Run For The Wall 2006

Rolling Thunder

Washington DC

RFTW arrives in Weatherford Texas May 20, 2006.

The manager of Trails End called and asked if some of the riders could stop by and visit with his brother.  His brother, a former member of the 1st Cav had been in a motorcycle accident with a semi and lost all four fingers of his left hand and crushed his thigh and was in a convalescent hospital in town.  I met the riders when they arrived in town and scouted out three vets of the 1st Cav and led them to the hospital.  The brother was surprised and really happy to see some of the men from his former outfit.  It made me feel real good to have had a hand in making this happen.

Weatherford to Monroe, LA

Ninety miles later we arrived at a shopping center , the street was lined with flags. I parked the trailer in the back of the lot and helped unload the water.  Half an hour later there was a loud roar and the bikes pulled in and gassed up.

Click on the picture for more.

This time I waited until the bikes left and I was put behind the souvenir trailer and followed them to the next stop and lunch.

We got there late and there was no place to park so I took off for Monroe, thought I would find a park to set up in. I had the address of a park but it wasn't there!

While looking for the park I ended up right in front of the Shiners Hall where they were putting on dinner for us and now I was early, so I got a place to park.  Had dinner here and they had two spots with RV hookups.  I spent the night here with the "Command Motor Home" and the tenters.

Monroe to Meridian, MS

Today's schedule had something called "The Trail of Honor" presented by a Harley dealer in Jackson, MS. I asked one of the leaders what this was about and he said, "You don't want to miss it, and you ought to get there early".  So I hit the road about 6:30 and headed for Jackson.  After breakfast at a truck stop in Tallulah I finished the 120 miles to Jackson.  It was allot bigger town than the last time I was here so how do I find the Harley dealer?

I stopped at a small office and asked to use their phone book and found the address. Went back to the truck, plugged the address into the GPS and it came back with about 6 choices, all in Jackson and all with different zip codes! Back inside to get the zip, it isn't in the phone book! So, I called them and ask and heard, "We are closed today and have people in to answer the phone, I don't know the zip code." I told her that I was part of the group and she asked around and found it.

Back to the truck and off I go. About 8 miles down the road I notice three "Huey" helicopters sitting on the ground, and on the hill behind them was a Harley dealer and a bunch of riders. The GPS didn't know it but this was the place. I got off the freeway and went back. They directed me to parking about three miles away and said buses ran every 10 minutes. I went and they did and I got there.

Behind the Harley dealer they had a path through the woods with displays and people dressed in the uniform of the time for every war from the Revolution to Iraq and Afghanistan. They had equipment from the time periods and docents to explain it all. From the modern era they had an M1A1 tank, Self-propelled Artillery and a Marine landing boat.

Click on the picture for more.

They even had a real Seal Team with on of their "river boats", no pictures allowed! As I spoke with on of the Seals he said, "you can take pictures of the boat but not of the Seals!" They don't want to be identified.

I saw the displays before the bikers arrived and then waited on the hill with the crowd for them to show up. While there I met a man who was on the Coral Sea in 1948. He was flown aboard and they couldn't get the wheels down on the plane, they landed anyway!

I met then man who was the youngest Marine to ever win the Congressional Medal Of Honor. He had been on Iwo Jima and had joined the Marines when he was 14!

This whole trip is very emotional. While waiting for the bikes I saw a young man with a "Special Forces" cap. He was on crutches and had lost a leg. I went over and shook his hand, neither of us could say anything. We faced each other, both holding back tears.

A little later I began to hear sirens and looked down the freeway. There were about 30 motorcycle police riding three abreast with lights and sirens going. Behind them were the riders, at least 900 by now. It took a full four minutes for them to go by on the freeway. They were slowing for the off ramp about a mile down the road but it is a bunch of bikes. They came up the road and the docents, in their uniforms stood at the curb and saluted.

When the bikers got parked and watered there was a parachute drop. Then a Cobra gunship took to the air and put on a display along with a recon helicopter.

The Trail of Honor was then closed to the public and only the bikers were allowed in.

The bad news is that I dropped my camera just as the bikers were arriving! It broke. I didn't wait for lunch or the B-52 flyover and left for Meridian to settle in and get a new camera. I think the pictures can be retrieved from the memory chip when I have time to do it.

Meridian to Chattanooga, TN

Took off early for Chattanooga on my own.  The only special stop was at a VA hospital and I was warned that parking would be a problem.  I found a denim vest yesterday and went looking for someone who could sew.  I asked if anyone at the RV park knew and they sent me down the road to a lady that makes wedding dresses.  She said sure I can do it in an hour, and she did.  I met up with the bikers for dinner and am ready to settle in for the night.  The campground where I am was a Civil War battlefield!  You don't often get to spend the night on a former battlefield.

Click on the Picture for more.

Chattanooga to Wytheville, VA

I tried running with the support vehicles but they go 70-75 mph and I only get about 10 mpg at those speeds.  So, I leave early and go to the first fuel stop or event and park before they arrive.  I then follow at 60-65 mph, get 12 mpg and never see them until the end of the day.

Here are some pictures from the re-fuel stop near Knoxville (Click the picture for more).

Wytheville, VA to Roanoke, VA

    At breakfast this morning I found that parking at Roanoke was at a premium.  I ask a couple with a motor home what they were doing.  They were going to DC and leave the motor home and return without it.  I ask the leader what I should do and he said, "Take the trailer to DC".  "How far is it?", I asked.  He said, "about 3 hours".  So back to the RV park, hook up the trailer and off I go.

It wasn't three hours, it was 300+ miles!  Don't know what he drives but it isn't towing a 10,000 lb trailer.

I got in about 4:30 and it is 4 hours back to where they are.  I decided to spend the night and will go back and hook up with them at the last fuel stop in Toms Brook, VA and finish the parade.

Pictures from Wytheville:  The school comes out every year to greet the bikers.  One special ed student, a nine year old girl, decided that morning to sing us a song.  She got lost after the chorus and stopped, everyone clapped.  She started again and made it through the whole song, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.  One of the teachers said, "right after Christmas, the kids start asking, when will the bikers be here?"

Roanoke to Washington, DC

I went back and caught the heard at Toms Brook, VA.  About 80 miles east of DC.  Here are some pictures.

Campground, Lake Fairfax

I met a man as I checked into the campground and we talked about all the bikers.  He and two other RV's were from a church group in South Carolina and came here to cook for the vets.  They had hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, chips, and drinks for all of us for three nights!  No charge, No sermon!

Rolling Thunder 2006

The big day  Click the picture for more.

May 30, I went to Arlington National Cemetery this morning.  I went early to try and get a picture with the flags on all of the graves but they didn't open until 8:00.  When I did get in they had already removed the flags.  I went to see the changing of the guard, always a moving experience.

It was kind of warm, 95 and humid!  I went back to the trailer, turned on the air and vegetated for the rest of the day.

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