

Here we are, in Ontario, California. 1500 Riders gathering together, ready to begin our annual Mission to remember and honor our nations Veterans, Active Duty personnel, former Prisoners of War, and the families of our (still) Missing in Action. It is a Mission that we do not take lightly.
Howdy Folks! I am Jim McCrain. People around here just call me “Hoofer.” I have been asked to be your SITREP Author for 2024. This means that every day I will try to relate a few of the stories and events that we have experienced. Some of the stories are going to be funny, some will be sad. Some will be informative, and others will be (hopefully) instructional. But they will all be a truthful representation of the Midway Route experience of Run For The Wall.
So let’s get to it!
Today, for the Midway Route, has been exceptionally busy. We depart Ontario a day earlier than the other two routes, which means we have a LOT of work to get done in a very short amount of time. You may be thinking that all we do is get on our motorcycles and ride. Well, you would be wrong! Before we can ride, we have to know where we are going, how we will get there, how long it will take each day, where we will fuel both the bikes and our stomachs, where to stop for those all important restroom breaks, and a myriad of other small minute physical details. We also need to know how, when , and where to take care of the emotional needs of our Riders. After all, that is what Run For The Wall is all about.

None of this “just happens.” We have a Route Coordinator that is responsible for every aspect of the Run. Don “10-a-see” King is our main main this year, and I have absolute faith that he will lead us successfully and safely across this country. He has been a Road Guard AND the RG Captain for many years, as well as the Assistant Route Coordinator. He has the skills, knowledge, and experience to do this job!
But he has a lot of help, too. From our Assistant Route Coordinator, to the Support Personnel, Road Guards, Staging Crew, Fuel Team, Advance Team, Hydration Team, Chase Vehicles, Outreach Team, Ambassadors, Chaplain Corp, and Medical Team, there are a lot of people involved with getting us moving. Aside from all of these Volunteers, there are the Riders themselves. These people are divided up into “platoons” based on the type of vehicle they are riding, their skill levels, and sometimes their personal preferences. (“I want to ride with that guy.”) The platoons are also restricted to certain size/number limits, so that we can have gaps in our footprint as we roll down the road. These gaps are critical for our safety, as they allow other vehicles that are not with our group to continue to use our highways without to much interruption. There is a lot going on!

So today was filled with meetings for each of the Teams, as well as some for the individual platoons. There was an “FNG” meeting where we got to meet our “Fine New Guys/Gals” and they got to start seeing just a little bit of what they have signed up for. I always like meeting the FNGs, and seeing the look in their eyes as they wander around trying to take in all of the activity around them. It finally begins to dawn on them that all of this hustle and bustle is done for THEM! There comes a moment when you can see the gleam in their eyes just start to sparkle, and their smiles grow so big! AS the Route Photographer, I get to interact with each of them (probably) a little more than most of the other Leadership Team. My job is to capture the images and stories of the FNGs, and in doing so, I get to know some of them very well.

Today was no exception. This morning, as I was walking to my bike to head over to the Elks Lodge for some breakfast and (another) meeting, I saw a young Lady standing near her bike. She was alone, but didn’t look lonely. She DID look like she had no idea where she was going or what she should be doing. (Until the Run actually starts tomorrow, all the FNGs have to do is get registered and start meeting people!) So I walked up to her, introduced myself, and found out her name is “Blaze.” We talked a little bit, and I could see that she just needed to be pointed in the proper direction and maybe “goaded” just a little to start meeting her fellow Riders. Within about 30 seconds of telling a few jokes and stories, her “lost” attitude was gone, and I saw that sparkle! “Blaze” is going to be fun to watch, and I have a feeling that she is going to really get something out of this experience. I warned her, in front of the whole group, that I was going to keep my eye on her and probably pick on her a bit. She laughed and brazenly said “Bring it, Hoofer!” Oh Boy, this is going to be fun!

But like I said, this is a Mission. It isn’t a joy ride. We have people to see, places to go, and a message to deliver. We want the country to pay honor to our Veterans, and to take care of them. We want to know what happened to to our Missing Personnel. We DEMAND answers! WE want to assure our Active Duty personnel that THEY will be taken care of, honored, and given what they deserve for defending our freedom. Sure, we have fun while we do all of this, but the fun is needed. There will be times each day when most every Rider will have tears in their eyes. There will be times when a Rider will need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or just simply a handshake and a hug to let them know that someone cares. They might just need someone to stand or sit silently beside them, so that they know they are not alone. The smiles you will see in our pictures, the laughter that you will hear if you visit us, the jokes that will be told, the miles ridden on our bikes that we so desperately love doing, are all part of the catharsis of healing our emotional wounds and needs.
This is what I hope to convey to you over the next 11 days. The stories will not be mine. They will come directly from the Riders, and particularly those “Fine New Guys and Gals” that we are welcoming into our Midway Route Family. Get ready, because tomorrow morning, at oh so early o’clock, we will start those engines and roll out of the parking lot, headed to Washington DC and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Hang on! It’s going to be a wild ride!
Cheers!
Jim “Hoofer” McCrain
Midway Route Photographer and SITREP Author
You will be able to see photos from each days ride HERE.