Category: Southern Route SitReps

Las Cruces—you can always count on a pleasantly cool morning as we all meet up at the American Legion #10 for breakfast.   We’ve come here for many years and enjoy it every time.  It’s great to see many familiar faces that have been hard at it cooking up breakfast.  Once our stomachs were full and we were briefed on the upcoming day’s events, we headed to the Las Cruces Veterans Memorial Park.   This is an outstanding park, dedicated in honor and memory to every single veteran—from all wars.   You can spend well over an hour here—looking and reading everything.  The park’s director gave a brief talk on the progress of the additions & also described the different areas.  It is truly humbling to see it all.  P.S.some great pictures of the memorial park were posted on Facebook by Kelley Perry. Thank you, Gonzo!

Then it’s off to——TEXAS!  Woohoo!  Of course, right off the bat we have to get through El Paso—which is never fun, especially with the perpetual construction on I-10.   But we made it through unscathed to our fuel stop in Fabens.  Next stop—Van Horn for their wonderful lunch & cookies!  Pastor Bobby does a phenomenal job for us, and we’re very appreciative.    

Now to wet down with cool sleeves & neck wraps to get ready for the heat, again, heading towards Pecos for one last fuel stop.   Pecos HAS to be the hottest spot in West Texas.  This rider can vouch for that!   But oh…guess what West Texas decided to treat us with?    Before I tell you, early this morning at the breakfast, Captain “promised” us that the one thing we would NOT see is snow.    As fate would have it, he was wrong!   Well, it wasn’t entirely snow——it was hail !!    Yes, the storm clouds dumped rain AND hail right in front of us—so much so that it literally looked like snow in the interstate shoulders and fields.   Unbelievable!  Yes, we got rained on, but by the time we arrived at Crossroads, the storm had passed.  

Speaking of Crossroads, Our final stop for the day was supper at Crossroads Fellowship Church. Usually, we have a wonderful catfish dinner and ice cream waiting for us. But this year was a little different – we had some refreshing Jersey Mike’s sandwiches (hoagies to East Coast folks, subs to the rest of us), and some ice cream with M&M’s, and a small bag of chips. Several of the church members were there to greet us and make us feel welcome. The parking lot is always lined with local riders and friends.  And the church is definitely a great place to come in and cool down from the heat. Tonight we also had the option of going out to the Chris Kyle Memorial, which was led by “Wild Bill,“ a local Vietnam veteran and PGR patriot.  “Wild Bill” did the run back in 2008, and has always been passionate about our mission.

Before I close, I must give a HUGE “Thank You” to the Texas DPS .   Once, again, they are escorting us ALL THE WAY ACROSS TEXAS.   Despite the overwhelming work that these men and women have been facing regarding the border issue, they are dedicating a number of them to help us across the state.   Words aren’t enough for a “thank you.”

Now, off to our hotels for restful night. 

The morning starts with refreshed riders, homemade breakfast burritos and lots of coffee. The temperature was very pleasant, and the riders all seemed ready to get going again. After a brief meeting, we headed to Marana, AZ, which is always a good spot—full of the townspeople, and LEO’s who really roll out the red carpet.  We had another brief meeting, but this time we heard some very moving testimonies, which made our mission even more fervent.

Then we were off to Willcox, AZ, to see the school kids and have a great lunch.  What a change in temperature—from 102 yesterday to the low 80’s!  Wow.   And what a welcoming group of kids and town folks out front.   Lunch was their great brisket and beans…!   As “Eyes” presented plaques and certificates, the one that really touched her was when she gave one to the Wilcox PD.  Many good relationships have been cultivated over the years with these communities, but working with the LEO’s is especially rewarding.  They really become part of the RFTW family—-you can ask ANY of the road guards—and they’ll wholeheartedly agree.

As we left—in 82 degrees—-we see a rain storm over the mountains to our south.  For this West Texas gal who continues to live in drought land, rain clouds are a beautiful sight.  If they would just go to Odessa—-but I digress….  :-).  We made it to Las Cruces in the cool, slightly sprinkling weather.  The Elks Lodge of Las Cruces rolled out THEIR red carpet for us with an EXCELLENT meal and warm welcome.  This was the first time that the Elks Lodge of Las Cruces has hosted us.   What made this possible was Alfred Skorupski—-who made not only the Las Cruces supper stop happen, but also the awesome 3 days of being catered to at the Lodge in Ontario, CA!   Alfred is the Past State President of the Elks in AZ.   Is he the man or what??

What a great day it was!   On to Odessa, TX, tomorrow!

It’s here!!  Day 1 of our journey to D.C.   After an inspiring talk from RFTW Founder, James “Gunny” Gregory, & a brief opening ceremony, everyone started getting ready – and we were off!  It went relatively smoothly, getting out of Ontario and the whole L.A. area.  Then we headed to our first fuel stop at Coachella & Spotlight 29 Casino for a break & short meeting. This is always a very welcomed stop—they’re practically like family now.   And speaking of “warm,” the temp is already warm!  Let me rephrase that – it is HOT! Already 93° and it’s only 10 o’clock in the morning!

Now, on to Blythe, CA, where we know it’s even hotter…but the people treat us like royalty.   After lunch & lots of water, we gear up for the afternoon ride—which is long & very challenging.   This is where you quickly discover if you kept yourself sufficiently hydrated.   We made it to our afternoon fuel stop in Tonopah, AZ.   I would bet money that we were standing on the asphalt parking lot that was at least 120 degrees.   The air temperature was ranging from 100 to 102.  Wow….   

On to Casa Grande, though, for supper at the Elk’s Lodge.   And it was surely a welcomed site.   Many of the towns people were there, waving us in and greeting us at the Lodge.   They fed us a great supper of Mexican food, which really hit the spot.   The Elks people were just fabulous.   And what made it even more special was that we had some pleasant surprise visits from a few riders & road guards in the RFTW family that no longer ride with us.    Another great thing that happened today was that we were either right on time or early on our scheduled stops!    Getting in early rarely happens, which meant we got off the hot highway & bright sun.    Now—we’re off to the hotels for a cool shower & rest for Day 2.     After a grueling 406 mile day, tomorrow will be slightly easier at 354 miles.  Plus, the weather is SAYING that it’ll be cooler….  We’ll see!

An early start today—-some of us were here in Lot D to send off the Midway Route on their journey eastbound to D.C.!  Yes—-Midway Route is leaving a day earlier, yet will be in DC at the same time.   Leaving a day earlier is something that has been talked about for several years, but 2023 is the first time it’s been implemented as a “trial run.”   They will be taking a little “down time” in Cookeville, TN.   But back to Lot D—-as in the past, the great folks from the local CMA chapters were out in full force with breakfast burritos, pots of coffee & snacks for the riders to take along.   The Elks Lodge was out there, as well, passing out various items & snacks.    After the brief opening ceremony, it seems everyone was ready to hear the infamous horn blow.   And finally, with a wave good-bye—they were off.

For the other riders who weren’t out there, many headed over to the Lodge, where the Elks people were fixing us breakfast burritos, as well!   In fact, they had a great line-up of meals planned, once more, for us today, as we conducted meetings & met up with friends.    The Elks volunteers have gone above & beyond for RFTW—there is no doubt in anyone’s mind.

This morning we had a leadership meeting, and the excitement was just buzzing.  For all who stayed for lunchtime at the Lodge, we were treated to some great entertainment from the 1st Division Marine Band of Camp Pendleton.  These band members are also active Marines!  They played everything from jazz to 1940’s classics.  Awesome musicians—especially since it’s not their primary job!   Of course, they ended with the “Armed Forces Medley” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

For this afternoon—both Central & Southern had the FNG and the All Riders meetings out at Lot D.   All I will say—-is it was acclimating us to the heat!  :-).    Seriously, though, as several members of the leadership team went over vital points, it was good to be reminded of things that we “old timers” had forgotten.     Once the meetings are over—-it’s time to buckle down & get yourself and your gear ready for tomorrow morning—-loading the bike in the dark and heading to Lot D to stage.   I remember well the last minute jitters….     Tomorrow—-for the FNG’s——it’s an adventure they have never experienced before—-and won’t ever forget.

What a way to start the day!   The great folks at the Elks Lodge not only opened up their place for our meetings, but also is providing us 3 meals a day at great prices.   And what do we have for today?   The awesome Ontario Fire Department, working with the Lodge,  came out, fired up the griddles & made us pancakes.   For lunch, we had hamburgers, & the smoke from the outdoor grills cooking those patties just made your mouth water.   To top it off—-they served an awesome steak dinner for the evening.   This place was hopping all day long—with meetings, registrations or just socializing.   Back at the host hotel, the parking lot was busy as well, especially the merchandise trailer.   Many other “logistic duties” & errands were getting done by all routes.

This afternoon there at the Elks Lodge, we had the special privilege of watching Army Specialist Stephen Peterson, from the Middle East Conflict, receive his bike from Combat Hero Bike Build.   This is always a great, yet humbling thing to witness.

Tomorrow will bring something entirely new to the Run!   Something not ever done before—it’s exciting, yet, with anything tried out for the first time, it’s nerve-wracking.  “Stay tuned” as they say.

It’s finally here!    MAY is upon us and the official 2023 RFTW Ride is only days away!

My name is Diann “Mojo” McKee, and I’m the Southern Route’s sit-rep writer for this year.   Of all the jobs I’ve held on the run during my years, I’ve never been sit-rep writer.   So—-here goes!    Just a note—-the sit-reps will not have any pictures attached.   This year, “Eyes,” our RC, has a Social Media person who will be taking & posting MANY pictures throughout the day and on all the media sites.  What a great way to really see what’s going on——all throughout the run!

Here it is—Sunday.   Excitement is building as the riders keep arriving during the day.   Hugs and handshakes are abundant.   The parking lot is filling up rapidly with bikes trying to find a spot, and the merchandise trailer is already doing a brisk business.   It’s wonderful seeing old friends, again—being glad that they were able to make it one more year.

Talk about organized chaos. All the different leadership teams were trying to get things distributed to their team members throughout the day. But excitement was everywhere. Tomorrow’s schedule is packed with many meetings, along with some special events.   And tonight offered a church service at the host hotel.    Yes, today was a time to relax (i.e. release some of the pent-up energy!) with our RFTW family. Then, getting a good night’s sleep—ready for leadership meetings— and seeing even more old friends AND greeting new FNG’s as they arrive.

As the evening progressed, you could see many gatherings of old friends in the different hotels. To see the riders getting together, socializing and catching up on their lives is what makes everything so worthwhile.  Not to mention that it helps calm the “run jitters,” despite how many times we’ve already done it.    THAT never goes away.   Comparing our similar little personal trials with each other seems to help us forge ahead for the intense days facing us.

Day 10!  We made it to Arlington – ALL THE WAY!  How far we going to go?  ALL THE WAY.

Today we started in Lynchburg and going planned on 256 miles to Arlington.  We had breakfast at the Tree of Life Ministries.  After breakfast, there were some presentations to not only the folks from The Tree of Ministries that took care of us but many of the unsung hero’s that helped pull this whole run off.

Probably the big point of this drive was the rain we ran into.  We had some heavy rain for quite a while.  We pulled off for a fuel stop at a Sheetz in Fisherville and then it was really coming down but 15 minutes later, things calmed down.  The rain gear really helped.  We went on to the next stop, Front Royal where we fueled up and had lunch in the parking lot at the Hilton Double Tree.  P&J Sandwiches.  Then, 66 miles to Arlington.  We had Police escort all the way through Virginia into Arlington.  I think everyone was thinking about getting to Arlington and that’s all that was on their mind.  Once we rolled into the host hotel, it was a great feeling.  We made it!

Thanks All Brothers and Sisters for being Run companions!  It’s been a great one.  See you next year!

Boots
USAF ’72 – ’75

Day 9 – Thursday May 22, 2022. Southern Route

Today we travel from Wytheville Virginia to Lynchburg Virginia.  It will be an easier day than most with only 130 miles to be traveled for the pack.  Breakfast was at Withers Park with again, the people of Wytheville coming out to take care of us.  After a bit, the kids came around and started their show for us.  The children put on a fantastic show.  They obviously practiced long and hard for this.  They started with a patriotic entrance using flags for each branch of the service with the appropriate song of that branch.  Then they went into a very well done skit from Stripes where the kids were spot on with the acting and speaking parts.  It was very well done and brought the house down.  They did some readings and the meaning behind them.  They also carried the American Flag and the POW flag.  It was all very touching and very well done.  “Bravo” to the people of Wytheville to have a community like this.  We were impressed and very honored to have your support.  Thank You!!

I decided to spend some time with the Ambassadors so we went on our own for an outreach to a VA hospital.  That was also moving.  Many of the patients were outside in chairs waiting for us and I would expect this was an exciting event for them.  We roared in with our motorcycles and started mixing with them making conversations.  We all have something in common with the military service or having family in the military service but most people like to talk about themselves so it was easy to simply listen. Some of them had motorcycle stories so we had a good time hanging out with them.   This facility seemed to be taking good care of these warriors.  They were happy campers and enjoyed the visit.  The time spent with the Ambassadors was fruitful and interesting.  The Ambassadors do a lot of work on the periphery of the run.  The Ambassadors plow ahead of the pack to stop and visit most of the bridges that are greeting us as we go by.  They thank the bridge participants and give them a pin or another trinket to show our appreciation for their support.  They also go on out reach visits to family of KIA’s and MIA’s.

We then went onto the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia.  I visited this memorial in 2019 and was super impressed.  I had never heard of it before that visit but it is a large and very well put together memorial.  I’ll include a few pictures but there’s a lot of stories to learn about here.  Bedford was chosen as the location for this memorial because they lost more men per capitia than any other city in the US at D-Day.  From the web site:

Bedford, Virginia… Like eleven other Virginia communities, Bedford provided a company of soldiers (Company A) to the 29th Infantry Division when the National Guard’s 116th Infantry Regiment was activated on 3 February 1941. Some thirty Bedford soldiers were still in that company on D-Day; several more from Bedford were in other D-Day companies, including one who, two years earlier, had been reassigned from the 116th Infantry to the First Infantry Division. Thus he had already landed in both Northern Africa and Sicily before coming ashore on D-Day at Omaha Beach with the Big Red One. Company A of the 116th Infantry assaulted Omaha Beach as part of the First Division’s Task Force O.

By day’s end, nineteen of the company’s Bedford soldiers were dead. Two more Bedford soldiers died later in the Normandy campaign, as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies. Bedford’s population in 1944 was about 3,200. Proportionally this community suffered the nation’s severest D-Day losses. Recognizing Bedford as emblematic of all communities, large and small, whose citizen-soldiers served on D-Day, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial here.

The Bedford Boys will be remembered along with all the others.  There are plaques for all that  died that day on the main circle.  And, the invasion was a success and this memorial is a significant place to visit and learn more history about the war.

From Bedford, we went onto Lynchburg and had a nice dinner at the Harley Davidson Dealer of Lynchburg.  Another good day.

P.S. – Sorry I don’t know how to format picture locations yet in this web site.

Day 8 – Wednesday May 25, 2022 Southern Route

Flying with the Fuel Team

We left Chattanooga Tennessee with the destination of Wytheville Virginia.  We were able to avoid rain, or should I say the rain avoided us.  We staged and had breakfast at the White Lightening Harley Davidson dealer.  We traveled to Bristol where we had lunch and then on to Wytheville, VA.  I’ll speak to the Wytheville in a little bit but first wanted to speak to the bigger part of my day.  I wanted to ride with the fuel crew to see what their days are like.  There are many unsung hero’s on this mission doing work in the background and they range from the folks doing registration, staging crew, fuel crew, nursing, Ambassadors, honor guard coordinator, Photographer, hydration team, leadership support, Road Guards, merchandise team, and of course the State Coordinators.  It takes a lot of people to pull this off in such an organized manner and being the first year as a Sit-Rep, I realized I need to see some of this and learn more about how they perform their roles, what they go through.  So, I decided to spend most of the day with the fuel crew.  The fuel crew is a tight group as they need to be to pull off the job they have.  They leave early to be at the next fuel stop way ahead of the pack.  After they get to a fuel stop, they start making arrangements to take over the pumps that will be needed to efficiently refuel everyone.  Of course, the gas station is aware of the big group of motorcycles coming.  Payment for the fuel has been arranged for and then they wait a few minutes for the first group to come in.  Usually, the Staging Crew will roll in, then the Ambassadors and then we wait another few minutes until the main pack comes rolling in.  So, the pumps are on and the bikes line up two abreast on each side of the pump with a fueler on each side of the pump.  The fueler hands the pump handle to each rider and they pump away until the pumps clicks off and that should be enough since most fuel stops average 100 miles.  The inside bike is now fueled, the outside bike is handed the pump handle, they start fueling while the inside bike moves forward and another bike moves up to the inside position to wait for their turn.  If it’s a pay stop, there’s a person that is collecting the cash to pay for the fuel, usually a $5 or $10 dollar charge.  This is going on each side of the pump for 4 to 6 pumps.  It’s a very efficient process and 400 bikes can be fueled in 20 minutes this way at a large station with enough pumps.  After the bikes are fueled, the pumps are turned off, the account is settled, and the fuel guys take off for the next fuel stop to get it all set up again.  What this also means is that they often miss out on many of the lunches that we enjoy or some of the memorials that we go to.  They will make some of the stops but they also miss some.  They have their own 4 wheeler (cage) that carries hydration and goodies to keep them going since they move fast and early.  What I found pretty cool about the time spent with them is that they work hard and have a lot of fun doing it.  They give each other a hard time in fun and everyone enjoys the play.  This team is an attestation of  “no attitude”.  One of the rules we all live by on this run is not having an attitude and these guys display this very well.  I would probably see a similar way of acting in the other support teams but it was real enjoyable to be part of this team and enjoy the fun of their acceptance.  The importance of doing everything correctly like clockwork can make it all go very smoothly or have a mistake add a lot of time to a fuel stop which reduces the amount of time the riders can go hydrate or take a bathroom break.  An example is doing a very natural thing to hang up a fuel pump handle after fueling a bike.  Well, that means the pump must be restarted and that can add a fair amount of time to that line of bikes waiting.  Of course, the offender is teased and as punishment for doing something wrong like that, there is a piece of jewelry the offender must wear for a day or so, depending on the infraction.  As a new guy for the day, I was told to wear the jewelry for part of the day and it added to the experience for me as part of my initiation onto the fuel crew.  Picture attached.

One of the ongoing traveling memorials we have on this ride is carrying a tri-folded flag from Ontario to Washington DC.  This flag is being carried by FNG’s only and handed off at each stop.  It’s bringing the concept of honoring the flag and it’s meaning closer to all of us.  Below are some pictures of one of the FNG’s going through the hand off procedure.  This flag is not commemorative for a particular warrior but in memory for all MIA’s and KIA’s as our American Flag and country that we defend.  They are not forgotten.  Pictures below.

Later in the day of Day 8, we rolled into Wytheville Virginia.  Wytheville is a unique town.  We see many small or medium towns that really come out in force to welcome us and greet us.  Wytheville does this with a force that cannot be beat.  The family’s greet us on the streets for a very long way as our procession comes into town.  Then we roll into Withers Park and circle the park on what is normally a round foot path wide enough to park two motorcycles.  The people of Wytheville converge with us, greet us, give us big hugs and make us feel very welcome and very special.  There were some great speeches, awards, patriotic events and a special Thank You to select people that make this event come together in Wytheville along the State Police that escorted us across the state.  One of the beautiful parts of the State Police escorting RFTW is that one of Wytheville’s own was part of that force.  A young man that grew up with RFTW coming into the park and the school, participating in the run as a young man and now escorting us as a motor police.  This town has really adopted us into their hearts.  It appears they look at the arrival of RFTW as an event as big as Christmas!  If Christmas is bigger, I think I want to be here next Christmas!  After the arrival ceremonies, we went off the hotels to check in and then went to the Moose Lodge for dinner.  Again, the food, a fabulous steak and/or chicken barbecued to perfection with a great salad and side dishes.  I know meat is expensive these days but the steak quality was very high.  Then raffles and auctions, some more honors and time to get some rest.

Thank You Wytheville.

Day 7 – Tuesday May 24, 2022 Southern Route

 

Today we went from Meridian, MS to Chattanooga, TN. We started at the Agriculture Pavilion in Meridian.  Of course, we were fed good stuff.  Always lots of food but it’s all so good and appreciated.  Everyone seems to enjoy taking care of us as we journey across the country.  We always have a big Thank You for all these great people and truly appreciate the number of people coming out to support us.  The laundry was ready for pickup!  An amazing service.  The big news of the day was the rain.  We were rained on for a couple of hours all together but it was a fairly warm rain.  We all had our rain gear on so it wasn’t a big deal.  It slowed us a little but we went through and got to where we needed to be.  We had some fuel stops, we left Mississippi, went through Alabama and a small part of Georgia to end up in Tennessee.  A total of 317 miles.  We had LEO escort in Alabama but not in Tennessee.  Going through Chattanooga there was quite a bit of traffic but we all made it through without incidence.  It’s hard to describe but if you’re a rider, and you’re with a friend or two, you can make it through the traffic areas without too much trouble but when you have a group as large as ours, it becomes a challenge and that’s where our Road Guards do a fabulous job of getting us through these difficult areas without an incident.  The reality is you have different skill levels with riders that don’t know each other’s driving habits real well.  The size of the group is so large, even broken up into platoons, it’s a challenge because we’re trying to stay together yet some cars are trying to squeeze into our group to make an exit and it can become a challenge.  Most of us are experienced enough to know when to let people through and when not to so with the guidance of Road Guards and Tail Gunners, we did well.  Thanks Guys and Gals.  Dinner was at the White Lightening Harley Davidson Dealer.  Great pulled pork sandwiches and goodies.  Then onto the hotels.  I had some other details I wanted to pass on but my sources haven’t forwarded details yet, hopefully I can update later tonight or tomorrow.  Till next time – Boots out.

R “Boots”
USAF ’72 – ’75

“Accept the challenges so that you can
feel the exhilaration of victory.”
General George Patton Jr.

Below are some words from a gentleman, Frank L. Vance, that read to us during one of our fuel stops.  It was very touching.

People like my Father and all Soldiers make me very proud to be AMERICAN. My wife’s father was  in the Navy during WWII. My father graduated Glider Pilot flight school from South Plains Air Field. He served in the European Theater. His name was Frank L. Vance  III. They have a Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock , Texas  at South Plains Air Field that Honors all Gliders Pilots. There was a picture of his 306th TCS in the museum, the same picture we have at his house.
My father passed on Dec.30th, 2013.He was a WWII Glider Pilot. He was in the Army/Aircorp 9th Corp,442nd TCG,306th TCS. He flew CG-4A  Gliders and C-47’s in Holland, France, Belgium and Germany. His main mission was Operation Market Garden. Many British and American men died in that battle. He received the Air Combat Metal for his Service. He was my HERO and my BEST FRIEND. He always said the HERO’S were the ones that gave their lives during the war. He said he was not a HERO. I always thought he and all men like him were HERO’S. I’d like to share a poem I wrote a few weeks after he died. It’s called “Soldiers Pain” Thanks, Frank L. Vance IV, Dedicated to Frank L. Vance III and all soldiers:

Soldier’s Pain

He is my eternal flame,
Many have come before and after,
but they are all the same

Young girls and boys protecting the world
and always taking the blame.

They didn’t ask to be in this
situation, but do their job
because they love their nation.

They never have time to cry
or be afraid, something we
take for granted every day.

I owe a great amount of appreciation
because my father was part of
the Greatest Generation.

There’s a place in my heart for all the
families that are mentally and physically
so far apart.

Many lose their life and some
come home to their husband and wife.

The ones that are sane settle
back in society and sustain,
but the ones that gave and
saw pain will never be the same.

If they make it back sane
I think they wonder why we all complain.

So, if you see a soldier
give them a hand shake and
a hug because freedom is
not free and they sacrifice
everything for you and me.

We will never know a
Soldiers Pain because they
risk and give their lives for our gain.

By: Frank L. Vance IV      January 2014