Name: Bob Mazzone
Road Name: Captain
FNG Year: 2014
How many times have you been All the Way? This will be my seventh time
And how many times have you been a Participant? None
On Which Route do you ride? Southern
What is your favorite Run for the Wall memory? My FNG year. We were in the middle of the country and off to the side of the highway, I saw a truck with an American Flag and an old man. He was standing there holding onto the truck and saluting. I have no idea how long he had been there but when I mentioned it to some of the other riders, they said he was there every year.
Have you held any positions as a volunteer on the Run? Yes. Road Guard 2015 – 2017 and then Road Guard Captain 2018, 2019 and this year.
Are you a Military Veteran, or do you have a military background or a relationship with a member of the Military? Yes, 27 years in the Navy. Navy diver, Submariner, and a tour as the Chief Engineer on USS DWIGHT D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)
Are you a Gold Star or Blue Star family member? Blue Star. My son is in the Navy.
What inspired you to participate in the RFTW the first time? My father had served in the Navy through World War II and Korea and then retired after 30 years. Plus, I have relatives through my mother’s side that served all the way back to the American Revolution. I was in college at the time of Vietnam and did not have to go. But lots of friends did. I felt that I owed all of them something and maybe I could also help someone who just needed to talk to someone else about their demons.
What brought you back? I have been a Road Guard with my local HOG Chapters over the years. So becoming a Road Guard seemed like the right thing for me to do. It is an extremely rewarding experience when you pull into DC with all of your pack safely. So for me, it was a chance to give back to our riders and to support our Mission.
Have you participated in Rolling Thunder? No
Are you planning on participating in Rolling to Remember (the AMVETS event that replaces Rolling Thunder)? No
Give us a few words about “WHY YOU RIDE.” We still have thousands of people missing and unaccounted for from every war. We can never let them be forgotten. I ride so that this country never forgets.