Day 3 – May 20, 2022 Southern Route
Today we started out in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We started with breakfast at the American Legion. A great breakfast was served with biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, yum. Does it seem like we eat a lot? Yes we do, the folks and the organizations that greet us are feeding us some awesome food and we are very honored to be treated so well and greeted so warmly. There was a raffle from the Legion where they handed out tickets to win $100. This story is unique because the lady that won the Golden ticket to have all her gas paid along the run this year also won this raffle. I don’t know her given name, my apologies for that but we all know her as Lucky now. She wears the smile very well.
We then went on to the Las Cruces Veterans Memorial Park. It’s a very nice park that is well put together. Some pictures are below. There was a very nice wreath laying ceremony and we had LEO (Law Enforcement) escort all the way through town and later on onto Highway 10 and quite a ways out of town. We were traveling on towards Odessa Texas which is our stop tonight. Most of the way through Texas we also had LEO escort. They are clearing the highway, keeping cars and trucks from entering the freeway for our line of bikes which is running about a 2.5 mile footprint on the highway. When we get to highway exits and head for a refuel stop; and afterwards we go to another location like a legion post or church to be fed, we don’t stop at lights or stop signs, it feels like we’re a long parade. We are honored! It’s quite a feeling and everyone is so nice and warm to us. It’s a big change to the ‘70’s when you didn’t wear your uniform state side when not needed because you were worried about the reaction you’d get. I’m sure a lot of you remember those times. And then we get into these places and everyone has big hugs and lots of Thank You(s). There were significant greetings on the highway. Overpasses with people waving, One place had a lady on a hillside riding a horse with a big flag! Fire Trucks with the ladder extension hanging a flag off the side of the freeway all timed out for when we drive by. It’s mind blowing. Some of these smaller towns that coordinate with leadership and state coordinators to host us look at this like a huge opportunity and it’s one of the big events of the year for them. The majority of the town comes out to greet us, wave flags, it’s all very cool. And, I venture to say very little of this would come together without the hard work of the state coordinators that are working in the background all year long to make this happen. Big Kudu’s to all the state coordinators for all the routes. It’s amazing work.
“Reckless” (Rod Runyon) went with some bikes to an outreach to Old Glory Memorial, a memorial for all American citizens to honor all who have served our Country and those that have given their lives in the name of the freedoms we enjoy every day. El Paso Texas Flags Across America has erected a 180 foot flagpole on the Trans-Mountain Campus of El Paso Community College and is flying a United States Flag, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and lighted at night. On special occasions, EPTFAA will be flying a beautiful 50 foot by 100 foot united states flag. Fifty (50) state flags, six (6) Armed Service Flags and six (6) Territorial flags. Some pictures from the outreach are below. Words spoken by Reckless (words worth keeping in your heart) at the outreach: “There are many ways you can keep our fallen, as well as our injured and ill veterans, in your mind and heart throughout the year, Countless ways to give back to those who have endured the physical, psychological and emotional wounds that may arise from military service. Working together with friends, neighbors, veterans groups and entire communities, we can ensure that the sacrifices made by our nations finest and bravest never go unappreciated and that their memories are never forgotten. I thank you all for joining in today’s tribute. I hope you keep our military man and women – and all the sacrifices they made – close to your heart today and throughout the year.”
Boots
USAF ’72 – ’75
Las Cruces New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park
Outreach to Old Glory Memorial
Pic from the day
