Minnesota Welcome Home

July 29, 2007

I drove to Coon Rapids, Minnesota for a Welcome Home mission this morning.  The American Legion had organized a get together for the troops who had returned home from Iraq last week.  A band, pig roast and other festivities.  I found the staging area about 12:00 and joined the almost 60 bikers and 3 cages.  I took pictures of whatever caught my eye.  We ended with the briefing and introductions.

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Minnesota Welcome Home

After the briefing we formed up and left for the American Legion Hall.  When we got there they had saved room in the parking lot for us and the flag line formed while we waited for the troops to arrive.  The troops were expected to arrive about 1:00 and we were ready.

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Minnesota WH 2
After awhile we started hearing rumors, "they can't find the Legion Hall", "they are 1/2 mile out", "they are at a park and ride and can't find the Hall".  Two bikers went to find them and lead them back to the Hall.  The bikers returned in about 20 minutes.  They couldn't find the buses!  "The bus driver took them to the VFW by mistake!"  The last one turned out to be true!

A couple hundred troops walked into the VFW and in true vetran spirit they were offered a beer!  Then another!  It seems that soldiers just back from Iraq place a higher value on beer than on roast pig!  They may have made it to the Legion Hall later but I had to give up.  I know how free beer can mess up a schedule!

As people started drifting away I said to another PGR member, "I would rather be here and have them not show up, instead of them showing up and nobody was here!"

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