Category: Central Route 2025 SitReps

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CR – May 14, 2025 – Day 1 To DC – Ontario, CA to Williams, AZ

 May 14, 2025 – Day 1 To DC – Ontario, CA to Williams, AZ

IT IS HERE.  The day we get to ride.  There has been a lot of planning, by a lot of teams.

Reminder From RFTW.US web site:

 
What an amazing day.  Bright sun and 53 was the temp.  Look at the sun.  
 

The day started with the Reveille Bugle Call.  That got everyone’s attention.  

Then posting of the colors.

 

We played the Star Spangled Banner. And had a prayer for the safety and healing of all participants. 
 
John Staub, the RFTW President, introduced Gunny.

 

James “Gunny” Gregory is the founder of RFTW.  He welcomed all. 
He gave an little history of what inspired him to start the Run.  These 3 men.
Joseph Nelson Hargrove
Gary Lee Hall
Danny Glen Marshall
 
Google:
Shortly after midnight on May 15, 1975, three Marines made up an M-60 machine gun team that was part of a Marine force making a helicopter-borne assault on enemy holdings on Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. They participated in combat operations throughout the day and were not known to be injured or wounded at any point. On the evening of May 15 orders were given to pull back to the beach of the island for extraction and to set up a new defensive position. The three Marines left their initial defensive position and started back to the beach; however, only one was sighted on the beach, and when the extraction was finished that night, all three Marines were missing. Enemy activity in the area prevented a return to the beach in order to search for them, and they remain unaccounted-for.
 
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If you read the SetRep from yesterday, you met Tom Crosby.  He was an 8 year old POW in WWII.
 
He talked about his brother today, Patrick Crosby.  
 
Google:
In 1953, Pat and Tom acted on a pact they had made years earlier while in prison camp. They prayed often. And they promised that if they were liberated, they would re-pay the United States. Pat and Tom decided to enlist in the Navy as their thank-you.
Pat was selected to be a “frogman” and was trained in underwater demolition. During Pat’s tours in Vietnam, he operated behind enemy lines disarming booby traps. He was so adept at that assignment that the Viet Cong put a bounty on his head and called him “Big Red” because of his very red hair.
After 20 years in the Navy, Pat retired in 1973. Tragically, soon thereafter, he became ill, stricken with cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange. He passed away the following year, at the age of only 39, leaving a wife and two young sons, ages 9 and 10.
It is somewhat ironic that Pat’s life was saved from the enemy by our U.S. soldiers during WWII. Then, nearly 30 years later, he lost his life trying to help others in similar circumstances.
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These 2 stories are why we ride.
 
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Since this year is the 35 year of RFTW, the Run has a platoon for only Vietnam Veterans that served in country.  I will be honoring a few every day in this report.  Here is the Platoon
Bob Doc Wilson
Branch: US Navy
Time: 1967-1971
Where: Vietnam
Rank: E-4
Job: Navy Corpsman, Field Medical Tech, Operating Room Tech, USS BonHom Richard CVA 31
Harvey McCullough
Branch: Navy
Time: 1965-1971
Where: USS Lexington, USS Midway
Rank: ANT 2 (E-5)
Job: Submarine Hunter/Tracker
Comments:  Thankful to be home
WELCOME HOME GENTLEMAN !!!
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After all the platoon meetings, we are ready to roll
The highway patrol this year shut down the highway for us to get started.
Transition from I10 to I15 was a breeze.  Thanks guys!!!  Check this out.

 

 

 

As you read my report during the Run, you will get a lot of picture of this beautiful country we live in,

 

 

Our first set of well-wishers.
Out in the middle of the field.  Such patriotism.

 

 

This was the day of trains.  I think I counted 7.  Not a big deal when you are sitting at a train crossing waiting for one to go thru.  What I always found interesting is that out here, you see the full train, 80-100 cars.  You see I can get easily amused.

 

The words for the day were flat and windy.

 

 

Next stop is Needle CA.  Check out the flags on the exit ramp.

I always remember the rock formations too.  All the branches of service are like this.
This one is USMC.

 

This is the first person that caught my eye as I was heading to the lawn area for lunch.
Here is our future.

 

Great reception by the people of Needles. 
Even the high school band is playing are we stage the bikes.

 

 

 Loved the lunch.  Simple and good.  Grilled Hot Dogs!!!!  Great idea.
Grade school kids fill out tables with these flags.  Thanking us for the freedom

 

 

 

They mayor welcomed us and thanked us for what we were doing.
Then there was the Star Spangled Banner played on electric guitar.

As we were getting ready to hit the road, I saw these 2.  Look at the front.  WOW

Look at the people and the excitement.  RFTW has made an impression on the nation.

Heading into Williams, AZ we star to see green and hills. The temps drop about 20 degrees from Needles.  I have learned from past rides to dress warm.

Walrus, one of our road guards, is always making sure we are awake after these long runs.

Looks like an old police hat and is that a tutu I see he is wearing?

Welcome to Williams.  People line the street.
And it is so small there are only stop signs.  No traffic lights.

As we get in line for lunch, the boy scouts are there to welcome us and hand out pins.  They also help with the clean up.  Way to go parents.

Normally it is so cold here, you do not want to sit outside, but today was nice.

As we leave, I see the Outreach team, talking with a group of gold star moms.
This is such a big part of the Run.  We need to let them know  that are not forgotten.
 Heading to the hotel this is on the front of a building.
This town show their patriotism and it is visible every day…
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
It was one of our longest days, and everyone looked pretty exhausted.  
Get some sleep and we start again tomorrow.
 
You prayer warriors are doing great.  Needles was under 90 and Williams was above 30.
 
 

Destination: Williams AZ

Temps: 53-88

Route: I10, I15, I40

Miles: 402

Quote for the day:

Freedom is not free

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May 13, 2025 – In Ontario – Prepare to Ride Tomorrow

May 13, 2025 – In Ontario – Prepare to Ride Tomorrow

Hi everyone. I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jean Gault, aka “Mama G”.
This is my 9th year on the Run. I have the privilege to report the events, stories and
pictures from the day.
 
This will be a very long post, but I hope you will get a good feeling of what the Run is about, and I hope it will help with understanding the logistics of getting all the riders across the United States.
 
As we prepared for tomorrow, several of the riders went to Riverside National Cemetery.
 
We had the honor to meet Tom Crosby last night as a guest speaker at dinner at the Elks.  He was also with us at Riverside. He was an 8 year old POW in WWII.  He is now 91. He was held captive with 1000s of other civilians in Manila. Many prisoners died of starvation.  The Red Cross would send packages.  But before the civilians would get  them, the Japanese would take everything out except for an occasional candy bar and toiletries.  
 

He told a story that he and his brother each got a candy bar.  His brother gobbled his up but Tom took one  lick per day, so that gave him something to look forward to to keep him going. He was 11 years old and 48 pounds when they were liberated and headed to America. You can look him up and get more details….it is amazing.

 
He made a comment of some of the statements that the prisoners said upon reflecting on their liberation:
Thank you God
I’m free
God Bless America
Prayers  were answered
All I want is a beer and a hamburger…..
This is his favorite picture.  It says it all…..
Both he and his brother served in the military.
He has a challenge coin that is amazing.  I normally do not show these but this one I thought you may like to see:
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Riverside National Cemetery
 
Google:

Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers 1,250 acres (510 ha), making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration.  It has been the most active cemetery in the system since 2000, based on the number of interments.

Riverside National Cemetery is home of the Medal of Honor Memorial, one of four sites in the United States recognized by the U.S. Congress as a National Medal of Honor Memorial Site. The Medal of Honor Memorial walls feature the names of all medal recipients.

Definition for Medal of Honor: 

  1. The highest US military decoration, awarded by Congress to a member of the armed forces for gallantry and bravery in combat at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
  2. The names of each of the 3,487 Medal of Honor recipients is inscribed on the polished granite. The recipients are listed in decoration date order arranged by conflict period beginning with the Civil War all the way thru Iraq / Afghanistan.
On the plaza leading up to the memorial is a symbol for each branch of the military.

                                     

These are the two walls as you enter into the granite walls.
“For conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity at the risk of 
life above and beyond the call of duty”
The granite walls.
Some of the names we saw were Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur.  Names with stars represent that they have received more than one medal.  There are 19. 
Mary Edwards was the only female. Single names represent the native Indian. This starts with as far back as the Civil War

 

 Native Indians

In 2015, our FNG year, we had the privilege to ride with Leroy Petry.  
He is the third name on the left.
 
At the Cemetery is a Memorial for POW/MIA.  The 9 black solid granite pillars represent prison bars. Inside the statue are water samples from 7 seas.  Also rocks from each branch’s military chapels are inside.

Another memorial we saw was the Veteran Memorial.

Google:
The Statue, an unknown lifeless body of a soldier in which the boots and hands are the only things visibly distinguishable, sits atop a 12-foot pedestal. As the face of the soldier and most of the body is hidden with a large cloak.  The unknown soldier represents any man or woman, any rank or division and stands as a silent memorial of every American who has given their lives in combat.

  

If you ever get a chance to visit Riverside, please do so, it is amazing.
 
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LET’S GET STARTED.
 

Last order of business of the day is the Central Route Meeting. This is for EVERYONE. Kirk Olson is the Route Coordinator (RC) for this year. He commented on the privilege in such a year: the 35th Run For The Wall, the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, and the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. Kirk’s father was also an RC in 2018.

 
He talked about the logistics of getting this many people cross country in 10 days. I will not go into detail now, but hope to show you in the reports what a well-oiled machine this is.
 
OH….. one more item. See the monkey on the podium? There was a comment made: You could put a monkey in the RC position and the road guards will get him cross country. (I wonder who said that?)
 
There will be lots of stories, new family members, and lots of memories.
 
HOW FAR WE GOING??? ALL THE WAY

 

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As I write this every day, I thought I would give you the definition of roles people play to get us cross country.  I have also listed the number of how many for each.  Here is a list you may want to reference.  Remember these are all volunteers.

TEAMS (ahead of the pack)

  • Advanced road guard – 8 = first to go out and confirm there are no issues on the roads. Ex: detours, traffic issues, … even have been known to clear some debris off the road to keep us safe.  They will also be the ones at all road exchanges, so everyone makes the turns.

  • Staging – 25 = Get to the next stop ahead of the pack and set up for each platoon to be staged 

  • Fuel – 20 = They get to the gas station and clear all pump for the platoons to come in.  There is no one at the gas pump when we arrive.  They, along with the road guars, direct the pack how to get to the pumps and leaving the pumps

  • Ambassador – 15 = Thanking the people on the bridges or in the towns for coming out and supporting the Run.

  • Hydration – 3-4 – They carry water, Gatorade, snacks and are at every gas stop.  All donated by someone or organization

  • Registration – 2-4 = In every city, they are there when we arrive, and every morning before we leave.   Since not everyone can ride 10 days, many will ride only a few days.  This team gets them signed up.

  • Merchandise team – 2 = travels with the Run selling t-shirts and other trinket

  • Photographer– 1 =Takes pictures along the way and post to the web site

  • Raffle Rousers– 2 = This team will be working all the riders prior to the morning meeting. This is where we will be running 50/50, auctions,.. as our way to raise money.

  • Outreach Team – 6

This team will visit Gold Start families.  They will go to the family and as they get there, each team member introduces themselves.  They will express their condolences for their loss and thank them for service and sacrifice to their country. The Pledge of Allegiance is said and a RFTW pin is given to the family members.  There is also a Gold Star patch and a certificate of appreciation from RFTW.  A green bracelet is also given as a symbol of hope.  They will pray with them and many times cry with them.  Thanks, Outreach, for your time with our Gold Star families.

THE PACK FORMATION:

  • Road guard – 25-30 = they have many jobs: stop traffic on all entrance ramps, guides us thru towns at each intersection, help direct at fuel stops, and whatever it takes to keep us safe.

  • Missing man -5 – Route Coordinator (RC), state coordinator, person representing the missing man, missing man coordinator, chaplain.

  • Leadership – 6-8 = Assistant Route coordinator (ARC), mentor (this is the RC from last year), leadership, any dignitary, …. this changes daily. Could be the mayor, POW… we never know who will be there from leg to leg.

  • State coordinator – Total 10 for the length of the run. Usually, 1 -2 per state. They will work with the local police, state highway patrol, sheriff for escort prior to the Run.  Also coordinates with the local town for our meal stops. So, during the run, they will ride in the leadership group while going thru their state.

  • Platoons – 10-15 = each platoon has a platoon leader, assistant platoon leader and 1 tail gunner.  In the middle are all the participants.  There are usually 10-12 platoons.

  • Communication team – 2 = talk to truckers and 1 in back of the pack. 

  • Medical team – 3-4 = there for any injuries or illnesses

  • Chaplains – 3-5 = this is a very key role.  Many are on this for healing.  Many remember comrades lost in war.  This is a very emotional trip for everyone. 

  • Last man – 1 – conveys to RC when the last bike is on the road/ expressway

  • Sit Rep Reporter – 1 – This person gives a summary of the day 

  • Chase vehicles – 3 = They have trailers and will pick up anyone running out of gas (yes this does happen) or breakdowns.

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Totals:

If you add all this up, it is around 120 people that have roles.

Participants = 15-20 per platoon – so 200-250 

At any given time, we are at 350-450 riding as a unit.


Additional Terms: 

Blue Star Family – a family with a member currently serving in the Armed Forces of the United States

Gold Star Family – family member that has died during a Military Operation

FNGs = Fine new guy/gal.   We welcome them to the RFTW family.  When we see one (they wear pins that have FNG) they get hugs….. Pretty cool to be one as everyone comes to hug you.

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One of our road guards showed me this right before I started writing the report. You just never know what you will see. Hahahaha (RFTW 35)

 

 

Quote of the day:

Live a life worth their Sacrifice