Author: Jim McCrain

Midway Route – Day 7 – Cookeville, TN to Asheville, NC.

May 21, 2019.  224 miles

WooHoo!  What an incredibly fun day!  Let me repeat that: WOOHOO!!!

There is something about our stay in Cookeville that completely changes the attitude and “feel” of the Midway Route.  You see, for the past six days, we have been concentrating on riding in tight formations.  We have spent HOURS in the saddle, making mile after mile, while trying to adjust to this regimented schedule.  At the same time that we are stressing physical safety, we are also stressing health issues (hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!).  And for many of the Riders, there has been an emotional roller-coaster going on in their heads and hearts.  Each day we start our morning meetings with a prayer for strength to our POW-MIA Families.  We make sure to acknowledge all of our Blue- and Gold-Star Families.  We thank our current active-duty servicemen/women for their service.  For six long days, we put the FNGs (Fine Nice Guys/Gals) through an emotional ringer.  It is equally as hard for the “seasoned” Riders.  (We may have it just a little easier than the FNGs, because we know to expect the emotional part of the Run.)

But then we get to Cookeville, and the realization sets in that our journey is almost over.  We get a super reception in Cookeville and everyone seems to get a good nights sleep.  (Even if it is shorter than we really would like.)  So when we got up and got to our morning meeting today, EVERYONE seemed to have a new attitude.  Before our meeting started, our Leadership Team was making jokes.  People that were total strangers just a few days ago were laughing and smiling with each other, as old friends do.  During the safety briefing portion of the meeting, the Road Guard Captain (Tail Dragger) and his “Hand Signal Guy” (Mazz) were trying to mess each other up (okay, let’s say “test” each other!) by switching up the various commands.  Each person that got up to make a presentation seemed to be having fun.  It’s as if a switch has been thrown that took all of the worry, care, and stress off of our shoulders for a few hours.

You can tell that we are all relaxed when even the Chaplains are fair game for some good-natured pranks.  Our Senior Chaplain (GoodWrench) left his cap somewhere last night, and when he got it back this morning, it had been “bedazzeled.”  And I don’t know WHAT happened or HOW, but “Chief” somehow lost his pants!  He had to pay $5 to get them back from our “lost and found” box.  (We have EXCELLENT Chapains!)

That’s not to say that we “forgot” about our Mission.  We didn’t!  It’s just that for today, a short distance day, we could relax just a little and enjoy a ride through some amazing countryside.  Had we NOT been on a Mission, we would all have taken those curves and hills a little faster, or stopped for a cold drink, or done any of the hundreds of things that bikers do when they get together.    But we ARE on a Mission, so we keep our hearts and minds focused.

We DID take the chance to let our hair down a bit (metaphorically speaking, as many of us don’t have much hair to let down!) when we got to Knoxville.  Several years ago, someone (Gunny!) made a quick walk through the public fountain to cool off.  Since then, it has become a tradition for Gunny, many of the Road Guards, and anyone else that wants to join in, to take a stroll through the water.  Today, about a dozen people made the walk.  Even your Route Photographer got in on it!  (Hopefully someone got a photo of it.  I put my cameras down before I took the plunge!)

Of course, we kept our mind on the Mission.  Even soaking wet, we still participated in a very moving wreath-laying ceremony at the Knoxville Veterans Memorial.  This memorial is located at the very site that most WWI and WWII soldiers boarded a train and left their home-state of Tennessee.  Those Tennessee Boys that never came back, from ALL of Americas conflicts, have their names engraved on native-granite slabs on the site.  It is an emotional place, with a rich, yet sorrowful history.

As I was wandering around, taking photos of all the fun, I saw a special-needs young lady.  Actually, she timidly reached across a fence railing and lightly touched me on my sleeve.  She wanted to thank me (us) for remembering our Veterans.  But she really wanted me to remember her Grandfather who fought in WWII.  She told me all about him, and some of the stories that he had told her.  She apologized for crying because she “isn’t a little girl.”  I cried with her and said that it was okay.  I asked for her Grandfathers name and she hugged my neck and whispered into my ear “His name was Walter Fuller, and my name is Molly.”  Well Molly, I will remember your Grandfather, but I will remember your warm smile and hug far longer than I will his name.  And so will all of the other people whos heart you touched today.

Folks, THIS IS WHY WE RIDE, TOO!

After our lunch, we headed back out on the road for some fun travels.  We made a traditional stop for some ice-cream, then got out on the twisty roads.  Up, down, round a corner, downshift for a steep winding grade, … and then into the Tunnel!  Have you ever heard 350 big v-twin engine motorcycles in a tunnel?  It was several hours ago, and I can STILL hear them!  The ground literally vibrates and the roar comes thrusting out of the tunnel long before you can see the bikes.  We look forward to this short experience each year.  Many of us wanted to go back and ride through it again!

Eventually, we made it down through the mountains and reached our evenings destination.  Still having fun and enjoying our new friendships, we paused to pay honor to our Country, our Veterans, and our Fallen.  We may have let off some steam today, but we never forgot why we are here.  From past experience, I know that the switch will be thrown again tomorrow, and that the truly emotionally draining days are coming up soon.  But for today, we healed our minds and bodies, renewing our strength for what is about to come.

Cheers!

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain

Please visit www.jimmccrain.smugmug.com/Run-For-The-Wall to see more pictures from our journey across this great country.  I will post a few every day, and then hundreds more once I get home and can go through them all.  All of these photos are free to download.  Enjoy!  “Hoofer”

Midway Route – Day 6 – Forrest City, AR to Cookeville, TN

May 20, 2019.  347 miles

Today was one of those days that begins great, stays great, and then ends amazingly great!  So much happened that I can’t even begin to tell you all of it, so I will just “hit the highlights.”

I was a little worried this morning, though, when I pulled into the staging area and saw one of our WONDERFUL staging Crew holding THREE signs and pointing towards an empty building!  Right before I drove through the front door (ALWAYS go where the staging crew tells you!) she smiled and said “Just Kidding!”  Yes, we are all getting to be so familiar with each other that we can start acting like siblings.  After all, we ARE Brothers and Sisters in RFTW!

Our morning meeting started, as usual, with a prayer for safety and security for all of the Riders.  But we were instructed to turn to the people next to us and put our arms around them.  After all, we are better when we are together, and that is truly the spirit we are showing on this Run.  Nowhere is this spirit of Family and togetherness more apparent than with our own “Bruzer.”  Jim Bruzewski is a Vietnam Veteran.  He served numerous Tours of Duty as an F-105 Pilot and on a subsequent tour was a FAC pilot.  He was shot down not once, not twice, but six times!  On his last shoot-down, he was captured by the North Vietnamese and help in a jungle prison camp for many months.  Tortured, beaten, and starved, he never gave in.  Today, Bruzer is one of the Midway Route Road Guards, serving his fellow Brothers and Sisters!  His strength and character are an inspiration to us all.  With a guy like Bruzer by your side, you know that we ARE all better when we are together!

Since this is “Run For The Wall” I should mention just a little bit about the riding that we did today.  First of all, EVERY platoon is looking fantastic.  One of the hardest platoons to make “look good” is the trike platoons.  Face it, these are big machines that take up a lot of room.  But OUR trike Riders make it all look easy.  Their formations are all tight and straight, with minimal “rubber-banding” action.  It is truly fun to watch these guys and gals ride by!

They were definitely put to the test today, though.  Memphis was Marvelous, as we had LEO escort through the entire city.  Imagine a five-lane freeway shut down so that we could use ONE lane!  But the test (for ALL Riders) came when we got to Nashville, … … at rush hour, … … with no LEO support.  And it was HOT, and the traffic was at a stand-still, and we had multiple lanes to cross, and angry drivers all around.  Well, we had a plan and we stuck to it, with everyone getting through the city safely, and those Trike Riders moving those big heavy beasts around just like toys!  The looked so good!  Congratulations to everyone!

Of course, the reason we were so eager to get through Nashville was because we knew that Cookeville, TN was waiting for us.  Cookeville is one of the absolute favorite stops for the Midway route.  The whole town shows up to watch us parade down Main Street.  (And a couple of other streets, just so more people can see us!)  The Chamber of Commerce really likes RFTW, and their support for the Run really shows.  The food was great, but that wasn’t the best part.  The entertainment was amazing, but that wasn’t the best part.

(How can Aaron Tippin not be the best part?)  Getting a special proclamation from the Governor of Tennessee is quite an honor, but THAT isn’t the best part, either.  At least, to ME, the best part was seeing the faces of the young children that are learning the true value of citizenship, and learning the meaning of duty, honor, and sacrifice.  You can tell by looking into their eyes that these lessons are being written in their hearts.  And THAT is what the Midway Riders love to see!

But we had two extremely emotional presentations that reminded us of WHY we ride.  When a Family receives their official “Gold Star Family”status, WE are reminded of the sacrifices made by our service Families.  When a Son talks about learning the location of his Fathers plane crash from 50 years ago, and tells how their case is being “expedited” but could still take three more years to get closure, we are reminded of the pain that is still being felt by too many Americans.

THIS is why we do what we do.  This is why we Ride.  We Ride for those that Can’t.

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain

Please visit www.jimmccrain.smugmug.com/Run-For-The-Wall to see more pictures from our journey across this great country.  I will post a few every day, and then hundreds more once I get home and can go through them all.  All of these photos are free to download.  Enjoy!  “Hoofer”

Day 5, Midway Route.  Sunday, May 19, 2019.

Shawnee, OK to Forest City, AR.

Wow!  What a glorious day!  Perfect weather for riding, starting cool and getting “almost” hot.  (But not TOO hot!)   With it being Sunday, we started our day with a church service, where our Senior Chaplain “Good Wrench” was thanked for having such a great connection with the Man Upstairs.  His prayers yesterday must have been so good that God decided to grace us with even better weather than before.  No pressure Good Wrench, but we are expecting you to continue asking for our protection and care!

Well, let’s talk about the riding today.  I saw some things that were amazing!  First, as the photographer, I sometimes zip ahead of the pack to get onto an overpass.  Early this morning, I saw our group of 350+ Riders round a corner and come straight towards me … in almost perfectly straight lines!  Remember, many of these people have not ridden in a formation before, and some were completely brand-new to RFTW Riding.  They did such an amazing job and looked so good.  It was thrilling for me to see this spectacle, and I have been doing this for 6 years!

And the Riders weren’t the only beautiful sight to behold, either.  Everywhere I looked, on street corners, road-sides, parking lots, and on more of the over-passes, there were civilian supporters out to greet us and wave us along.  You really cannot fathom what that means to these Riders.  I can see them sit a little taller in the saddle, tighten up there already flawless formations, and then (safely) wave to the spectators.  And then when we get to our next stopping point, they laugh and smile and say things like “Did you see that guy with the flag, sitting in a wheelchair?”  or “I wanted to salute but I didn’t know which flag to look at!” or “How are we supposed to ride while crying?”  You see, YOUR support is what these Veterans need.  It helps them heal the wounds that aren’t visible.  Thank You for supporting them!

WE got to show our support for a very special Family today.  The Mother, Sister, Brother, and Wife of James W Herrick JR were at our lunch stop today.  Why was this special?  Herrick went missing In Action 50 years ago in Vietnam.  His Family is still waiting for answers so that they can have closure and peace.  THIS IS WHY WE RIDE!

After our lunch, we headed back down the road.  It was “kind of” warm today, so everyone was REALLY wanting to get to the hydration trailer for some drinks and snacks.  (Provided by the M25 Chaplain Corp!)  But before they could get the drinks, they had to fill their gas tanks.  I have NEVER seen a fuel stop go so smoothly or quickly!  Our fuel Team is amazing!  They can fuel all of our bikes (350+) in about 20 minutes!

All good things must eventually come to an end, and so it was with this great day of riding.  We safely traveled 396 miles through beautiful countryside and ugly construction zones, to get to our evenings destination.  The Ridgewood Baptist Church in Forrest City Arkansas supplied us with a fried chicken dinner that truly hit the spot.  But they did more than just feed our weary bodies: They fed our weary souls.  From the Young Man that sang our National Anthem to our Patriotic Musical Performer, the evening was laced with joy, happiness, and spiritual blessings.  We hugged our Brothers and Sisters, we shook hands with all of our supporters, and we promised to look out for each other and to help each other any way that is needed, as we get up tomorrow morning and do it all again.

Many years ago, my Father wrote a short story whose title perfectly sums up our Mission: “I wonder what today will bring?”

Cheers!

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain

Howdy Folks!

“TwoTone” had to return home unexpectedly today, so I will be filling in for the Daily Sit-Reps for a while.

My name is Jim “Hoofer” McCrain.  I am the Midway Route Photographer for 2019, and this is my sixth year to participate with Run For The Wall.  I started on the Southern Route as an FNG, then served as a Tail Gunner and a Road Guard.  Three Years ago, I moved over to the Midway Route as a Road Guard (two years) and now as the Photographer.

Let me state right now that I am not a Veteran.  It is important for you to know that fact, because it allows me to see things a little differently than the majority of our riders.  Where the veterans see and experience emotional healing, I see Heroes helping each other.  I experience a small portion of the Brotherhood that these Men and Women share, but in a way that is hard to explain.  Sometimes I feel a little “out-of-place” standing amongst these great people, but they welcome me as one of their own, and I am proud that they call me “Brother”!

So it is with great honor and pride that they would trust me to give you a daily “Situation Report” on our activities.  I hope to serve them well.

First, let me give you a “run down” on what our days are like.  We get up early, have a morning safety meeting, and then ride down the road.  There will be a lunch stop, maybe a visit to a memorial site, school, VA Hospital, or some other  event.  More riding takes place in the afternoon with many of the same activities, followed by a supper and then off to the hotel rooms.  We repeat that same process ever day, so I don’t plan to “bore you” with the “little details.”  That is what we DO on the Run.

What we EXPERIENCE is vastly different each and every day.  And that is because each individual sees and perceives things in their own fashion and manner.  Each of the Riders will go to the same places, but they will each have their own story to tell.  And THAT is what I hope to impart to you.  This is “Run For the Wall, Midway Route: 2019” as I see and experience it.

Today’s story starts with the weather!   Our Senior Chaplain (“Good Wrench”) started our morning meeting with a prayer.  He mentioned that we were all grateful to be able to ride this day, even with the threatening severe storms, and that if God needed to throw a storm our way, we would just rely on his grace to see us through it.  He DID say that we would “prefer” good weather, but we would still praise God for whatever he sent us.  Well, Good Wrench must have a direct connection to the Man Upstairs, because we didn’t get a single drop of rain all day!  What a magnificent gift we were given on this day, to ride with storms all around us, but the safety and security we need to get these Heroes on their journey!

So we rode on, making our way to the little town of Shamrock, Texas.  Keep in mind that although this is a “small” town, it is also a fairly busy place.  Our reception was amazing, as the City SHUT DOWN the entire Main Street intersection so that we would have a place to park our bikes.  The entire street!  They opened up the Route 66 museum so we could have a place to rest and relax.  They treated us all like “Kings”, even showing us the diner booth that Elvis Presely, the “King of Rock and Roll” used when he came to town.  Thank You, Shamrock!

But that was just the beginning.  From there on out, almost every over-pass was filled with people waving flags and holding up banners.  Fire trucks spanned several of the bridges, along with construction vehicles, county maintenance trucks, and personal cars, all waiting just to see us pass by.  Texas and Oklahoma certainly rolled out a warm Welcome for us.  The amount of patriotism shown just today was enough to give us all hope for the future of our country.

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we were greeted in Weatherford, Oklahoma by a group of Scouts, all rendering a salute for the Riders as we entered our afternoon stop.  Then, they presented the Colors (Flags) with just as much dignity and honor as an adult would have done.  For those of you who know me, you know that I am not overly fond of “kids.”  But THESE Young Men and Women give me Hope!  These will be our future Leaders, and we will all be okay because they have been raised to respect their Country, their Flag, and their fellow Americans.  Thank You, to all of the Scouts for your dedication to OUR country!

And speaking of Heroes and our Country, We had a very unexpected and unplanned honor today.  When we stopped at the “General Thomas P Stafford Air and Space Museum,” we found out that they were preparing for a 50^th anniversary meeting for the Apollo space program.  Several dignitaries had come in a day early to “get ready”, and WE got to meet some of them!  It went something like this:  A distinguished looking, older Gentlemen heard all of our bikes pull up, so he sauntered over to take a look.  He asked one of the Riders what we were doing, and the Rider proceeded to tell him all about RFTW.  Then the distinguished Gentleman noticed that he was talking to a Chaplain and that there were several of them around.  He asked if HE could take a picture with THEM.  HE wanted to stand with some Heroes.  Did I mention that the distinguished Gentleman was an astronaut that had walked on the Moon?  And he calls US Heroes!

And then as we were about to leave, I was asked if I would like to meet another distinguished Gentleman.  I asked if I could have our Route Coordinator (Wombat) and the Assistant Route Coordinator (Six String) be in a photo instead.  The request was granted.  So here is a photo of Glenn Waggoner and Ken Dugas standing with General Thomas Stafford himself, in front of his own statue!  What an honor for them, and for RFTW as a group.  (As a side note, I DID get to shake the Generals hand and “coin” him as well.  He smiled and said “Thank You!”)

Okay, I know this has been a long “Sit Rep” but it is only a small fraction of what I experienced today.   I wonder what stories the other 350+ Riders have?

Cheers!

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain

Please visit www.jimmccrain.smugmug.com/Run-For-The-Wall to see more pictures from our journey across this great country.  I will post a few every day, and then hundreds more once I get home and can go through them all.  All of these photos are free to download.  Enjoy!  “Hoofer”