An early Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope everyone can enjoy spending time with family and friends. Let’s remember all of our troops deployed around the world and keep them in our prayers.
One correction from last month’s newsletter is that you must have been issued a Vietnam Service Medal (ribbon) to ride in the Vietnam Veterans Platoon. I apologize for the confusion. This special Vietnam Veterans Platoon is being put together in honor of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. We will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of Run For The Wall.
The planning and Preparation for the RFTW 2025 Mission continue, and we are still looking for volunteers, especially for the Medical positions. If interested, you can fill out a volunteer form HERE. We need people with experience as RNs, LVNs, EMTs, etc. You can ride a bike or be in an air-conditioned
vehicle.
Also, our Road Guard Captain, Don “Doc” Wood, is looking for a few Road Guard Candidates. You must ride a two-wheel motorcycle and have ridden All The Way at least once. Don’s contact information can be found on the Southern Route Contacts List.
Register for the 2025 Run now
The Southern Route now has over 100 registered riders and participants. If you have not registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. Early registration helps us plan for our stops and hotel accommodations. Early registration ends on January 31, 2025, and registration costs increase on February 1, 2025. You can Register HERE. If you are in leadership, please register now. If you are an FNG, please register as early as you can. We know plans can change.
RFTW Forum
Please know there is a great resource tool for all of us in the RFTW Forum. It’s a great place to learn from others and ask questions. There are very good videos from Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olsen showing you how to program the new GMRS radios used on all the runs this year. Leadership positions need to have the radios, but it’s an option for all others. Sometimes, it’s nice to hear what’s being discussed so you know what’s going on when we’re starting out and picking up speed. If you’re not in a leadership position, the request is that you’re in listening mode only, but these new radios are not that expensive and pair to Bluetooth headsets easily. There are many other reasons to be on the forum. If you need to share hotel rooms to save a few dollars, there’s a section for that. Local monthly meetings are discussed, Runs to the run, and good discussions sharing ideas.
In closing, I encourage you to read about The Last Battle of the Vietnam War, the Mayaguez Incident. It’s an interesting read. Here’s a link to a good article about it: The Mayaguez Incident.
“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.” This is why we ride.
“SAY THEIR NAMES, TELL THEIR STORIES,NEVER FORGET’
TO HONOR AND REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICE
Lennie “Big Red” Hodson
Southern Route Coordinator 2025
Happy to hear that you will be leading the southern route, look forward to seeing you again.
Papa Smurf