Sonia, and Eric, is the lead for the ambassador team. She explained that this team goes ahead of the pack and thanks people for their support. They go on the bridges, some schools, and in towns. Thanks Sonia and Eric. Check the mountains behind her with the sun on it in the background. Love it!!
Each day the order of the platoons changes. The staging team puts the platoons in order and a road guard gets them all going.
First stop Route 66 Casino for gas.
The road guards are always around to help guide us to the pump. Here Wild Bill, one of our Vietnam vets and on the advanced team, sports a hat someone gave him. It is red which is for the road guards (each team has a different color to distinguish them). We all know it is him by this hat. Nice looking Bill
Susan what a great item…. how did you find room for this??
Here we go…blocked highway at the entrance ramp..
On May 26, 2008, Staff Sergeant Petry and his unit were on a mission in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment,[1][6] which was on a daylight raid to capture a high-value target from the Taliban. Petry was to locate with the platoon headquarters in the target building once it was secured. Once there, he was to serve as the senior non-commissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation.[7] The team of 7 Rangers encountered about 40 Taliban, 12 of them armed.[8] Almost immediately after getting out of the helicopters that delivered the unit to the attack site, the Rangers came under strong fire.[6] Petry provided additional supervision to an assaulting squad during the clearance of a building, and afterward he took Private First Class Lucas Robinson to clear an outer courtyard.[5]
Three Taliban fighters were in the courtyard, which had a chicken coop within it. The Taliban fired on Petry and Robinson; Petry was wounded by one round that went through both his legs,[1] and Robinson was wounded, being hit on the armor plate protecting his side. Petry led Robinson to the cover of the chicken coop, and reported the contact and their wounded condition. Petry threw a thermobaric grenade from cover. At the chicken coop, the two men were joined by Sergeant Daniel Higgins, who assessed the wounds of the two soldiers.[5][8]
A Taliban fighter threw a grenade at their position which landed 10 meters from them; it detonated, and the blast knocked the three soldiers to the ground, wounding Higgins, and further wounding Robinson.[5] Shortly thereafter the three were joined by Staff Sergeant James Roberts and Specialist Christopher Gathercole. A Taliban fighter threw another grenade, which landed a few feet from Higgins and Robinson. Knowing the risk, Petry picked up and attempted to throw the grenade in the direction of the Taliban.[9] Petry later recalled his immediate reaction was
get it out of here, get it away from the guys and myself. And I reached over, leaned over to the right, grabbed it with my hand, and I threw it as hard as I could, what I thought was at the time. And as soon as I opened my hand to let it go, it just exploded instantly. And I came back, and the hand was completely severed off.[10]
The detonation amputated his right hand, and sprayed his body with shrapnel.[11] Petry likely saved the two other soldiers from serious injury or death.[12][8]
Petry placed a tourniquet on his right arm.[1] Roberts began to fire at the Taliban fighters, suppressing them in the courtyard. An additional fighter on the east end of the courtyard fired, fatally wounding Gathercole.[5] Higgins and Robinson returned fire, killing that fighter.[1] They were joined by Sergeant First Class Jerod Staidle, the platoon sergeant, and Specialist Gary Depriest, a medic. Directing the medic to treat Gathercole, Petry was assisted by Staide and Higgins to the casualty collection point.[5]
Return to service
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Petry’s wounds resulted in his right arm having to be amputated below the elbow. He was evacuated to an American hospital in Germany, where he spent several weeks in recovery before being transferred to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas.[4] He now uses an advanced prosthetic in place of his right hand. On the prosthetic is a small plaque listing the names of the fallen Rangers of his regiment.[13
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Your thoughts? Here are a few pics…
I hope some day, given the chance, you can get out and see this beautiful country we have. It is breathtaking.
Heading into the Angel Fire Vietnam Veteran Memorial
This was an interesting pic. The LEOs are taking pics of us. Loving it.
Google:
Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Victor David was a 1st Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps (B CO, 1st BN, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Div) and was killed in Viet Nam in a battle/ ambush near Con Thien. Fifteen other soldiers lost their lives in this battle.
Following the death of their son, U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant Victor David Westphall III, Jeanne and Dr. Victor Westphall began construction of the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel to honor the memory of their son and the sixteen men that died with him near Con Thien, South Vietnam on May 22, 1968.
Bricks are laid every year on Labor Day for any veteran. This is a huge ceremony and there are 400-500 bricks done every year. RFTW members are here every year for this.
Today, we laid a brick for Lennie Hodson. He was a big part of RFTW for many years. He was supposed to lay this brick this coming September and passed away in last December. We got you Lennie. Your RFTW family will always be there.
Little background on Kim.
Pipe Major Kim Greeley – Storm Watch – born in Hawai’i, has been piping since she was 11 years old. Kim has studied and performed piping in Hawai’i, on the mainland, in Canada, and in the United Kingdom. Kim has performed for military retirement celebrations, military funerals, and repatriation ceremonies. She is the piper on call for repatriation services at the National Cemetery of the Pacific. She also piped for the 9/11, WWI and WWII worldwide remembrance events. Kim’s largest concert is the annual one for the Riders of the Run For The Wall gathering at the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day weekend. Kim has coordinated her performances with airplane and helicopter flyovers, parachute drops, presentations by government and military dignitaries, and other bands. Kim, along with pipers in her band, played for the interment of Lauren F. Bruner, the last crew member who will ever be returned to the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor – coordinating the performance on Ford Island with the military divers as they returned Mr. Bruner’s ashes to the battleship.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Midway Route Photos from previous runs are no longer available. 