I just returned from the Angel Fire Reunion and was thoroughly amazed and impressed at the RFTW support for this event.
Over 100 RFTW riders gathered at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial at Angel Fire, New Mexico to participate in this annual Veteran’s Brick laying event where over five hundred bricks were honored and placed. This event would not have been possible if not for the hard work of a few RFTW riders in the preparation and placement of the area where the bricks were to be placed.
Thank you to all that attended and helped with the event. I am sure many of the brick runners achieved their 10,000 steps for the day. A special thanks to our New Mexico State Coordinator, Patti “Yogi” Finley for arranging the meals, and to Kathryn “Literal E” Ewing and Kenny “Scooter” Keelin who set up this event. Scooter spent countless hours with his personal equipment preparing the base where the bricks were to be laid. A handful of RFTW volunteers worked with Scooter and did the challenging work of moving and setting the bricks in place. Some even stayed through Sunday, putting the finishing touches on the bricks after they were placed.
This event inspired one individual so much that he decided to write a poem about it.
The mist was thick this crispy morn,
like it was I’m sure back when.
How could they tell these stories?
Where would you ever begin?
They came from every background.
Winter, spring, summer and fall.
Willing to serve this great nation,
willing to answer the call.
Now, once a year they gather.
Not for the laud or the fame.
Simply to honor the sacrifice,
only to give them a name.
And so they call out each soldier.
Gratefully name them aloud.
So that angels and families and loved ones,
have reason and cause to be proud.
May the record’s in Heaven bear witness.
May the cause and the glory be true.
May we never forget why they did this…..
….. They did it for me and for you.
30 Aug’25 DRS
Registration for the 2026 Run for The Wall opens on September 11, 2025, at 0846 am Eastern Time.
Early Bird registration fees for the Cross Country Routes are $100 per person until January 31, 2026, when it will then increase to $120 per person. The Sandbox Registration fee is $40 per person and goes up to $60 per person after February 1, 2026.
If you didn’t recognize the significance of the date and time of when registration opens, that is when American Airlines Flight 11 impacted into the North Tower of the World Trade Center 24 years ago. Many of you remember where you were and what you were doing that dreadful day as it changed our lives forever. I knew the first officer of American Airlines Flight 11, Tom “Stout” McGuinness, from my days in the Navy.
Never forget the sacrifices and lives lost that day.
Please register early so we can determine platoon numbers and sizes.
Planning for the Run is progressing with many of the key positions being filled and as the countdown continues toward May 13, 2026, one can expect further openings and shuffling of jobs to occur.
There are still many spots to fill so please volunteer and help out the Run! It takes a lot of people to get all of us across the country.
Is it May yet?
Jim “Who?” McDonough
XXXVI Central Route Coordinator
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Midway Route Photos from previous runs are no longer available. 