May 22, 2023 – Day 6 to DC – Junction City, KS to Wentzville, MO

  May 22, 2023 – Day 6 to DC – Junction City, KS to Wentzville, MO

We start the day with the pledge and prayer.

Paul reads 2 bios for someone to carry to the war. They will not be forgotten.  When we get back for our platoon meeting, Ron also has a bio.  Audrey helped run the "Remember Our Fallen" n 2021 when covid was at its peak.  She had a stack of them yet to be taken.  He reads the name.  Sorry do not remember it, but it is the brother of Judy who is the Missing Man coordinator on Midway.  WOW!!!

Ready to role for day 6.  Hard to believe we are half way there.

Jean and Larry all geared up

As we leave, look at the overpasses.  We start the day like we ended it.  Thanks Thumper!!!  Not sure if I mentioned this or not.  Next year he wants 100% of bridges covered.  

Heading down the road we go past Fort Riley. How appropriate.

Yeah.  Looks like we may be into some rolling hills.  Check out the colors.  Love it!!  (I say that a lot too)

Heading to Topeka, we have to go thru a toll.  This is so much fun in the past.  Today was a piece of cake.  Way to go riders.  The lanes were wide enough that we could go thru in staggered formation.

 Coming off the toll.  Pretty neat!!

I remembered this from last year.  With lots of planning from the city, the entrance ramps are blocked by city trucks.  Going thru the city seems like a piece of cake.  Thanks to all the planning that went on to make this happen.  LOOK!!!!  No other cars.  This is so nice.

Right on past the KC Royals stadium with no issues.

Head to Topeka Service Center for gas.  This is a huge truck stop.  There are several of the truck lanes that have been cleared for the platoons.  This staging crew just needs to put a number on it.  Remember, they have to put it in order of departure.  Today, is it platoon 6,7,8,9,1,2,3,4,5.  We are moving up.  We are now in position 5.

This positioning is very important.  Depending on the position, determines who does communication.  All platoon leader, assistant and tail gunner should have CBs. It is very cool to listen how they move lanes, prepare to stop for the exit ramps, snake around slow moving vehicles.  The pack is like a freight train.  You have to plan the movements.  Hahaha

WOW!!  check out this flag as we come into the gas stop.

Curt our tail gunner.  He is one of the younger generation.  Most of the Vietnam vets are in their 70s and are about to retire.  We need this younger generation to carry on the mission.

Speaking of Vietnam vets.  These 2 are Vietnam vets.  They still are giving.  We thanked them for their service, and they thanked us for what we do.  

Dad gives Courtney a little help getting rain gear off.  No rain but it doubles up as warm gear.

  Here is one of our chase vehicles.  Never like to see bikes on it.  Hope they can get them fixed soon.

 This lady and her little girl are walking around handing out water.  Such a good example for this next generation.  Thanks mom.

Leaving ...... 

When we hit the Missouri border, we will have a police escort all the way across the state.  Thanks to the Missouri state coordinator.    They will run what looks like "the flying V".  We are pretty far back in the pack so pics are not that great, but you can get the idea.

Thanks to Courtney for these close up ones.

How cool is this....I think they let out the whole office.

Here are some of the guys clearing our path.

Lunch at Concordia, MO.  Great people, great food and great people.

Unlike the last staging place, this one is a nightmare.  2 small roads and grass in the middle.  Trying to get the bikes lined up is tough.  But they did it great.  They have had 6 days of practice

Here is one of the volunteers.  

We got a fly over today.  Pretty cool, right.  

I tried to zoom in but pretty tough to see clearly.  Here is the best i got..HAHAHA

Ed is the Assistant State Coordinator.  Thanks Ed and thanks to all that had a hand in on the.

Here is the info he gave me:

The grade school kids hand out envelops every year.    

There is a card, a button they made, and a note card.  They would like the rider to put their name on and where they are from. They have a big map and start marking where the riders are from.  Pretty cool idea.  I would love to see that map.

Lance, our tail gunner, opened his up and started laughing.  A little history, Lance started out last year and on day 1 had bike issues.  On a borrowed bike, he broke down 2 days later, so never rode all the way to DC.  His card said, "I hope you have a safe trip and make it to DC".  God sure does have a sense of humor.  

I believe there is a little ribbing going on.  Apparently Pretty Boy was leading the road guards and ended up going "west" instead of "east".  Funny thing is that Tom Miller was right next to him.  Tom is the one that said, "We are going east, and don't f.... it up."  Pretty funny.  These guys were not the only ones getting in on the heckling.  I was told that this was a "planned deviation".  Yeah right.  Looks like Pretty Boy may be getting a new road name.  Time will tell.

You may have noticed all the different color hats.  Remember at the beginning of the run, there are a lot of teams to get everyone to DC safely.  Examples: red are road guards, blue is medical, orange are the platoon teams, Burgundy is leadership support......

Lori in the red is our master of ceremonies.  Here she is honoring a gold star family.

Lori brought up several of the police officers so we could thank them for the closed roads.

Lori also did something pretty cool.  Instead of singing the National Anthem, she started it, put down the microphone and ask that we all sing it together.  Pretty different.  We were not too bad.

Then we all held hands and said the Lord's Prayer.  What a great way to end and send us on our way.

So I keep talking about Thumper and the bridges in Kansas.  Meet Thumper.   He is also an assistant platoon leader.  Many people have multiple hats.    

We got done a little early and Bobby took a nap. If he is not riding, he is sleeping.  I have never known anyone to sleep like he does.  LOL

Heading out of this great little town with our escort.

Snake around traffic and following the "V".

On the way to Wentzville.  There are so many people along this route.  It is good to see the support.

This all takes time to coordinate and set up.  Remember, we roll past them in less than 10 minutes.

Even at the end of the road in a golf card and decorated at that!!!

Look how many people are on this bridge.

Let's roll into Wentzville for dinner and to end our day. Here are the 2 parade leaders.  Now the state flag of Missouri.

WOW!!!  Here is another huge flag.  How many people does it take to get this done?

Look at this reception!!!!

Ok all.  Be careful, this is a gravel parking lot. No friend to a biker.  

Beautiful memorial.

 

Honoring a gold star family whose son was one of the 13 killed in the Afghanistan attack.  His father talked how he wants the Run to keep going.  This will honor him and others that have died for our freedom. 

We have the Star Spangled Banner song ..... 

Then Kim plays the bagpipes.

Chaplain Duane has repeated this over and over again.

SAY THEIR NAME AND THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

As we leave and head for dinner, I hear this song. I hope you take a few minutes to read it all.

Ragged Old Flag

by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square

On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.

I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,

He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".

I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,

And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".

He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,

"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"

I said, "I think it is"

He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of that ragged old flag"

You see, we got a little hole in that flag there

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it

Writing "Say Can You See"

It got a bad rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson

Tugging at it's seams.

And it almost fell at the Alamo

Beside the Texas flag,

But she waved on though.

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,

And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.

There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,

And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag

On Flanders Field in World War I

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun

She turned blood red in World War II

She hung limp, and low, a time or two

She was in Korea, Vietnam, she went where she was sent

By her Uncle Sam

She waved from our ships upon the briny foam

And now they've about quit wavin' back here at home

In her own good land here She's been abused

She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused

And the government for which she stands

Has scandalized throughout out the land

And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin

But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in

Cause she's been through the fire before

And I believe she can take a whole lot more

So we raise her up every morning

And we take her down every night,

We don't let her touch the ground,

And we fold her up right.

On a second thought

I do like to brag

'Cause I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag

*********

Temps: 55-77

Route: I-70E

Miles: 343

Quote for the day:      

Honoring the past, inspiring the future