RFTW Sandbox SITREP Day 2
May 27, 2024
At the morning meeting we had our blessing in both English and Hebrew. What a special treat.
Then Polar Bear’s grand girls led the Pledge. Another wonderful treat.
Sandbox is a Route with many unique elements. Some are fun. Some are solemn. We’ve had challenge coin auctions with all four RC route coins. We had a Flight 93 challenge coin auctioned off. We’ve auctioned off riding next to RC Blue during a missing man leg. People have been so generous on this Route. The RCs from other routes stepped up. It’s so heartwarming.
Skip let us know that yesterday 275 bikes were gassed up in a little more than 13 minutes. That is pretty amazing.
RFTW is so welcomed here. Breakfast was earlier provided by McDonald’s as we staged to ride to downtown.
We had a police escort to downtown and we’ll have one all the way through Ohio. (That turned out to be about 230 miles.) I joke that they just want to be sure we get out of their state. But in reality they’re so very helpful. Basically the interstate was shut down with on ramps closed off and then a few rolling road blocks.
Gold Star mom Tammy was introduced. She lost her son, Mitch, in 2010. He’s part of the 22 a day. She told a couple of funny stories about her boy. There was a lot of laughter. His name was said. Stories told. He won’t be forgotten.
Lily is also a Gold Star family member. It’s her first year accepting the Gold Star title. Her grandfather is a Marine who was recently recovered.
We rode to downtown St. Clairsville and rode in under a huge flag hanging from a ladder truck. People lined the sidewalks waving flags.
A couple have lived around here for 50 years but always go away in the summer and camp. The lady said they come into town especially to see RFTW riders come in and share the Memorial Day celebration.
Mayor Thalman spoke. She said something that resonated loud and clear. “The soul of our country is standing in our street.” And she gave the Irish blessing. It was beautiful.
We arrived at lunch in Union, Ohio at the VFW Post 5434. There are always presentations with certificates and plaques. Everyone treats us so well and we’re grateful for their hospitality. We’re always asked what do we say? THANK YOU!!!
Once again our Road Guards did an awesome job of getting us through traffic to our next stop that was for fuel. And then on to our final ride destination, Hunters Moon HD in Lafayette, Indiana.
There was slow-cooked brisket and the fixings. And home made peach cobbler. We’ve been well fed.
Our evening continued with thank yous and presentations.
However, this evening there was something different. There were several Gold Star family members in attendance.
One would speak to us about her son.
Marilyn began to speak and this is the story she told.
When does the blue star turn to gold? That was the same question Marilyn had. The answer came 18 years ago after our son’s service she said. When they were handed the gold star flag. And became a member of a group no one wants to be a member of.
Matthew was born in 1983 at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. He was the middle child. He thought the Marines had the coolest uniforms so he joined up and went to boot camp at Camp Pendleton. Halfway through he injured his ACL. He recuperated and went back to boot camp where he injured his ACL again three days before Crucible. It was two or three days before 9-11.
He was not allowed to continue. So he went back to work at Best Buy again but was still hungry for the military. A couple years later he said he’d join the Army Reserves. Two weeks later he told his mom he was going active and was stationed at Fort Campbell. He was so happy to be there, pretty close to home. Then he was getting ready to go to Iraq.
He went to Kuwait in September. Then Iraq. He called and said he was coming home for Christmas. The day after Christmas his mom made him his favorite meal and they took photos. She’s so glad they did.
About 20 days later she got home from work and there’s a bang, bang, bang at the door. She answered it. Matthew had told her if something bad happened the army would come and ask for her. So she knew when she opened up the door something bad had happened and she said their lives were never the same.
As a special story Marilyn talked about a dog they had named Baxter. Matthew always told the dog that when he died the dog wasn’t good enough for a Walmart bag. It was a running joke.
Three or four years it was time to let the dog Baxter go. Marilyn told Baxter Matthew has a tennis ball waiting for you. Go and have fun. Baxter was cremated. She got a new Walmart bag, put some of Baxter’s ashes in it and took them to the cemetery. It was a very special day as it was Matt’s Angel day. She said Matthew be careful the words you say. Now he’s your dog. You take care of him. She said doing that that got me through that day.
It was so emotional and tears were falling all around. Marilyn was presented a shadow box with her son’s photo, a flag and other mementoes. This was a very special moment for everyone there.
There was a flag-folding ceremony and the Taz handed out candles for a candlelight vigil for the many Gold Star families that were there.
This evening was unlike others we’ve had and a lot of memories were made. And hopefully some healing happened for everyone.
Where are we going? Wall to Wall.
Peppermint Patti
Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free. Dwight D. Eisenhower
