Category: General News & Updates

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Merchandise April 2025 Newsletter

This newsletter is a somewhat lengthy but contains a lot of important information regarding merchandise operations in Ontario, while on the Run and in Springfield. Please take a few minutes to read the entire newsletter so that you’ll have an understanding of what to expect.

To kick this off, almost all of the merchandise is now in transit to Ontario. What this means is that while the online store remains open, it has limited inventory and there is a chance that supply may run out on certain items. So far this hasn’t been an issue but there is risk depending on the volume of orders between now and when the store shuts down for the Run on May 1st. If an item is not available online there is a very good chance you’ll find what you’re looking for in Ontario, or while the trailers are on the move during the Run. The exception will be any prior year pins, patches and apparel that has a year associated with it. These items are not stocked in the trailers and are not resupplied once inventory runs out.

As we get close the end of April, this is a good time to remind you that the online store closes from May 1st thru mid-June. The reopening is based on when the trailers return to Ontario and merchandise is unloaded and shipped back to the suppliers to restock. A notice will go out when the online store is open again.

While in Ontario, there are several important things that you should be aware of. Some old news, some new. To begin, there will be two trailers open for sales again this year, one at the Holiday Inn and the other at the Elks. Days and hours vary based on the schedule below:

DayHoliday InnElks
Saturday10-5Closed
Sunday10-412-5
Monday9-59-5
Tuesday9-29-2

Regarding Springfield, the merchandise trailer will be open from 9 – 5 on Friday and 9 – 2 on Saturday at the American Legion Post 176. Please keep in mind whether you’re just hanging around the trailers or shopping, there is no smoking anywhere nearby as a courtesy to the merchandise team as well as our products, especially apparel. Also, all sales are final therefore no exchanges or refunds. You’re welcome to try on a shirt while you’re at the trailer but once it’s paid for and you leave, it’s yours.

We are now required to charge sales tax on all products sold in California. This will include Ontario and Blythe at 8.75% and Needles at 7.75%. There will be no tax anywhere else on the Run and does not apply to donations.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we are not a bank so anything larger than a $20 bill will not be accepted. We’ve had issues in past years where someone comes to buy a pin for $2 then gives a $100 bill. We can’t support change like that as we have limited cash resources. Thank you for your understanding.

For the first time we’ll be offering a selection of Amsoil products in the trailers for $10. There is a very limited supply of different V-Twin and Metric oils, V-Twin primary and transmission fluids and we’ll carry their Mudslinger.

Finally, don’t forget about Nelson-Rigg for your upcoming luggage needs. They are offering a whopping 30% discount on all of their products and will also be at the Elks this year to assist you with any luggage and cover needs. Also, they will be raffling away some of their products so be sure to check them out! The online link is here. Be sure to use the promo code RFTW.

Well, that’s it for now. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Ontario. May is almost here!

Alan “Xbox” Steiner
Director of Merchandise
Run For The Wall
https://rftw.us

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Assistant to the Treasurer Announcement

Run for the Wall®

The RFTW Treasurer is looking for someone to assist with some of the financial tracking work associated with that position.

The assistant would NOT be a board member but instead would work behind the scenes assisting in the daily management of treasurer activities.  This position requires an agreement that includes non-disclosure of corporate processes and activities along with a Character & Fitness Review.

The position description includes:

Title
Treasurer Assistant

Description
This position reports to the Treasurer and will manage various aspects of those processes, under the training and guidance of the Treasurer. These duties could vary and include working with spreadsheets, bank accounts, accounting software, and similar activities.

Required Knowledge & Skills

  • Good communication skills
  • Ability to use a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
  • Experience with cloud drives such as Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive.
  • Good computer skills
  • Willingness to learn and tackle various accounting tasks under the tutelage of the Treasurer.

This position requires an internet connection to access the various accounting software packages, cloud services, and email. A reasonable amount of computer knowledge is desired.

Please email treasurer@rftw.us if you are interested or have any questions.

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Own a Piece of Run For The Wall History

For Sale: Harley-Davidson FXSTS ridden in the 1st RFTW in 1989!

This is a very rare opportunity to own one of the original RFTW motorcycles!

Mike Castle, an original RFTW ‘89er is selling Rod “Bungee” Coffee’s 1989 Harley-Davidson FXSTS Springer Softail that was ridden on the very first Run For The Wall in 1989.

Bungee also led RFTW in 1991, 1992, and 1993.

The bike is in excellent condition.

Highlights

  • Engine replaced in 2008 with factory H-D engine. MSO from H-D included.
    • New engine has less than 10K miles since being replaced
  • Bike is fully serviced and ready to ride
  • New brake pads
  • New rear master cylinder
  • New tires
  • New wheel bearings
  • New swing arm bearings
  • New steering head bearings & races
  • Fresh fluids throughout
  • New cables
  • Fresh carburetor rebuild
  • New fork seals and fluid
  • New final drive belt
  • Includes original saddle in mint condition

*The gas tank does have a few small paint chips (original patina)

Currently located in Sun City, Arizona.

According to JD Power, this bike in Excellent condition is valued at $10,265 – $11,505

UPDATE: Asking price is $7,000

For more information contact Mike Castle at (701) 220-2968

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April 2025 Central Route Newsletter

*(This newsletter is best read at this link.)
RFTW and Central Route Riders!  It is almost here! We are 37-days until kickstands up, and the commencement of RFTW 2025 – The 35th Annual Run!  I mentioned this before, but it is time to get yourself and your motorcycle in tip top shape. I took my bike in last Saturday to get new tires, and my dealer discovered that I also needed a new front-wheel, wheel bearing.  Additionally, they also discovered that my faring was a little loose, and needed some tightening. The more you can do to prevent breakdowns on the run the better you will be.  But always know that we have our Chase Trucks for cases when people do breakdown or get flats, etc.

There have been some additional questions regarding our fuel stickers on Central Route. From my newsletter in February, the sticker is $35.00 per motorcycle or trike.  It is your ticket and passport to jump in our fuel line at any of our stops.  You will purchase the sticker with CASH when you check-in and get your registration materials in Ontario or at any of our overnight stops along the way. If you don’t have a fuel sticker, you will not be allowed to pump fuel in our fuel line(s) to get RFTW paid, sponsored and donated fuel.

Central Route is going to do things a little bit different this year. It is my aim to cut down on some of the multiple and sometimes seemingly redundant meetings we have had in the past, specifically in Ontario.  We will have one Central Route ALL HANDS meeting, at the Holiday Inn (2155 E Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA 91764) in the large ballroom at 11AM on Tuesday, May 13. This meeting is for FNG’s, all riders, and folks in leadership – All Hands. It is hours earlier than in the past, to give people time to rest, relax, and prepare for the next day’s departure.  I always hated us going up against the dinner hour the night before we leave, and now I get to fix that and try something new. It is my aim that this is a positive change for the better. We are cutting a separate FNG meeting, separate “leadership meeting”, and then having an all hands on top of all of that.  Team leads will still have their meetings, but that is on them to schedule around our one Central Route ALL Hands.

The Central Route Itinerary is out and published. See details here on how to put it on your iPhone, and print a copy for yourself. Note that the cover of our booklet is a replica of the RFTW graphic that was used on the FIRST RFTW in 1989. If you are joining us somewhere other than Ontario, my recommendation is that you join us at any of our overnight stops, as far WEST as you can, so you can experience as much of what is in-store, as possible. My FNG year in 2009, I joined in Burlington, CO that year, as that was our overnight (We now do Limon, CO). I loved it immediately, and regretted not joining further west. Regardless, do as much of it as you can, and your schedule allows.

Let’s talk a little  bit more about our Vietnam Veterans, and this years’ Run in particular. The Vietnam Veteran platoon will ride up front behind the Missing Man formation and our six-pack the entire journey to DC. To ride in this platoon, you need to have received the Vietnam campaign medal/ribbon. My father, Harlan Olson, will be the platoon leader for the Vietnam veteran platoon, Rod George will be the assistant, and Mike Hodge will be the tail gunner.  All of them have YEARS of experience with RFTW, and my dad, Harlan Olson was the Central Route Coordinator for the 30th Run in 2018.

Speaking of Vietnam, I had the opportunity to go to Saigon in early 2019 (now called Ho Chi Minh City), as my company at the time had our global sales meeting there.  My dad was stationed in Saigon in 1964 with the US Army Security Agency, 3rd Radio Research Unit.  The Army Security Agency was basically the Army’s version of the NSA. I recalled him telling stories a few times of his time there and The Caravelle Hotel, where he would hang out sometimes, and since I was there, I recreated a photo of him in 1964.  The images below will enlarge when you click on them.

On Friday, May 16, 2025 when we arrive at the Angel Fire Vietnam Memorial this year in New Mexico, on Day 3, we will lay two memorial bricks, just like we do every year over Labor Day Weekend when RFTW riders lay a few hundred bricks.  We will honor and remember Arthur Wayne Glover, from Harrisburg, PA and Donald Richard Taylor from Morristown, TN.  These men were also in the Army Security Agency in Saigon, and they were both killed on the same day during the same incident in 1964.  They were ages 24 and 21 when they were killed, and their names are on Panel 1E, Line 43 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. This will be an ALL HANDS Event when we get to the Memorial on May 16, and will take just a few minutes. Below is a video of what a brick laying entails over Labor Day Weekend.

One quick note about the GMRS Radios. BTECH recently released in January a large, new firmware update 0.8.0, and now 0.8.3 for the GMRS-PRO radio. This update added a VOX feature. If you did or do any of these updates, check and make sure to DISABLE or double-check that the VOX FEATURE is DISABLED!  This could potentially cause too many unnecessary ”open mic” transmissions. You should not use VOX on The Run.

To Disable:
From the front panel of the radio:
MENU > Radio Settings > UNCHECK Enable Vox

(make sure there is no checkmark under this feature and setting)

Additionally, on a side note, when connecting to a Sena headset, you sometimes might hear a never-ending loud beeping.  The fix for this is to roll the volume all the way down on the jog dial of the Sena, and then back up to where you want it.

Register for the 2025 Run now

Registration is now $75 until April 30th.  Then it goes to $90. Price is slightly lower under the Day Rider Program.  Go to the registration page now.  Everyone is highly encouraged to REGISTER for RFTW in 2025 now.  This helps us make an accurate plan for May.  If you are in Leadership you need to be getting registered now, if not already.  Your registration is your indication to us that you are committing to your volunteer position.  FNGs please also register as early as you can.  We know plans can change. This immensely helps our State Coordinators plan for meals, etc. Your registration fee basically covers, the privilege to ride with the Run in the pack, which in-turn gets you breakfast, lunch, and dinner at all of our stops across the country that is provided by our donors and supporters.  We could not do it without them.

Register for RFTW 2025

Honor and Remember Them All.
Remember, RFTW Riders are Built Different.

Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson
kirk.olson@rftw.us
RFTW Central Route Coordinator – 2025
Asst. Route Coordinator – 2024
Road Guard Captain – 2023
Asst. Road Guard Captain – 2019
RFTW Board of Directors – 2016-2019
Road Guard 2010-2018
FNG 2009

If you have not seen from previous newsletters by me or the other Route Coordinators from Southern, Midway, and Sandbox, RFTW is moving to GMRS for our on-road communications. This is not as big of a transition for us on Central Route this year in 2025, since we piloted the GMRS radios in 2024, and they worked very well.  My advice to you all is to get the radio now, and learn how to use, pair, and connect them to your helmet speakers or ear drums.  Also, help our friends on Southern, Midway, and Sandbox get theirs set-up and paired. Personally, I use a Sena 50S paired to the radio, and I paired the radio as PHONE 2, to the radio. See Sena directions, on how to do this.

**See this post on Where and What to Buy, and all things GMRS for RFTW.**

**See this Post for Videos on how to Program the radios** or here.

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National Vietnam War Veterans Day Sale – This Saturday Only!

This Saturday, March 29th is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. In recognition of this day, the store will be having a one-day sale with 20% off all anniversary and Vietnam based products. Here is the list:

  1. 35/50 Anniversary Patch
  2. 2025 RFTW Anniversary Poker Chip
  3. 2025 Run For The Wall® Anniversary Pin
  4. 35/50 Anniversary Sticker
  5. RFTW Vietnam Ribbon Cling (Large)
  6. RFTW Vietnam Campaign Ribbon Stickers
  7. 2025 Navy Blue Performance Men’s Polo Shirt
  8. 2025 RFTW Safety Green Performance Women’s Shirt
  9. 2025 RFTW Safety Green Performance Men’s Shirt

The 35th Run For The Wall is just around the corner so take advantage of the savings while you can!  Ride safe and don’t forget to begin doing motorcycle drills and rides, start hydrating and get mentally and physically ready. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Ontario!

Alan “Xbox” Steiner
Director of Merchandise
Run For The Wall
https://rftw.us

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Motorcycle Skills Practice Sessions

Motorcycle Skills Practice Sessions

Greetings from beautiful Colorado Springs, CO

IS IT MAY YET?

Almost! We are less than 47 days away from KSU for the Midway departure from Ontario on May 13. I hope that everyone has prepared: Bike, self, family, etc.

There are so many things to do to prepare for a mission like ours. Mental preparation for the long days and short nights, the emotional experiences, the focus and attention needed. Physical preparation for the body to cope with demands we place on it along with hydration, nutrition, exercise, medications. Notifying family and friends of our plans, locations of hotels, contact names and phone numbers, medical power of attorney, and others.

Two things we can all do to prepare ourselves and increase safety – Core strength and skills. Have you started, or continued, to work on these?

Physical fitness is important for safe riding and one of the most overlooked, but the most important aspects of physical fitness is core strength. Riding long days, several days on end, demands a lot from our body. We sit in the same position for hours and days, focused on the road ahead, those beside us, traffic, speeds, etc. What keeps your body upright? Your Core.

The core is the group of trunk and hip muscles that surround the spine, abdominal viscera and hip. Core muscles are essential for proper load balance within the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain. They spare the spine from excessive load and are essential for load transfer between the upper and lower body. The core is comprised of two areas.

  1. Core Trunk Muscles: Abdominals; thoracolumbar; lumbar and lateral thoraco-lumbar muscles
  2. Core Hip Muscles: Hip flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors and rotators.

Without these muscles being properly conditioned, strengthened, and toned, the rest of the body takes the stress, particularly the back. Most riders complain of back pain after long hours in the saddle, often blaming it on degenerative discs, previous back injuries, surgeries, weight, etc. All of these can certainly increase discomfort, and we all search for solutions to reduce the discomfort and pain like backrests, belts, coats rolled up behind the hips and lower backs, ibuprofen, acetaminophen. In reality, the core muscles are likely weak, putting pressure on the tiny muscles of the back and asking them to support the upper body, which they were never designed to do.

Start now and work every day for 10-15 minutes on your core. There are literally hundreds of exercises available online and from physical therapy, occupational therapy, physicians and other medical professionals. You don’t need to go to the gym, lift heavy weights, or run a marathon. You can do many of them sitting at a desk, standing at work or home, while washing dishes, even while laying in bed. Add some stretching to your routine as well, particularly the hamstrings. Physical Therapists estimate that as much of 70% of recurrent back pain can be eliminated by simply improving hamstring flexibility and core strength. Any athlete will tell you that the base for their fitness is core strength. Without it, all the training and weightlifting in the world won’t help them achieve the next level of greatness.

Your skills behind the handlebars improve as well with a strong core. When you need to maneuver, stop suddenly, avoid an object, lean into a corner at speed, and even balance your bike while stopped, you’ll need the skills to do so and the core strength to support the actions. Have you dusted off your skills? Have you been practicing in parking lots, on the road, or other areas? Are you ready? Skills are perishable and we can all do more to keep those skills sharp.

We are pleased to announce yet another opportunity to sharpen your skills. On Monday, May 12th, Bernadette Staples and I will be coordinating some practice sessions in Lot D, Ontario. We will have various patterns established with cones for you to knock the rust off and show yourself what you’re capable of. There will be some coaches available to give feedback and pointers to help you improve as well.

We will have two sessions available:

  • 9AM – noon
  • 2PM – 5PM

Since this is not structured, please come as you have time, for as little, or as long as you wish. It is not necessary to sign up, just show up when you have time after getting checked in at registration. Everyone is welcome. This isn’t for one group or skill set, this is for everyone. Last year we had a lot of fun, some laughs, some team building and some improvement. We had riders who had never navigated a cone, some who teach rider skills, and even one who races professionally. We all have room for improvement, and we can all benefit from being more skilled, safer riders.

Please consider joining us on Monday for some practice. If there are specific things you’d like to work on, let us know and we’ll facilitate that and help you improve. We can all ride, now lets all ride with skill!

I’m excited to see all of you in May!

Sincerely,

Lance ‘Batman’ Wheeler
Run For the Wall
Director of Risk Management
e:  risk.management@rftw.us

Together We Ride!

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2025 Central Route Itinerary is now Published @ www.rftw.us

Greetings from RFTW and the CENTRAL ROUTE! –
May is 37-days away, and KSU is in 50-days!

We are pleased to announce that the Official 2025 Central Route Itinerary is complete and posted!  This is your 10-Day Daily Schedule. Get familiar with it. Use it. Put it on your phone, or print a hard copy for yourself.

It can be viewed and downloaded here:
https://rftw.us/central-route-hub

Additionally, if you want to PRINT a hard copy BOOKLET for yourself, the best thing to do is use this PRINT version, and print using the PRINT BOOKLET Option with Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

TWO VERSIONS – Screen and PRINT

  1. Put on your phone version – Click here
  2. Print booklet version, using Print Booklet function of Adobe Acrobat – Click Here (Save file to your computer first.)
    **Instructions on how to PRINT BOOKLET Here. Must be able to print on two sides of paper. Click here for instructions.** The MAP pages are on the LONG EDGE in the PRINT Version, and they are rotated for easier viewing in the Phone version.

To download and put the itinerary on your Apple iPhone click on the itinerary link at the Central Hub, then follow these instructions below.

Save and View PDFs to the Books app on your iPhone or iPad

Use Apple Books to save and view PDFs.

Tap the link above and get the itinerary PDF to open it.

  1. Tap the Share button 
  2. Swipe left over the app icons and tap Books.
    The Apple Books icon
    If you can’t see Books, tap the More button. Then tap Books.
    The Apple Books icon appears when you tap the More button.

Your PDF will open and save automatically in the Books app. You can find it later in the Library tab.

If you own an Android, follow these instructions:
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/hub/how-to-read-pdfs-on-android.html

See you in May!

Honor and Remember Them All.
Remember, RFTW Riders are Built Different.

Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson
kirk.olson@rftw.us
RFTW Central Route Coordinator – 2025
Asst. Route Coordinator – 2024
Road Guard Captain – 2023
Asst. Road Guard Captain – 2019
RFTW Board of Directors – 2016-2019
Road Guard 2010-2018
FNG 2009

If you have not seen from previous newsletters by me or the other Route Coordinators from Southern, Midway, and Sandbox, RFTW is moving to GMRS for our on-road communications. This is not as big of a transition for us on Central Route this year in 2025, since we piloted the GMRS radios in 2024, and they worked very well.  My advice to you all is to get the radio now, and learn how to use, pair, and connect them to your helmet speakers or ear drums.  Also, help our friends on Southern, Midway, and Sandbox get theirs set-up and paired. Personally, I use a Sena 50S paired to the radio, and I paired the radio as PHONE 2, to the radio. See Sena directions, on how to do this.

**See this post on Where and What to Buy, and all things GMRS for RFTW.**

**See this Post for Videos on how to Program the radios** or here.

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RFTW Board of Directors Opening – Treasurer

Become a Board Member!

The Board of Directors is announcing an upcoming vacancy in the position of Treasurer.

The Treasurer is not only a member of the Board but is also a corporate officer with financial and fiduciary responsibilities to the corporation.

This critical position has specific requirements to best serve the corporation and its riders. The successful candidate needs experience with write-up accounting, must be familiar with GAAP, experience with QuickBooks, especially the on-line version, experience with Excel to include creating and modifying spreadsheets, the ability to coordinate multiple actions with multiple players to include other directors and vendors, familiarity with banking apps and their various payment options.  Additionally, the Treasurer must be familiar with non-profit reporting across various government agencies. Understanding of and the ability to research reporting requirements, along with the nuances of RFTW and its operations is essential. A huge plus would be someone with credentials to prepare our annual Form 990 return and the ability to represent RFTW during an IRS audit. CPA, Enrolled Agent, or Registered Tax Return Preparer are all positives. While the position does not require a CPA, bookkeeping experience alone is not sufficient. Staff accounting experience would be an ideal qualification.

The successful candidate will submit a resume focused on their meeting the above qualifications, along with RFTW experience. Submit complete resumes to Secretary@RFTW.us. Prior to final approval of the BoD, candidates must successfully undergo a background check and a financial check.

The vacancy will occur on 31 August 2025; however, the successful candidate can be brought on-board early so that we can ensure a smooth transition.

Please send questions can either to Treasurer@rftw.us or President@rftw.us.

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Merchandise March 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to March everyone! We’re 2 months, 14 days from kickstands up and thought I’d drop a few words regarding some general information and updates for merchandise. So let’s get right into it.

First, I want to welcome Angie “Den Mother” Holterman. She is helping me with all things apparel and picked up the order processing for apparel and working with our supplier. This gives me more time to focus on inventory management, Run fulfillment, new designs and ensuring that I can provide you with the best customer experience. Thank you Angie for stepping up to help in this valuable role!

I posted in the Forum an issue that has resurfaced again regarding shipments. As a reminder, all apparel ships directly from our supplier with everything else shipping from RFTW separately. This means that any shirts or head gear you order will come separately from everything else, such as patches, pins, etc. When I receive an order, it is reviewed with all apparel items extracted out and put into a special formatted spreadsheet for our supplier. This spreadsheet is then provided to the supplier twice a week for fulfillment. Everything else will usually ship the next business day so depending on the day of the week, so you may get your complete order on different days. Also, some items will ship 1st Class Mail and not express so these may take 1-2 weeks to get. Please be aware of this.

Regarding shirts there are a few things I want to mention. First, the 89’er long sleeve shirt that has the original artwork from the first 89’er t-shirt, was a one time buy. The shirt is a limited edition and will not be reordered. So, if you’re interested in the shirt, consider buying online to secure yours otherwise there is a chance that your size may not be available in Ontario or during the Run. Speaking of the Run, I am planning to increase inventory this year to hopefully offset demand and not have the shortages that were experienced last year. Finally, an update on the stock status. For the exception of the safety green shirt, all other shirts are now fully stocked. There is still a backorder on the safety green shirt and I do not have a commitment from the supplier on a delivery date yet. Once I have that I will be sure to let you know.

Something new this year is that all sales in California will now be taxed at 8.75%. This includes Ontario, Blythe and Needles. This does not affect online sales or sales in any other state. As a result, please consider using a credit card for any purchases in California. This is not a requirement but will simplify and speed up transactions, especially in Ontario. That said, cash sales are always welcome!

Last up is that I have been working with Nelson-Rigg on a special deal for everyone. For those of you that may not know, Nelson-Rigg sells luggage, tank bags, covers and rain gear for motorcycles and riders. I have used their stuff for over 20 years and stand by their products. They are great quality and most of the stuff has a lifetime warranty. So, effective immediately, if you login into their website here, and order any of their products, use RFTW as the promotion code at checkout and get a 30% discount! They also have free shipping for anything over $50.

Neson-Rigg

To close, I want to thank all of you for your continued support of Run For The Wall. This is a special year given that it’s our 35th annual Run as well as the 50th Anniversary of the end to the Vietnam War. Do you know why this year marks the 50th anniversary to the Vietnam War and what the last battle was? If not, look it up and familiarize yourself. Remember our mission, why we ride and be respectful of each other. Something that we’ve lost in recent weeks and the rhetoric is uncalled for. We’re all here to ride for those who can’t and those that never made it home. Remember that.

Respectfully,

Alan “Xbox” Steiner
Director of Merchandise
Run For The Wall
https://rftw.us