Day One. Ontario to Williams:
This is the day we have been waiting for over 355 days since last year and it is finally here. So many, many preparations have been made, thousands of bikes have been repaired and readied to go and thousands of riders are at the ready. The air is filled with excitement and every rider wishing the best for each other and charging them to ride “safe”, a caution said many times but certainly needs to be repeated. This is a very special day for all the riders. All without exception have looked forward to this day great expectations. Some maybe with some fear of what the ride will bring out in them while others have great excitement about the day and week ahead. It is one of those things that you have to experience to really appreciate. I will attach some pictures of the departure.
One of those RUN treasures I found sitting in a chair by the refreshment area. Many of his long-time friends walked by and greeted him with warm affection and hugs and hand-shakes, it was a blessing to see how they treated him. I did not know who he was although I have heard his name in the past and it was usually used with respect. His name is Bill (No Chute) Hanlon. Yep, you guessed how he got his name. He went out of a helicopter about 100 feet above the forest canopy and the canopy helped break his fall. Anyway he survived and lived a productive life and is no 74+-. I guess they made them tougher back then. He is a lifetime member of the SAL, Sons of the Legion. His health seems to be failing him and I asked him what mattered to him in his life now. His words to me were “it is important to me that everyone gets out safely today and have a safe trip.. He also shared with me that it is important to him to give back and he is very proud to be a brother and a Vietnam Vet.
This was a fast day, about 402 miles through some open desert land with mesquite shrub that spread out for many miles. Just a side note, the signs along the way in the desert were interesting to me. Here we are, riding along in this somewhat desolate land and I kept seeing signs like “Big Sandy Wash” which gets me to thinking that if Sandy is that big, why can’t she wash herself. Another one read “Rattlesnake Wash”. Wow, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to wash a snake and certainly not a rattle snake. Maybe it was the heat, but it just seems a little funny or strange to me and of course we all know that a wash is a place where the water runs fast when it pours down rain, so, maybe, possibly, I was just seeing things a little different from all the heat or in desperate need of some “humor” at the moment.
Okay back to the real stuff. The ride from Barstow was uneventful and as we headed towards Needles the temperature began to climb. It was 107 when we arrived in Needles. If you are wearing much gear, 100 degrees is pretty hot and you would need to stay hydrated for sure. I am glad we could get to cooler temps as we climbed towards Williams. The country we traveled through does have its own kind of beauty and though it may seem useless and desolate it does have much value to some who live there.
The ]dear people at Williams and Needles always put on a great feast for us and they all raise their own money and provide all the food for all the riders. This is no small task and it is expensive. Legion Post #13 in Williams was one of the first outposts of the American Legion and they have been serving the RFTW for 17 years. The 30 people who work with Roger Ely prepare about 200 lbs. of pork, 150 pounds of beef and yes all the fixins and yes those wonderful deserts. Thanks so much to all of you who go the extra mile to make it great for us.
At the William’s Legion meeting place we did our best to honor Gold Star Mom, Dotty Morris who lost her brother in the Vietnam war. Her brother Michael Andrew Miller was killed in action on his 24th birthday when his plane crashed. Thank you Dotty for sharing with us and we are sorry for your loss. No picture available.
We also met Katharine, standing next to me, she is the daughter of a WW2 Vet and her mother is beside her.
Hope you are making sense of these posts and remember to say a prayer for all of us as we travel across this great land. If you have never been able to go on the RUN with us and are reading from your home or business, it may be harder to experience what we see as we ride. We see people along the roads, in the towns and on the overpasses who are there to genuinely thank the Vets and riders for their service. As I have observed the interaction for many years now, I have come to the conclusion that we really need each other. When you come out to see us on, you encourage us more than you might know and we so appreciate the many things you do for us. I believe also that it provides for you who come out to support, a place or point of contact that makes the service of men and women in the military and yes those alongside them, more real and you leave with a greater sense of belonging and purpose. So thanks for being at the overpasses and the towns and the roads we travel. YOU make it worthwhile. Thanks
Roger (Pops) Hageman
rftwsitrep2018@gmail.com
