER -

LINDA C. MCMATH
FOR JOSEPH A. MCMATH FUND
543 CARRINGTON CIRCLE
THOMASVILLE, GA. 31757
If you would like verification or have any questions please contact Heidi Hunter at Commercial Bank at 229-226-3535.

As always, we thank our donors for their patriotism and continued quick response to the needs of our wounded Heroes and their families. We could not serve them without you!

*PTSD stands for: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

*Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-TALK
Press 1 if you are a Veteran

To all of our Veterans: You are loved, honored, remembered, and we are forever grateful for your service.

Sincerely,

The Staff at Operation First Response