Category: Sandbox Route 2026 SitReps

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2026 SandBox Route – Day 3

Run For The Wall, Sandbox Route 

SITREP May 26, 2026 

Written by Mary (Peppermint Patti) Bogan

The morning started with the most beautiful sunrise with orange colors blended together like a melted creamsicle.
At the all-hand meeting a roll call was done with a list of names. They were Navy and Coast Guard names from 2004. Operation Iraqi Freedom. All killed. Say their names. Never forget.
Another name. Kevin Ellenburg. Kevin’s mom and dad came to the run and are FNGs this year.  His mom, Amy, spoke to us. He was a rescue swimmer and she said he had three characteristics.
Determination. Kevin was in Little League. His mission was to be a catcher for his brother, a pitcher, Andrew. Mission complete.
Resilience. He was a product of divorce. She is his bonus mom. His sister was his confidante, a bond like no other.
Loyalty. When he joined the Army his dad told him bring pride to the name Ellenburg on your chest.  He was always the first to volunteer.
Amy closed by saying there were two who died for us …
One carried the flag.
One carried the cross.
One died for your freedom.
One died for your soul
Private First Class Kevin James Ellenburg.  Say his name. Never forget.
We got on the road and went to the Indiana Veterans Home, which hosted us for breakfast. As we approached the lengthy driveway, it was lined with large flags. There’s also a cemetery for the veterans and their spouses who have resided at the home. Each headstone had a small flag at its base. The grounds are beautiful with a fountain and a memorial. Cut green grass extends for a long way. But always the best part is seeing the veterans. A few were out to meet us, but the morning was still cool.
Jim, a Marine, is the home mail carrier. He’s been here eight years and was asked if he’d do this job. They pay him $3 an hour. So he’s still working.
Ralph was a Navy man. He liked the little dog, Chipper. He was a Yeoman (male Secretary) for a weapons officer.  He served on the USS Arcadia, a tender ship, and on the USS Josephus Daniels.
Visiting the VA homes can be hard, but we do so much good by visiting. Occasionally, you run into someone who doesn’t want a pin, and when you say thank you for your service, they respond with, “Whatever.”  We are told not to take it personally, but you wish you had time to really make a difference for that one person. Most are so happy to see someone, to get a pin, a hug, or a handshake, and a few minutes of your time so they feel like part of the community again.
The last fuel stop of Sandbox is in Watseka, Illinois. The noise. The fuel team flaggers are directing bikes this way and that way to open pumps. The bikes are moving. It truly is chaos that quickly gets several hundred bikes fueled up and moved out to the staging area. It’s an art to getting it done.
They tried to break their record. The words, “C’mon. Pump!!!” were heard. The 9 minutes and 47 seconds for about 260 bikes didn’t break the record of 8 minutes and change, but it’s sure impressive.
One of the best parts was that the fuelers were all wearing swim shorts, providing some levity for a very solemn mission.
The group went to Legion Park in Watseka for lunch. And there, RC Clutch presented plaques and patches for the Leadership teams.
From lunch we headed to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois. The mission.
People looked up names, others made etchings, and some just needed a hug. It’s an emotional time for those with someone on the wall, and there are a lot of tears shed. Those tears mean someone loved is not forgotten. Say their names. Tell their stories.
Sandbox Route completed the mission by laying a plaque on the wall and making a flag presentation. Wall to Wall. Mission complete.
It’s the last day of the Sandbox Route. There’s a sadness as our riders, our family members, will now scatter to the winds. Safe travels.
Peppermint Patti
SITREP Writer
Sandbox Route
(For more photos, go to my FB page. Patti Bogan. All of the Sandbox days and Midway are there.)
“Make no mistake about it: Operation Desert Storm truly was a victory of good over evil, of freedom over tyranny, of peace over war.” — Former Vice President Dan Quayle
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2026 SandBox – Day 2

Run For The Wall, Sandbox Route 

SITREP May 25, 2026 

By Mary (Peppermint Patti) Bogan

Our day started at the Mall. Breakfast, our mandatory meeting. It’s something expected and we get safety briefings about construction and so on. Information is good.
A bio is read every day of one who died. It’s hard for the reader to get through without tears. Kevin Lucas … may we never forget. Say their names.
Top related a First Responder story about BK, a third generation firefighter. He died yesterday in a fire. But he helped save five people. We said his name.
We have a Gold Star family going with us. Their son is Kevin J. Ellenburg. U.S. Navy. We said his name out loud. He will not be forgotten.
We say their names out loud because as long as they’re recognized they will not be forgotten.
Then we went to the St. Clairsville City Hall (Belmont County) for a Memorial Day Ceremony. It was described as a Norman Rockwell kinda event. And that’s true.
As we rode to downtown the street was lined with flags. Many houses also have flags. What a wonderful day to be an American.
The bikes get parked on the street, several wide, and we wander over for opening statements and presentations. Retired Major General Batts was the Keynote Speaker. He had so many accomplishments, medals and titles it would take a whole page.
He said it was initially called Decoration Day and was meant to lay flowers on graves of fallen soldiers. It’s become commercialized now and people have forgotten what Memorial Day is. He said it’s a loss of respect and dignity. It’s not about buying a barbecue or lawn furniture, or running to the beach. It’s become to the average citizen a distortion. It’s lost so much meaning of what the day is supposed to be … a day to remember those who have fallen. A day to express gratitude. It’s about those who have died.
Of course the band and the Flag Corps are highlights. These young people are so accomplished it’s a privilege to hear and see them. In addition, there was a firing salute and the playing of taps.
St. Clairsville is a historic town and a beautiful one. It’s small-town. It has a huge Memorial Day event remembering our fallen and parades in Fourth of July. All the things many of us grew up with.
We present plaques to those who have helped us get here, who have fed us, who have had an event that we could be a part of on this special day.
A couple of us stopped at an overpass to take video/photos of the pack coming through. Then we played catchup.
The motor police blocked ramps but there was also a rolling roadblock that was a thing of beauty. The motor police went back and forth across all the lanes of traffic effectively backing the traffic up behind them. It was like a choreographed dance with flashing blue lights.
Vehicles behind us were four across, covering all the lanes. The vehicles behind us were lined up like in a NASCAR race waiting for the flag to drop. It was really kind of cool.
After lunch at the VFW 5434 there was a breakout group to a memorial in Greenfield, Indiana. Again, small town America and their beautiful memorials. There’s nothing like it.
Plaques were presented and Siren sang the National Anthem. It was moving. A beautiful day. Memorial Day.
Later there were two fire trucks on an overpass with a huge
flag hanging between them. How could you see that and not be patriotic and proud to be an American.
Sandbox Route ended the day at Hunter’s Moon Harley in Lafayette, Indiana. There was food and plaques were presented. But the highlight was a guest speaker, a Gold Star mom. Gold Star families have gone above and beyond by having a family member lost in the line of service.
Special guest speaker, Pam, found it difficult to speak. She said it’s hard to express even 19 years later. Her youngest son at 22, Cody was a great athlete. He loved his family.  He rose to the top when he joined the Army. He would have made a great general. She said she was so proud of him.
He’d just been home for R&R 15 days before he was killed. Many families don’t get that time.
She said she’s honored that we honor and remember them.
Corporal Cody Andrew Putman. Say his name.
Sandbox presented the  family a shadow box with a flag and medals. A great way to end a RFTW Sandbox Memorial Day.
Peppermint Patti
SITREP Writer
  • Heroism: “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”  General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
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2026 SandBox SitRep – Day 1

This year will be a little different.  Patti (Mary) Bogan and Arnie (Ammo) Harman will be contributing to the SitRep writing, and I will be posting their pieces.  I will clearly note the author so they receive full credit for writing about their experience and observations from the 2026 SandBox Run.  It’s not an easy job to ride with the Pack and have to concentrate on tracking events and writing about them later on, often not getting enough sleep.  Hat’s off to both with a big Thank You! for the work.

From Patti Bogan:

Run For The Wall, Sandbox Route

SITREP May 24, 2026
Today the Sandbox mission began. Sandbox defines the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and involvement in the Gulf. This mission is considered Wall-to-Wall, from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in D.C. to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois. The route and destination serves to honor those who have sacrificed or have made the ultimate sacrifice in our nation’s most recent conflicts.
This year is the 35th anniversary of Desert Storm/Desert Shield. There were 382 U.S military personnel killed in these conflicts. We ride for them. We ride for those who can’t. We will say their names out loud.
Staging began at 0500. People are awaking at 0330 or so to make sure we are staged in the proper areas, get breakfast and get on the road by 0700. It’s organized chaos that works.
Raining. Still. Everyone is in rain gear so it’s hard to know who’s who.
Breakfast and staging was at the American Legion Post 176. They had a full hot breakfast.
Taz, our Outreach Coordinator, had a special guest for us. We heard from a Red Star Foundation member and widow Sarah Braegger. Her husband was Travis “Griz” Boyd.
She said that we need to tell the story.  Travis was a soldier, a father and a husband. His battles did not stay on the battlefield. They came home with him. Travis was more than his pain. He loved his children. But PTSD sometimes made him seem so far away.
In one broken moment, she said, he believed that his absence would protect the ones he loved. And in that broken moment he committed suicide. (If you’d like to know more about Sarah and Travis check out her Facebook page.)
The Red Star Foundation is a relatively new organization that is dedicated to helping the families of military service members, veterans and first responders who have lost a loved one to suicide.
The ride got off and two of us stopped at an overpass where a couple of folks were waiting to see the run go through. It’s always awesome to have family supporting the riders. And you get to meet some very nice folks.
Then it was gas and go to follow the Ambassador and Outreach teams to the Patriot Park Memorial.
It was a beautiful ride. A winding road, with rolling hills and the greenest of grass.
There was a huge painted barn. The paint was peeling but you could tell it had once been a gorgeous site along this road.
Then there was heavy fog. It was eerie as we kept rolling toward the Flight 93 Memorial. Misting rain added to the mysterious feeling.
We visited the Post 9-11 U. S. Armed Forces Memorial. It’s called Patriot Park. There are more than 7,000 heroes and more than 7,000 flags. There were photos of many who have died in the war on terrorism. It’s a solemn display and brings home the number of lives lost to this war.
As people wandered through the area and read about those who have been killed, the wind started to blow, gently rippling the flags. It was as though they knew we were there to pay our respects.
From there the group went to the
Flight 93 Memorial.  There’s extreme sadness. And extreme gladness. Sadness for the lives lost. Gladness for the lives saved. The sun came out as if to celebrate that we were here to honor, pay our respects and say their names.
Many remember. Four aircraft. Three crashing into the World Trade Center’s two towers and one into the Pentagon. The fourth, UA Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all aboard. Nearly 3,000 people died that day in the deadliest terrorist attack on American soul.
That day the passengers on Flight 93 passengers fought  back to keep the flight from making a deadly attack on another target, the Capital Building. While it still crashed the passengers heroic efforts stopped the terrorists from making an attack on their target.
The site of the crash is serene now, covered with grass and trees. A lone 17-ton piece of sandstone marks a visual reference. But it’s the marker for all of the unidentified passengers and crew. The flight came in about 25 feet in front of the stone, at 563 mph.
The Wall of Names distinguishes each of the 40 passengers in individual marble panels. Say their names never forget.
The weather has been cooperative up until shortly after our afternoon fuel stop. The closer we got to St, Clairesville, Ohio, the worse it got. Heavier and heavier rain. But a great event awaited us.
Dinner was fabulous at the Ohio Valley Mall and was followed by recognition of those who have provided for us and a donation to Sandbox.  There was a live auction with the big item being a quilt … Stars and Stripes … that went for nearly a grand. There were a number of other items and it was quite lively.
  • “The desert takes our dreams away from us, and they don’t always return. Those who don’t return become a part of the clouds. They become part of everything.” — Paulo Coelho (from The Alchemist)