Midway Route Coordinator Newsletter – October 2025

225 Days to KSU!

Halloween and the Holidays are just around the corner. Fall is here with its temperate weather.  Friends and families are still recovering from some of the devastating weather events of the year.  We need to keep them all in our thoughts and prayers. The time goes by so quickly. Before we know it 2026 will be upon us.

POW MIA Recognition Day was celebrated on Friday September 19, 2025.

While National POW/MIA Recognition Day is not a public holiday, the United States’ National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed across the nation on the third Friday of September each year. Many Americans take the time to remember those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who are missing in action (MIA), as well as their families. Many Americans across the United States pause to remember the sacrifices and service of those who were prisoners of war (POW), as well as those who are missing in action (MIA), and their families. All military installations fly the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag, which symbolizes the nation’s remembrance of those who were imprisoned while serving in conflicts and those who remain missing. There are 1,741 American personnel listed by the Defense Department’s POW/ MIA Office as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, as of April 2009. The number of United States personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 841. About 90 percent of the 1,741 people still missing were lost in Vietnam or areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam’s wartime control, according to the National League of Families website (cited in the United States Army website). The National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag symbolizes the United States’ resolve to never forget POWs or those who served their country in conflicts and are still missing. This is part of our core mission statement.

“Never Forget”

Your Route Coordinator and his leadership Team are deeply involved in the planning of Midway Route 2026. As you may know, this year also marks the 35th Anniversary of the start of Desert Shield/Storm. We are honoring that milestone with this year’s Run, and our merchandise director will soon announce a special anniversary pin, coin, and other items that will be available.

Registration

 Registration opened on Sept. 11th, 2025. Midway is doing well on getting riders registered. However, if you have not registered yet, please consider doing it as soon as possible. We need semi-accurate numbers to provide them to our fuel stops so they know how much 91 octane they will need to have available for us. Additionally, our lunch and dinner locations need to have a best guess so they can provide the appropriate portions and Hotels and camping locations need to know how many rooms or camping sites will be required. I know there are a lot of moving parts but it is necessary to get this family across the country as safely and efficiently as possible.  You can register on our website just as you have in the past.  We encourage you to register early and take advantage of the reduced, “early bird” rate.  Registration rates are:

Coast to Coast Routes (Midway)

1. $100 early bird
2. $120 regular reg (starting Feb 1)
3. Day riders (up to 3 days on the road riding): $100

Looking for Volunteers

Midway route is looking for a few good men or women. I need some dedicated riders to assist me with Registration, Risk Management and an Honor Guard Coordinator. If you would be willing to assist the Midway riders in any of these positions, please contact me at ed.brundage@rftw.us or go to the Midway website and fill out a volunteer sign up form. You will gain a sense of fulfillment that only comes with sacrifice and service to your family.

 Riding Interval

Our riding interval has now been officially documented by the Board of Directors. For years, we’ve discussed our expected interval as “up to two seconds,” “one to two seconds,” etc., but now, through our SOPs, the Board has specified that our interval should be two seconds. Even when riding in a staggered formation, you will be expected to maintain a two-second interval from the bike in front of you. Additionally, the SOPs include a maximum highway pack speed. For well over two years, the SOPs have stated that the pack will not exceed the posted speed limit or 70 mph, whichever is less. I will ensure that you get adequate time for all riders to join the pack when entering the roadways, and that this maximum speed is not exceeded.

Please assist me in ensuring this is an enjoyable ride for all.

GMRS Radios

GMRS radios are now the standard for communication among your leaders. However, remember that while you all can listen in on the directions on GMRS, silence is golden. Unnecessary communications are disruptive to departure coordination and clog the channel, preventing critical messages from getting through. When someone is using the channel unnecessarily, another person might be trying to communicate a safety issue. With GMRS’s increased transmission capability, there’s no need to relay any instructions. Hand signals remain the primary way to communicate within the platoons, ensuring all riders receive critical info and instructions. Bottom line: Stay off the radio!!

If you have purchased a GMRS radio and are unsure about how to set it up, there are tutorials on the RFTW forum under “GMRS radio”. It will give you the opportunity to listen to the leadership of Midway making route decisions as we cross this great country.

Politics

Please remember that the Midway route and RFTW are non-political, and as such, political discussions are not allowed and will not be tolerated. These discussions can easily turn into arguments that hinder the Mission and create a hostile environment not conducive to Midway’s healing efforts. Please keep your political opinions to yourself while we are on the Mission. My sainted mother always told me there were three things that are never brought up in polite conversation. Sex, Religion and Politics because they are all personal/private and no one else’s business. We are focused on the Mission, not politics.

RFTW Podcast

The RFTW Podcast with Boots and Hitch continues to highlight what makes RFTW a unique organization. I encourage you to take a listen. Each episode explores a distinct aspect of RFTW, featuring interviews with various individuals who have contributed to the development of RFTW.  Check it out!!

Some final thoughts: (I borrowed this from the Presidents message)

It is not the worst thing to die in war; it is not the worst thing to be missing in war. The worst thing is to be forgotten in War.

‘No one left behind’ is more than just a standard we strive to meet. It is a way of life. It is part of our Mission. If you or someone you know finds themselves struggling with mental health, please know you can contact the VA Veteran’s Crisis Line by dialing 988, then pressing 1, or texting 838255 to speak or chat with a qualified responder.

POW/MIA Recovery Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) continues its dedicated efforts to recover and identify remains from all conflicts.  Since the beginning of this Fiscal Year in September, they have accounted for 58 individuals lost in conflicts since World War II, with 43 identified from that war.  In addition, there were 13 accounted for from the Korean War and two from the Vietnam War – that leaves 1573 still missing in Vietnam, most of whom still have families looking for answers. Our four-part Mission begins with the call for accounting – those families are our families, and they deserve our support.

Let us dedicate ourselves and our efforts and remember to keep our focus on the Mission. It is why we ride!

Say Their Names – Tell Their Stories – Never Forget.

Is it May yet?