It is so quiet…No bikes starting in the parking lot at 4:00 a.m., no rush to get up, get ready, and get to staging, breakfast, and the morning safety meeting. No daily weather checks to see what we are riding into today. As life returns to “normal”, let’s reflect a bit on Run 2026 and what it means to so many people. Let’s again give thanks to the thousands of volunteers who were so instrumental in making the Run a success. Let’s remember the old friends, the new friends we made, and those who no longer ride with us. And please, send in your AAR!! After Action Reports (AARs) are your voice to the leaders of each Route and to the Board. Each one is read, reviewed, and cataloged so we can better understand what went right and what needs improvement. As we prepare for the annual Face-to-Face meeting, your input can affect the Board’s decisions in many ways. Once you have cleaned all the road grime off your bike, it is a good time to assess its condition and either repair it or note anything that needs to be done.
RFTW Mission Statement
To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.
RFTW Philosophy
We strive to maintain a safe, supportive and private atmosphere in which all participants can reflect and heal on their journey to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, Illinois in the hope they can return home to a new beginning.
Our new RCs for RFTW 2027 are ready to hit the ground running!! At our monthly meeting on the 11th of June, the Board approved Central Route nominee Todd “Horton” Taylor, Midway Route nominee Randy “Stinger” Sheets, Southern Route nominee Kevin “Short” Short, and Sandbox Route nominee Sam “Polar Bear” Warner to become RCs for RFTW 2027. The nominees spent the year between RFTW 2025 and 2026 “learning the ropes” of route leadership and are up to the challenge. Please join us in congratulating them and get ready to help them in the upcoming planning process. They will need the support of each of us to ensure a successful RFTW 2027.
As the official part of this year’s RFTW mission draws to a close, it doesn’t mean your support for our veterans, their families, and friends should wane. We recently announced our partnership with the Red Star Foundation. If you didn’t have time to research the Foundation or to get involved before the Run, this is a great opportunity to do so. The Red Star Foundation is dedicated to honoring and supporting the families and loved ones of current military members, veterans, and first responders who have tragically lost a loved one to suicide. In addition to survivor support, the Foundation works to prevent suicide through education, advocacy, community outreach, and partnerships that promote mental health awareness, early intervention, and access to support resources within military, veteran, and first responder communities. They provide an avenue for you to contribute throughout the year. Click here to learn more about the Red Star Foundation. Click here to become an RFTW Red Star Rider.
The RFTW Podcast with Boots and Hitch continues to highlight what makes RFTW unique. I encourage you to take a listen. Each episode explores a distinct aspect of RFTW, featuring interviews with individuals who have contributed to its development. Check it out!! They’ve already released a post-RFTW 2026 podcast!
Next month, our newsletter will include information from the Face-to-Face, including announcements of new RCs, ARCs, and RGCs, as applicable. Stay tuned for more information.
With that, I leave you with a few thoughts regarding whom we ride for.
“If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always.
Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.
And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.”
—- Major Michael Davis O’Donnell KIA 1 January 1970 Dak To, Vietnam
—-Michael Davis O’Donnell is on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Panel 12W, Line 040.
POW/MIA Recovery Update (as of 2 June 2026): The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) continues its dedicated efforts to recover and identify remains from all conflicts. As of this update, there are still 1566 unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, along with six missing from the Gulf War and Libya. Our four-part Mission begins with the call for accounting – those servicemembers are our friends, their 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!
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.
Say Their Names – Tell Their Stories – Never Forget.
Back to Basics. Back to the RFTW Mission.
Is it May yet?
See you in Ontario!!!!
John “Turkey” Staub
President, RFTW, Inc.
2011- CR FNG
2012 – CR Participant
2013 – CR Staging Team
2014 – 2015 – CR Staging Team Ass’t. Lead
2016-2017 – CR Staging Team Lead
2022 – CR Platoon Coordinator
2023-2025 – CR/SB Road Guard
2026 – CR Road Guard
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Midway Route Photos from previous runs are no longer available. 