Welcome Home to the 330 registered Southern Route riders.
April is going to fly by in a whirlwind as riders across the country prepare for XXXIII. Facebook is full of pictures of riders preparing, tents, duffle bags, ice chests…how will it all fit on the bike? The Wood house has also begun preparing. We took the bikes into the shop for a little fine tuning. I reviewed last year’s notes to see what we wished we had packed and what we wished we had left at home. Deciding how many shirts to pack and wondering if the rain gear will hold out for one more year.o.
HYDRATE – HYDRATE – HYDRATE
At the forefront of our mind is HYDRATE – HYDRATE – HYDRATE! If you’ve signed up for the Southern Route, you better like riding in warm weather. The first few days out, it’s hot and dry! We experience looooong hot days as we ride across the desert.
PREPARE NOW!
Did you know…humans can live for about three weeks without food, but they can last only three or four days without water? On the Southern Route it’s less than that.
“Even though water is essential for life, an estimated 40% of seniors are chronically underhydrated, and adults ages 65 and older have the highest hospital admission rates for dehydration.”
Please do not be one of the riders that needs medical attention because you failed to drink plenty of water. Start hydrating now, and get in the habit of drinking 8 – 15 glasses of water a day. Continue the regimen as you travel to Ontario and as you make the ten-day journey to DC.
We will once again have cooling neck ties for riders to wear as we cross the desert. Shirley “Top Sarge” Scott makes cooling neck ties, not only for The Southern Route but for all the routes. Make sure you thank her for her service. It takes a lot of time to make hundreds of neck ties, and it’s also expensive, she donates all of it.
Southern Route planning update:
- Last week, was the final state coordinators meeting before the run. Every state coordinator without exception shared that their communities are excited to welcome riders with parades, programs, celebrations, flag lines, treats and prayers for continued safety as we roll on to DC.
- Road guards have drafted their assignment plan. All LEO representatives have been contacted and are planning the same outstanding support as in previous years.
- Fuel team is fully staffed and are ready to guide riders in and out of the fuel stops.
- Staging team still has a few openings. If you are not an FNG, please consider volunteering for the staging team. Staging is getting new signs this year. Thank you to those that have worked to make us new signs (you know who you are).
- Remember, if a road guard, staging team member or fuel team member asks to jump in front of you in a food line or bathroom line, it’s because they need to get in and get out and get back to work. Be courteous and let them in.
- Chaplain team has arranged for staging vehicles, as well as platoon chaplains and chase vehicles. Did you know there are chaplains riding at the very back of the pack that help load bikes onto the trailers? The chaplain team has been a great comfort and strength to me this year.
- Registration team held a training meeting with the board this week. They are ready to check you in, notice, check you in. You must register on-line. You will only CHECK-IN with the registration team. Be sure to fill out and print the emergency information form and bring it with you.
Missing Man Formation
Interested in riding in the Missing Man Formation? Southern Route Missing Man lead Judy Wormmeester shares how to sign up, expectations and why she rides.
Thank you for your interest in riding as an Escort in the Missing Man Formation.
Riding in The Missing Man Formation, (MMF) is a commitment of a higher level, where during the escort leg, you are reminded of the commitment of the person no longer with us, and you honor the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
As an escort, you are expected to take this position with reverence. We ask that you sit up straighter, no kicking back on the highway pegs, no radio, and no waving to RFTW supporters. It is a time to remember who you are riding for, remember their family, their friends, their sacrifice. Riding with Run For The Wall is all about honor and respect during the whole ride, but even more so as an Escort.
During your escort, we look for a tight formation so that The Missing can be “seen”. The formation consists of 2 riders side by side up front, the Escort right behind the Route Coordinator in the left track of the lane, the right track is for The Missing, and side by side riders in the back.
I will hand out Missing Man Formation placards in Ontario. These can be clipped to your windshield on the day you are to Escort. This will help the staging team get you to the Support Platoon for the day. Please make sure you notify your platoon leadership that you will not be riding with the platoon for that day. If you are not starting in Ontario, please contact me at the stop where you will be starting.
At the time of you escort leg, you need to move your bike up from the Support Platoon to your Escort position. We ask that after you have positioned your bike in the Escort position during staging, you use the restroom and visit the hydration truck as quickly as possible. The MMF Chaplain and I would like some time with you so you can tell us about who you are escorting, we can say a prayer, and you can compose and prepare yourself for this emotional journey.
Please have a bio prepared of who you are riding for. This should be printed and laminated to protect it from possible weather during The Run. Riders attach the bio to their bikes at the stops, so others can see who they are riding for. A copy can be emailed to me. I would like to print it out and carry them with me in a binder. I try to read about who is being escorted in the MMF either the night before or the morning of the escort.
Again, thank you for your interest in riding as an Escort, I will keep you posted as to your intended leg. Welcome to the RFTW family,
Judy Wormmeester
Not Airborne (If you ask, I can tell you the story of my road name. I have actually enjoyed skydiving)
I ride for my brother and the crew of Baron 52
Sgt. Joseph A. Matejov
2/5/73 – USAF – Laos – MIA
The Mission, “…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…”
Along with healing among all Veterans and their families and supporting our military all over the world, The Mission of Run For The Wall also supports families and friends of those Missing In Action and the ones that gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life. As part of the Mission, RFTW has a Missing Man Formation at the front of all four routes. At each leg a different Escort rides for someone who is Missing, or no longer with us.
If you know someone who is MIA or KIA and would like to escort them in the Missing Man Formation during a leg of The Run, please contact Judy, Not Airborne, Wormmeester at jwormmeester@yahoo.com. If you do not personally know someone, but feel called to be an Escort, you can go to virtualwall.org and can locate a list of those on The Wall. You can search by the following criteria:
Last Name (this is a common search if you do not know someone personally)
Wall Panels by Date
By State and City (this is a common search if you do not know someone personally)
Height of Valor (medals)
Faces of Freedom (photos)
By Military Unit
POW/MIA Status
Groups and Battles
It is asked that you learn about the person you select and create a bio of their history; including a picture helps to make a deeper connection. In the past, some riders have contacted family members to learn more, and to let them know that their family is not forgotten. Some are still connected with that family to the point where they meet up, and stay in contact. It becomes personal.
Once you contact Judy, she can send you information on what she needs to add you to the list. If all of the escort legs are full, we can add you to the wait list. For a number of reasons there can be a need to find someone at the last minute. Thank you, and welcome to the family.
Why I Ride
After three years as Assistant Route Coordinator and coming up on a year as Route Coordinator I have wondered why, why am I doing this? At first I worked through why I am not riding, which brought me to why I ride.
I am not riding for a hat, an itinerary book, a pin, a patch, a pat on the back, a corporation, a free meal, or a trademark. Some of these items are nice and some are necessary but they are not why I ride.
- I ride for the 58,281 whose names are on The Wall.
- I ride for the 1,584 still unaccounted for.
- I ride for the nine soldiers out of Fort Campbell that died last month in a helicopter crash.
- I ride for the KIA from all wars
- I ride for the 81,500 still missing from all wars
- I ride for my 9th Great Grandfather, a POW during the American Revolution who never recovered from his injuries
- I ride for the 22 a day
- I ride for you, the 330 riders registered on the Southern Route
- I ride for all Veterans from all wars that sacrificed for freedom
- I ride for the American people. A country that forgets it’s defenders will soon be forgotten. We cannot allow Americans to forget why we enjoy freedom.
- I ride for Ricky Smith…
I met Ricky just before he enlisted in the Marines. His brother is married to my daughter. As a young man, Ricky followed in the footsteps of his father and his father’s father before him. My son-in-law, Billy joined the Navy, it didn’t go over well in a family of Marines. Ricky recently wrote this poem, a heartfelt account of boys going to war.
Peter Pan Goes to War
Once upon a time, in Neverland fair,
Lived a boy who never grew up or had a care.
His name was Peter Pan, and he was free,
Flying and playing, as happy as could be.
But time is a thief that steals away youth,
And Peter, too, was not immune to its truth.
He grew up, and with it came a call,
To fight a war, in a land far from all.
In Afghanistan, he fought and bled,
His innocence lost, his heart heavy with dread.
No longer flying high, but crawling in the dirt,
His dreams of Neverland, forever hurt.
The world had changed, and so had he,
No longer the boy he used to be.
His laughter now replaced by tears,
As he faced his darkest fears.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen,
Once a child, now a man, burdened with a calling.
The loss of childhood, a heavy toll to pay,
As Peter Pan grows up, to fight another day.
And so, he battles on, in a war that never ends,
Dreaming of a world, where peace and love transcend.
But alas, it seems a distant dream,
For in this war, nothing is as it seems.
And so, we weep for Peter Pan,
A boy who once flew, but now he can’t.
A hero, but at what cost?
For in growing up, he has lost.
Lost his innocence, lost his youth,
Lost the one thing he held most true.
A sad tale of a boy who grew,
To fight a war, he never knew
Thank you, Ricky for your service.
Remember the Mission – Romeo Tango Mike
Kristine “Eyes” Wood
Southern Route Coordinator 2023
