As I stand here in our Nations Capital, surrounded by a thousand Patriots, Heroes, Brother and Sisters, I have to reflect on what we have just done for the past ten days.  To many, it would seem foolish.  WHY would we go to such lengths to “remember” those that have fallen in the defense of our country?  The short answer is this: Without their sacrifices, we would not have the Nation and freedoms that we take for granted.  WHY would we go to such great lengths to “remember” our Missing In Action?  After all, they have been missing for 50 years or more.  For this there IS no “short” answer.  For each of those MIA, there is a Family still waiting for an answer.  They still hold out hope.  Maybe not that their family member will come home alive, but just as importantly, that there will be closure as to their fate, and maybe, their remains can be brought back home, to American soil, to rest in honored glory.

I am finding it hard to put into words just how important events like Run For The Wall are for our nation.  If we can raise just a little bit of awareness about the plight of our Veterans, and if we can be a “wake up call” to our nation’s Leaders to finally do SOMETHING for our MIA, then everything that we have done is worth it.

For the past ten days, I have seen grown Men hold each other and weep.  I have witnessed WWII Veterans salute Vietnam Veterans.  I have seen school children run up to our Riders and hug them, saying “Thank You!”  I have personally experienced an incrdible love and brotherhood.  I have stood shoulder to shoulder with true Heroes, and been honored that they would seek me out just to ask “How are you today?”

In a few days, when I have rested and can adequately process all that the Midway Route was this year, I will write a bit more.  There are so many little stories that I have not had the time to tell that I think are important to understanding this Mission.  But for now, I will simply close with a Thank You to our Midway Route Leaders, support staff, and of course our Riders.  I have tried my best to tell YOUR stories, and I am honored that you would trust me with this task.

So for today, I will leave you with one final image.  This is our entire RFTW Family.  But we have grown so close over the past ten days that I am sure that all of our Midway Route Riders will be able to identify each other.

This morning, we awoke to gray skies.  Gray was more than the color, it was our mood.  Sure, we were still happy to be together and to be supporting our Mission, but we knew that our time together was drawing to a close.  You could tell that this emotion was held by all, because the hugs were a little longer, the conversations were a little more meaningful, the prayers just a bit more deeply stated.  I could see people hold out a hand just to touch the shoulder of someone that they were passing.  I saw smiles thrown around like Christmas candy: “Here’s one for you, one for you, and one for you, too!”  The deep affection that we have fostered for each other over the past ten days is greater than I have seen in the past eight years of RFTW.

And I think this is because we had to “adapt and overcome” so many adversities.  The two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic hit us hard.  From losing some of our regular stops, hotels, meal spots, and fueling stations, we also lost a lot of our Leadership Team as well as our “regular” Riders.  But we made up for it.  Whenever a problem or an “opportunity” would arise, we would face it head on and take care of it.

We had FNG Riders in Leadership roles this year.  Normally, we don’t do that.  We want our FNGs to have a unique experience on the Run.  Well, some of them certainly DID!  We had parking issues, so the Road Guards and Staging Crews worked together to immediately find places to put all of the bikes, cars, trailers, and in one case two semi-tractor trailers!  We had weather delays.  Or more accurately, a weather “dispatch.”  While visiting the Marine Corps Museum, an announcement was made that cut our visit short.  A severe Storm Warning was imminent, and the storm was about 20 minutes from hitting us.  So we left the Museum and raced the final 35 miles to our final destination.

I know that these things sound trivial, but in reality they aren’t.  We are dealing with several hundred motorcycles, dozens of other vehicles, logistics for feeding and housing close to 300 people, keeping time-lines and deadline commitments, and so much more.  But every time something happened, we would “adapt and overcome.”  It brought us all closer, and it did it in a way that I haven’t seen before.  This years “Run For The Wall” was different.  In some cases it wasn’t quite what we wanted it to be, but in most cases, it was so much more.

And this morning all of that was heavy on our minds.

The National Anthem was sung with a little more feeling than before, and with a few more tears in our eyes.  The Pledge of Allegiance was both shouted and whispered, depending on how much voice our Riders could manage.  The “Folded Flag” ceremony was explained again and performed in front of the entire Route instead of at the Missing Man Formation.  And as our Senior Chaplain “Chief” lead us in our morning prayer, every head was bowed, the Riders stood hand in hand, and we gave thanks for each other.

And then our fearless Leader “Six-String” put on the red panties.  No, I am NOT going to explain this!  You just had to be there!

Needless to say, our mood brightened, even though it hadn’t really been dark.  (Just somber.)  We mounted our bikes and road in perfect formation through some pretty hazardous traffic.  But this is exactly what we had been preparing for.  I was so proud to see the tight formations weave through the traffic.  We showed just how skillful our Riders had become by moving effortlessly and gracefully.  My one regret was not having a video camera to capture the sheer beauty of motion that this group of Riders performed.

On other years, I have tried to get one last photo of our Pack rolling down the highway;  A photo “just for us” so that we could remember how great our journey has been together.  But the weather wasn’t cooperating and one photo can’t have all the bikes in it anyway.  There are just too many of us for that.  So I made a very last minute request of “Six-String” and he graciously said “Yes!”  At the Marine Corps Museum, I jumped up on a barricade and asked all of my Midway Route Family to stop, turn around, and face me.  And just like one of our traffic maneuvers, they all turned to me in unison.

So as MY gift to YOU, for allowing me the privilege of taking so many photos of you over the past 10 days, I present to you the first MIDWAY ROUTE All-Family Photo!

A few hours after we arrived in Arlington, Virginia, the Southern and Central Routes began rolling in.  Our complete RFT Family was coming together again.  Of course, being the good and responsible people that they are, several of the Midway Route Road Guards helped to escort the other Routes in.  (You do what you have to do with the tools at hand!)  Soon, there were more hugs and laughs as we began telling each other about all of our adventures.   Screams of delight could be heard as old Friends found each other.  Toasts were made and glasses raised to commemorate our travels and Friendships.  We love to have a good time together.  It was a very good reunion!

There is one day left for us on our 2022 Mission.  Tomorrow morning, at 09:00, we will gather at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for our annual RFTW group photo, and then begin the long slow walk to the National Mall.  There, we will visit the names of over 58,000 Heroes that gave everything for their country.  We will place a wreath at the apex of this Wall in their honor.  Then, our Mission be over.  It won’t be fully accomplished, though, until we can account for every name on that Wall and bring them home.  It won’t be completed until every Veteran is offered the sincere Thanks that they are owed by our County.  It won’t be finished until every Combat Veteran is given the peace that they need to overcome the horrors of war that plague their minds.

Then, and only then, will our Mission be truly completed.

But all of that is for tomorrows SITREP.

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain

Today is a day that I both anticipate and dread during Run For The Wall.  I look forward to this day because it signifies that we are nearing our goal of safely crossing our Country while bringing awareness to the needs of our Veterans and our MIA Families.  For nine days, we have told America that we are proud of our fighting Men and Women.  We have asked, no … We have DEMANDED that our Government do everything that they can to find our Missing In action.  We have talked to school children, trying to educate them on the importance of Patriotism, Loyalty, Duty, and Honor.  THEY have reminded us of those very same things!  We have grown extremely fond of each other, making familial bonds that will last for a lifetime.  We have become close, as close as family, because that is what we are.  We are the Midway Route Family.

Everything that we did today was yet again a reminder of all of these things.  We have an Active Duty Air Force Rider in our midst.  He asked if he could sing our National Anthem this morning.  We sang with him!  (But MAN, does he have a great voice!)  We had a young Man of the age of twelve lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.  He did an outstanding job!  We read cards that were sent to us by the children of Milan Elementary School and the Falcon Children’s Home, and we promised to take them to the foot of The Wall, where they can be seen by thousands.  And we heard the welcome news that our own “Bruzer” will become next year’s Route Coordinator!  (Bruzer is a Vietnam Veteran that was shot down six times, captured by the South Vietnamese, and held in a jungle prison camp only to escape after six months.  Who better to lead us next year?)

We were given the gift of hundreds of well-wishers and supporters lining the roadways, streets, and over-passes.  We were greeted with shouts of glee and encouragement as we entered a Veterans Park in Weldon, NC.  We were invited to place Flags in honor of ANYONE that we wanted to honor.  We were asked to help place the photos of young Soldiers that were lost during the Middle East conflicts on the “Trees of Valor.”  And we were giving the time and space to literally “reflect” on an American flag composed of Red, White, and Blue “dog tags” that had the names of our lost Military Personnel inscribed on them.

We took time to recognize our own Leaders, and to Thank Them for their gifts of time, encouragement, and support.  We had a few laughs as some people earned new “Road Names.”  (Be careful of what you do and say around this group!  Wouldn’t you agree Gaiter Bait, Queen Elsa, and Cookie Dough?)  We said “farewell” to our out-going Route Coordinator and thanked him over and over for his dedication to the RFTW Mission, having worked for THREE YEARS just for this one “ride.”  We were sad to know that our tireless Road Guard Captain has decided to retire from his role.  But we also rejoiced in the knowledge that we will be in extremely capable hands with our new Leadership Team next year, and we have promised them our OWN dedication and support.

All of these things are things that I look forward to each year.  Today is always the epitome of what Run For The Wall is all about.  It is a true physical testament to the ideals of Duty, Honor, Integrity, and  Loyalty.  It is a re-affirmation of our promise to “Never Forget” those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Country, and to honor the Families and Friends that they left behind.  This day, Day nine, is a good day.

But it is also a day of dread for me, because I know what tomorrow brings.  The2022 Midway Route will cease to exist as an autonomous entity.  We will join up with the other two Routes in Washington DC tomorrow afternoon.  We will not lose our bonds of affection for each other, but we will instead share them with our other Brothers and Sisters.  But our Midway Route Family will not be the foremost thought on our minds.  And that makes me a little sad.

But tonight, I will head down to the hotel lobby and visit with my Family.  We will share our stories, laugh together again, and maybe cry a little bit.  We will offer each other a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen with, and a hug to assure ourselves that we are all going to be okay, and that what we have been doing matters.  Not just to ourselves, but to the Nation as a whole.  We need Run For The Wall.  AMERICA needs Run For The Wall.  And Run For The Wall needs us, the Midway Route Family.  We can’t have one without the other, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Goodnight, my Family.  I will see you in the Morning.

Jim “Hoofer” McCrain