May 27 & 28, 2017 - In DC : Arlington, Lincoln Steps, The Wall

May 27:

This is bitter / sweet that I write my last entry.  I have very much enjoyed writing this blog and informing everyone of RFTW.

We started the day with the FNGs to ride into Arlington, then pictures on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, then the apex of the Vietnam Wall to complete our mission.

RFTW is allowed to ride the bikes into Arlington.  There are 400 tags for any FNG that wants to ride. Here is the morning meeting with the police.  They will get us there safe.

 We stage in the garage of the hotel.  You should hear the sound as it echoes , it is LOUD.  Larry and I were able to go since we had and FNG with us (Courtney and Ron).

As we leave, this is what we see. Such support and respect.

Believe it or not , the exit ramp became our entrance ramp.

Then we staged on the expressway.  wow.... totatlly shut down.

In Arlington.  Over 400,000 graves, all with flags.  

Service men and women buried since 1860, the Civil War.

We then see the Changing of the guards and presentation of the wreath.

Again we hear Taps.  Whose got the issues?

Now we head to Lincoln Memorial.

Look a these kids!!

As we all sit in the step waiting for the picture, about 3 minutes before, this guy just walks up, in front of everyone and started singing "God Bless America".  He is an opera singer, and his voice carries over everyone.  Within 5 seconds the crowd goes silent, and EVERYONE is singing with him. When he finished , he turns and walks back thru the crowd.  What just happened? where is he going? It was ones of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Some of the Ohio crew on the steps.

Fly over

We go to the Vietnam Wall. This is an emotional time.  You see those crying, those feeling the names on the wall, leaving memorabilia, prayers.... Lots of people and very quiet.

Remember, every day in morning call,we went thru 2 names still not returned. Many of us carried  bios, found them on the wall , and left them.  We pray they will be returned.

Remember, Hugh Byrd, here he is on the wall.

Here is the flag that was carried across in his memory.

RFTW leaves a plaque, MISSION COMPLETE!!!

All FNGs have the pins turned upside down.  They have completed their mission.  Curtis turns Ron's

Chief turns Jamie's

Larry turns for Courtney.

 WWII Memorial

 Korean Memorial

 Alan Alda on the Korean wall.

OUR FREEDOM!!!

May 28  

So you have all met my niece Courtney while on this journey.  She wanted to contrubute.:
===============

When I got to Corydon, IN I headed to registration and really got my first taste of being an FNG. I was hugged about 30 times within my first 10 minutes of having a my FNG pin on. People welcomed me into their family of 400 people without even knowing my name. In Frankfurt, KY we got to see the Vietnam Memorial they have. Here came my first set of tears. Previous Miss America (KY), moved to the front (in the pouring rain) and gave a speech like I had never heard. Her father is a veteran and the way she talked about him and thanking all of us riding for the veterans quickly brought tears to my eyes.
        I am going to skip forward a little to Friday on our way from Lewisburg, WV into D.C. The trip was split into 3 legs and we started in the middle of the pack. After we got gas and headed to lunch, we were right behind our platoon leader. I was so excited to be in the front of the platoon and in position 1 of 11 (as close to the front as we could get, or so we thought). Our platoon leader quickly came to us and asked if we could get out of the spot we were in and follow him. My dad quickly said yes and we come to find out the state coordinator wasn’t going to make it. This meant that the position right next to Winky (Route Coordinator and leader of the pack) was open and we were going to fill it. We moved up and I got VERY excited. Me and my dad had around 400 bikes behind us riding next to someone very important to the Run. As we started I was nervous and I was just the rider. This is a big deal that 2 FNG’s usually do not get to do.
        The last thing I want to talk about is when we got to the memorial. Now it doesn’t help that I cry when I see other people around me cry but every time I turned around more tears were coming. Between seeing Vietnam veterans looking for their friends to people telling stories of coincidences that happened along the Run. Getting to the wall meant my days of being an FNG were over. I turned to Uncle Homie (Larry) and asked him to turn my pin over. In this moment I really realized how amazing the whole trip was and how it is 4 days I will never forget. Thank you to everyone who made this trip what it was and especially to those who served or are serving. I look forward to many more trips ahead. Thank you especially to those who convinced my dad to go, and my dad for letting me share this experience with him.
            Courtney

==============
Thanks Courtney

We only rode 10 day in all kinds of weather. Think about those serving and the conditions they have for days or weeks at a time.  Scared, homesick, foxholes, no holidays,On the Run, we said the Pledge everyday.  I see this flag and have taken pictures of it all week. Every time I see it waving in the air, it is telling me  I am free.  And that right is protected by our men and women.  Let's continue to try and bring them all home.

 As we exit the ramp, there are many standing on the side, waving and cheering. Our Vietnam veterans never got that welcome home.  They we spit on, yelled at and looked down upon.  Many of them are in their late sixties and seventies.  It is never too late to tell them "Thank You".

Thank them for serving for our freedom

We unite and stand strong. Supporting one another always.  And those that serve this country  make sure we will have that freedom today. Life is too short not to enjoy it. Be kind and help one another.

 We are Americans !!!

 Here are a few facts about our trip

 - Temperature ranged 22-95

 - We traveled in 14 states + Washington DC

 - From Loveland to Ontario, CA to DC back to  Loveland – 5718 miles (+ 140 miles on a trailer)

We did not pay for meals on our mission. Every town we stayed in welcomed us, fed us, and prayed for our safety.  The support, encouragement, respect that the Americans have for the mission is incredible.  There is an unbelievable amount of time hanging banners, kids making bracelet, making pocket patches, hanging flags on the over passes, closing down streets, organizing volunteer for meal, setting up fuel stops.. and the list goes on.  

100s , 1000s of hours given by so many to make this happen: route coordinator, state coordinators, missing man coordinator, staging team, fuel team, hydration team, road guards, medical personel…..and the riders themselves.  The logistics to get that many people across the country, coordinated with all the towns for escorts, gas stops, parking, .... involve so many people.

Six of us crossed the country west to get to CA. We came back across with a new family of 300+

We continually asked each other : what time is it? what time zone are we in? what day is it?  But there is one thing we knew the answer to: what was your mission?

Mission Statement of RFTW : 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.

As we drove the last 20 miles, I looked for one last picture of a beautiful sunset.  I was disappointed that I could not get one.  Then as I turned into our driveway, it is lined with flags.  Oh my gosh, what a beautiful way to conclude the blog.  Thanks to our family for this.

Thanks to Jenny and Ken Ward for letting us tag along on the way out  and the way back.

I especially want to thank my husband for such an incredible journey.

One more set of prayer please, and that is to get everyone home safely from DC, and continue to pray for all service men and women, past and present. 

I leave you with this song: Proud to be an American (by: Lee Greenwood) 

If tomorrow all the things were gone

I'd worked for all my life

And I had to start again

With just my children and my wife

I'd thank my lucky stars

To be living here today

Cause the flag still stands for freedom

And they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I gladly stand up

Next to you and defend her still today

Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land

God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota

To the hills of Tennessee

Across the plains of Texas

From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston,

And New York to L.A

Well there's pride in every American heart

And its time we stand and say

That I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I gladly stand up

Next to you and defend her still today

Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land

God bless the USA.