Author: Nick Hentges

Aloha RFTW O’Hana,
IS IT MAY YET? I have heard this cry since 2009 and it always makes me happy. Happy to see the excitement and anticipation for the next Run for the Wall. I am sorry to say that it isn’t May yet, but at the pace we are going it will be soon! Planning is (as always) underway. Our State Coordinators are doing their MAGIC and things are coming together.

Registration begins in just a couple of days. I encourage everyone to get online as soon as Registration begins on 9-11-2023 and get yourself registered and committed to RFTW XXXIV (2024).

REGISTER HERE/Opens at 0846 Eastern time 9-11-2023

By pre-registering as soon as possible, you make it a lot more manageable for our Team that does all of the planning for a successful and fulfilling Run. The numbers of Bikes and People generated from the Pre-Registration Process helps to determine where we can park at various stops, how many meals our generous supporters need to plan for and so any other things that go on behind the scenes (hotel requirements, meals, donated t-shirts, pre-paid fuel planning, merchandise items, etc.). We NEED these numbers in order to have a successful RUN.
These numbers also drive procurement of items for the various Route Merchandise Trailers as well as help us to plan for Platoon assignments and so many other aspects of our planning.

Angel Fire

I just returned home to Hawai’i from a wonderful weekend serving the Veterans Community and reuniting with RFTW O’hana at our annual Workday and Reunion in Angel Fire, NM. We had a great time seeing each other on Friday Night at the reception followed by the ceremony on Saturday where we placed 5 Medal of Honor Bricks and Approximately 500 regular bricks at the Memorial. We had riders and family from all four Routes in attendance. Many thanks go out to the teams behind the scenes that made this all work.

Kenny “Scooter” Keelin spent 3-4 WEEKS prepping the grounds and coordinating the supplies and equipment needed to make this Workday a success. He was assisted by Kathryn “Literal-E” Ewing and Bob “Just Bob” Thornton in these efforts. Kathryn gathered all of the sides and condiments for our reception dinner held on Friday and coordinated with the Laguna Vista to provide us with a place to have the dinner as well as grills to cook the Meat. Kirk Olson Prepped and cooked 96 pounds of Tri-Tip for our dining pleasure (so much nicer than “finger foods and find your own dinner”). His parents Harlan and Janelle helped with the prep and drove the meat down from Colorado in a huge cooler. So many people worked tirelessly to make this event a success that I am sure I will miss someone. Thanks go out to Jenny “Lady Jen” Ward and her Husband Ken “Catfish” Ward, as well as (Road names from here on), Rev Kev, Paparazzi, Squirrel, Dirt, the Road Guard tent team (Too many to name), Clutch and Lady G, Fly Girl, The KS crew led by Dennis Kaylor, and so many others. I am sure I have missed a couple of people and I apologize in advance. So many people stepped up and assisted to make the Workday and Reunion a fun and worthwhile event.

Oh, did i mention Stormwatch (Kim Greeley), my wife who has supported me in this endeavor since 2009 even though she is scared to death of motorcycles. She has ridden ATW 8 times on the bike, gone ATW 3 other times in a cage and participated one time on the Bike. Kim was a behind the scenes whirlwind at the reunion as she has been for me every time I have been on the Run.

Click Here for the most recent Southern Route Newsletter for information about the upcoming All Riders Reunion in Kerrville. 

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain Dropped in on the Reunion Dinner and was kind enough to take a bunch of Photos of the festivities. Link below to the photo album.

Hoofer’s Photos of the Angel Fire Event

Remember the Mission and continue to plan for the upcoming RUN. See you all soon!

MUCH ALOHA TO MY ‘OHANA
Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024

MUCH ALOHA TO MY ‘OHANA
Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024

Aloha RTFW ‘Ohana,

Greetings from a Sunny and pleasant Honolulu. We are getting close to our Workday and Reunion in Angel Fire. So far, we have 82 people planning to attend and Lay Bricks at the Memorial and enjoy some camaraderie. If you have not signed up, please go to the link below as soon as possible. We have to receive payment no later than the 18^th of August so we can finalize our counts with the caterer for Dinner Saturday as well as gather ingredients for our BBQ reception at the Laguna Vista on Friday.

LINK TO SIGN UP SHEET

Reunion: Friday, September 1st to Sunday, September 3rd with DINNER on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023
Dinner Address: 74 N Tomboy Dr, Eagle Nest, NM
Thursday and Friday 31 August & 1 September
Preparation of grounds and Bricks. Location-Memorial
1:00 PM Thursday-Need some volunteers to shovel and rake the base layer of sand.
9:00 AM Friday- General Area Preparations and Sorting of Bricks

Friday Evening 1 September, 6 PM
Reception at Laguna Vista Saloon

Saturday 2 September
All times are approximate and subject to change.

7:00 AM Pre-Program Activity & Set Up (Breakfast Sandwiches/Coffee Provided)

8:30 AM Opening Ceremony with Mounted Honor Guard, Followed by laying of Westphal Foundation Bricks.
9:00 AM Medal of Honor Brick Laying.
2:30 PM (Approx.) End of Workday – After last brick is laid the workday will conclude.
5:45 PM Meet at outdoor Pavilion behind Senior Center for a brief Ceremony (Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer, Announcements) (50 N Tom Boy Dr, Eagle Nest, NM 87718).
6:00 PM Dinner and Rider’s Forum (Senior Center- 50 N Tom Boy Drive) (Dinner cost is $35.00 per pre-registered person-Includes Reunion Patch). Any registrations received after August 18th will be $45 per person (if the caterer can accommodate the addition).

Sunday 3 September
8:00 AM Church Services at Angel Fire Memorial Chapel (Kevin Riley)

NOTE: This is not an official Run for the Wall event. This is a gathering of individuals to support the Brick Laying and to get together. Riders and supporters from all Routes are Welcome.

OTHER NEWS

In other news, we have begun meeting with different Leadership to start planning for 2024. We have a few changes that you may have noticed on the website (Link to Central Route Hub). We have reduced the number of platoons to 6 2-wheel platoons, 1 Trailer platoon and 2 Trike platoons. This reduction is due to the lower number of riders we have experienced the last couple of years.

We will be meeting with our State Coordinators in a couple of weeks and discussing each state from border to border and identifying areas of concern from 2023 and areas to improve in 2024.

We are also making this the year to get “BACK TO THE BASICS” and refocus on our MISSION. I welcome any ideas from Riders on how we can re-focus on the Mission. One way I plan on doing this is to expand on what we started last year, which is to get out and find more Veterans Organizations to raise money for (DONATE HERE) as well as the Schools we historically contribute to. I have also asked our Ambassador and Outreach Teams to start identifying more Veterans Homes and Memorials, etc. to Visit along our Route. We plan on including more platoon riders on these Ambassador and Outreach missions. As we get closer to Kick Stands Up (KSU), we will have more information on these added visits and information on how to get involved with them.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are still in need of Volunteers for a few Positions. Currently we are looking for a Raffle Rouser, 50/50 Rouser and Sit-Rep Writer. If you are interested in any of these positions, please fill out a Volunteer form (Located in the Central Route Hub on the Website) and step up!

I Hope to see Many of you in Angel Fire in a few short weeks!

MUCH ALOHA TO MY ‘OHANA
Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024

Aloha RFTW ‘Ohana,
This newsletter will focus mainly on the upcoming Workday/Reunion but there is a bit of important business at the bottom of the newsletter as well.

Plans have been (mostly) finalized for our Upcoming Workday/Reunion. Thanks to Kirk Olson, Kenny Keelin, Jenny Ward, Kevin Riley, Ken Sabo (Walrus) and Kathryn Ewing for their help in planning this. We will have a very special addition this year. Due to the hard work and planning of Ken “Walrus” Sobo, the Mounted Color Guard from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, CA (Fort Irwin National Training Center) will be joining us and presenting the Colors for our ceremony. The 3 horses in the Color Guard are named after the following Medal of Honor Recipients; Hal Fritz, Jerry Wickham, and Rodney Yano, all of whom will be having a brick layed this year in their honor. One of these Heroes may be joining us! Please take a moment to read about these Heroes in the links below. All served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Harold Arthur Fritz

Jerry Wayne Wickham

Rodney James Tadashi Yano

The link to a google form to sign up and pay for the Dinner and Reception is below as well as a schedule of events.

If you would like to help with the work that goes on behind the scenes, please contact Kirk Olson (kirk.olson@rftw.us). We could use strong backs on Thursday at 1PM at the Memorial to lay out the base coat of sand for the bricks and some more help Friday to sort the bricks in order and load them on a trailer. We also will gladly accept help on Friday Evening with the grills (Reception food)

SIGN UP HERE!!!!

Reunion: Friday, September 1st to Sunday, September 3rd with DINNER on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023
Dinner Address: 74 N Tomboy Dr, Eagle Nest, NM
Thursday and Friday 31 August & 1 September
Preparation of grounds and Bricks. Location-Memorial
1:00 PM Thursday-Need some volunteers to shovel and rake the base layer of sand.
9:00 AM Friday- General Area Preparations and Sorting of Bricks

Friday Evening 1 September, 6 PM
Reception at Laguna Vista Saloon

Saturday 2 September
All times are approximate and subject to change.

7:00 AM Pre-Program Activity & Set Up (Breakfast Sandwiches/Coffee Provided)

8:30 AM Opening Ceremony with Mounted Color Guard, Followed by laying of Westphal Foundation Bricks.
9:00 AM Medal of Honor Brick Laying.
2:30 PM (Approx.) End of Workday – After last brick is laid the workday will conclude.
5:45 PM Meet at outdoor Pavilion behind Senior Center for a brief Ceremony (Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer, Announcements) (50 N Tom Boy Dr, Eagle Nest, NM 87718).
6:00 PM Dinner and Rider’s Forum (Senior Center- 50 N Tom Boy Drive) (Dinner cost is $35.00 per pre-registered person-Includes Reunion Patch). Any registrations received after August 18th will be $45 per person (if the caterer can accommodate the addition).

Sunday 3 September
8:00 AM Church Services at Angel Fire Memorial Chapel (Kevin Riley)

NOTE: This is not an official Run for the Wall event. This is a gathering of individuals to support the Brick Laying and to get together. Riders and supporters from all Routes are Welcome.

SIGN UP HERE!!

In other news, Planning is coming along well for RFTW 2024. State Coordinators are already making contacts and arranging things for our Mission. We are working on a prepaid fuel option that will be pro-rated based on where you sign in and depart the Run. We will have more information about that in future correspondence.
We do still need some Volunteers for a few positions. We are looking for a Sit-Rep Writer. If interested, please contact the ARC, Kirk Olson (kirk.olson@rftw.us) to find out more. We also need a Quartermaster. For information on what that entails, contact me (nick.hentges@rftw.us). In addition to those 2 positions, we are always gathering information on possible volunteers for other areas, so if you want to get involved, please fill out a volunteer form from the website. It is found under the “Central Route Hub”.

CENTRAL ROUTE HUB

Lastly, I would again ask that you go to the link below and fill out an after action-report if you have not done so already. We have already gathered a LOT of good information from the ones we have received. Remember, if we don’t know about something, we cannot change or improve it.

AFTER ACTION REPORT

MUCH ALOHA TO MY OHANA
Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024

Today the Executive Board of Directors (ExecBoD) voted to approve my nominations for Assistant Route Coordinator (ARC) and Road Guard Captain (RGC).

It is my pleasure to announce Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson as the Assistant Route Coordinator for RFTW XXXIV/2024. Since Starting in 2009, Kirk has served Run for the Wall as a Road Guard, Assistant Road Guard Captain and Road Guard Captain. He has also served on the ExecBoD as the Director of Public Relations and Communications from 2016-2019. He revamped our itinerary in 2013 and has been the editor of the Central Route Itinerary ever since. Kirk is a Navy Veteran.

I would also like to announce Ken “Catfish” Ward as our Road Guard Captain for RFTW XXXIV/2024. Ken is a Navy Veteran as well, and brings a wealth of experience to the Run. Since starting the Run in 2008, Ken has served in many leadership capacities including Platoon Leadership, Assistant Route Coordinator, Route Coordinator, Road Guard (Central and Sandbox), Assistant Road Guard Captain, Road Guard Captain (Central and Sandbox) as well as having Served on the ExecBoD for two terms.

Now that we have our key leadership in place, we have begun the planning for the upcoming year. The first thing we will be focusing on is the Workday/Reunion in Angel Fire. Initial Planning has already begun. Please mark the 1st and 2nd of September on your Calendars. We will be announcing final plans and sending the Sign-up Sheet out in the next week or so (July Newsletter). We look forward to seeing many of you in Angel Fire. All RFTW families are welcome from Central, Southern, Midway, or Sandbox Routes, as well as prospective new riders and anyone interested in learning about RFTW or helping with the BrickLaying. If you have not experienced Angel Fire yet, this is a good chance to see what the buzz is all about. We have a very special addition this year (to be announced in the next newsletter).

A brief (tentative) Itinerary is below.

Thursday and Friday 31 August & 1 September

Preparation of grounds and Bricks Time TBD. Location-Memorial 

Friday Evening 1 September, 6 PM

Reception at Laguna Vista Saloon (Hamburgers and Hotdogs hot off the grill) 

Saturday 2 September

All times are approximate and subject to change. 

Location Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

7:00 AM Pre-Program Activity & Set Up (Breakfast Sandwiches/Coffee Provided)

8:30 AM Ceremony followed by Brick laying

12 Noon Lunch (Sandwiches, Chips & Drinks Provided for workers/volunteers)

2:00 PM (Approx.) End of Workday – After last brick is laid the end of workday will conclude
next to the helicopter

5:45 PM Meet at outdoor Pavilion behind Senior Center for a brief Ceremony (Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer, Announcements) (50 N Tom Boy Dr, Eagle Nest, NM 87718).

6:00 PM Dinner and Rider’s Forum (Location to be Determined)

Dinner Menu to be determined.

Sunday 3 September

8:00 AM Church Services at Angel Fire Memorial Chapel

After Church Ride to various local areas (if we have enough interest)

MUCH ALOHA TO MY OHANA
Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024

Aloha to my RFTW ֫Ohana.  It is my honor to have been nominated by Paul Marshall and approved by the Board of Directors (BOD) of Run for the Wall to be the Route Coordinator for the Central Route Run for the Wall XXXIV/2024.   I want to thank Paul Marshall and the BOD for their confidence in my abilities to lead the Central Route.

As a combat veteran, the mission of the RFTW is close to my heart, and a mission I know to be critical to all of our veterans and to the health of our nation.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1981 at the age of 17 and served for 24 ½ years.  I Retired in March of 2006.  During my time in the Corps, I was involved in 3 Combat tours, including Contingency Operations in Beirut Lebanon, Desert Shield/Storm/Sweep and Watch, and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, where I was the Logistics Chief for 3^rd Battalion 7^th Marine Regiment.  In 3^rd Bn 7^th Marines, I was proud to add to the distinguished legacy of the Battalion, a legacy that includes the honorable service of Gunny Gregory, founder of RFTW, who served in 3^rd Bn 7^th Marines in Vietnam.  When I returned from each of these deployments I was greeted with respect and Welcomed Home.  Our Vietnam Veterans did not receive this Welcome Home or Thanks for their Service when they first returned, and it is because of their determination that this should never happen again, that I received my Welcome Home.  The Run’s Mission carries this determination forward to all veterans of all wars – a vital mission worthy of our energy and renewed efforts as we carry on into 2024.

I became involved with RFTW in 2009 at the urging of Pato-Pato and was planning on going once. I owned a Harley Davidson Sportster and decided that was not an appropriate Bike for the Run, so I flew from Honolulu to the LA area and found a Goldwing for sale.

The plan was to do the Run and leave the bike with Family in Virginia to sell for me.  By the end of Day 1 of the 2009 Run, my plans changed.  I called my wife from Williams and told her to change my flight from Virginia to a flight a week later from San Diego, because I was keeping the bike and shipping it home to Hawaii from California.  I needed it for RFTW 2010!  In 2010 I was asked to be a platoon tailgunner. In 2011 I was moved into the Assistant Platoon Leader spot and did that job for a few years. In 2016 I took over as Platoon Leader. In 2022 I was a Road Guard and then in 2023 Paul Marshall and the BOD honored me with the Assistant Route Coordinator Position. I also served as a platoon leader on the Sandbox Recon in 2019 and as a Road Guard on Sandbox in 2023.  Additionally, I was on the Board of Directors for 2 1⁄2 years as the Director of Public Relations and Communications and as the BOD Secretary.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS

Enough about me; let’s talk about 2024.  RFTW 2023 went very well, but as always, we look for ways to improve the Run and strengthen the Mission. I don’t plan on fixing things that are not broken, but I do have some ideas that may help the Run.  I need input from both our seasoned riders and our new riders to help me with that. PLEASE CLICK HERE AND FILL OUT AN AFTER-ACTION REPORT. It can be anonymous if you prefer, but if you include your name and contact info, I can reach out to talk about any issues or ideas you have.

VOLUNTEERS

We also need Volunteers to help fill empty positions.  Go online and fill out the Volunteer form Important – Even if you had a position last year, I need to know if you are interested in coming back in that capacity or maybe looking for a new Role, so please submit your form.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VOLUNTEER FORM

We will be having Zoom Meetings in the coming weeks to complete a “Debrief/After Action Report.”  Using this information as well as the After-Action Reports from Individuals, I plan on developing our overall plan with Leadership and hope to make 2024 a great year for RFTW Central Route.

REGISTRATION – September 11, 2023

I encourage everyone to Register early as soon as the Registration Opens on 9-11-2023 so we can do several things.

1. Start getting an Accurate Count of Riders.
2. Confirm that our Leadership and Volunteers are Committed to RFTW XXXIV.
3. Start planning for all of our stops next year.

As many of you have heard numerous times, we are all ambassadors for the Run, so I encourage each of you to get out in your community and spread the word about RFTW. Stress the fact that riders do not have to go All the Way. They can join for a day or 2 or longer depending on their work and life schedules. Colorado has a great network and I encourage Riders in other States to do something similar. CO had 68 Riders registered for the 2023 Run (68 of 462!)!

Planning is underway for the Angel Fire Workday/Reunion over Labor Day weekend already. If you would like to assist in the planning, please reach out to me and I will connect you with the folks already working behind the scenes.

There will be more news to come in the next few weeks as we solidify teams, firm up our plans for Angel Fire and get the planning underway. I look forward to seeing all of you in Angel Fire and/or Ontario CA.

Nick “Richboy” Hentges
RFTW Central Route Coordinator 2024