May 26, 2023 - Day 10 - Lewisburg, WV to Washington DC
This is our last meeting.
We say the pledge and pray. Pray for dry roads and for the Lord to keep us all safe.
Paul asks if there are any blue star and gold star families. We have several. All are thanked for their service.
He asks if there are any FNGs there. It is over half of the crowd. They all get hugs AND he says there are always positions needing to be filled so come back next year.
For the division challenge, the army won. The platoon challenge was won by platoon 1. YEAH bragging rights until next year.
Someone asked if there are any women on the wall. There are only 8.
He hands out the last 2 names to be carried to the Wall. There are still so many not found but they have not stopped looking. That is why we ride.
We have formed a bond that will last a lifetime.
Paul said today is the "final exam". We have been riding all week for this last day.
Next year's Run starts in June. State coordinators are key to keeping updates on changes in their state.
Jenny presents Paul with a plaque and thanks him for all he did for the Run. Many people have no idea what it takes and the amount of planning that goes on before the Run even starts. THANKS PAUL!!
Gunny thanks all for keeping the missions going. He said the Run is like a family reunion. We are all family no matter how much of the Run we do. He said when we get to DC, his friends are waiting for us at the Wall. Many of his fellow service members are on that wall.
This gentleman is an FNG and a Vietnam veteran. He wrote a poem the had most of the crowd in tears. He captured just about every aspect of the Run. It is beautiful.
You have your tissues ready?
Concluded with:
HOW FAR ARE WE RIDING???
ALL THE WAY ????
HOW FAR ARE WE RIDING???
ALL THE WAY ????
AND we are going EAST!!
*********************
One aspect of the Run I have not covered is the missing man. It is an honor and privilege to ride this position in honor of someone lost. The escort "Rides for those who can't."
The name is put in the Missing Man position. Every leg on the Run is covered.
Missing Man
Formation:
Route Coordinator State Coordinator
Escort Missing Man (space)
Missing Man Coordinator Head Chaplin
Here is how it looks on the road.
Beautiful blue skies today!! A bit chilly but this beats the rain we had last year.
Cool windy roads.
WOW!!!! Such beauty. Everyone can look in their part of the country and see this great land we live in and find the beauty. I have just put some of them in my blog to remind you how lucky we are to have all this. And the freedom to go anywhere to see it.
Road guards are ready to lead us. They are all amazing riders!!! As Pretty Boy stated before we started, their job is to keep a bubble around us to make sure we get to our destination safely.
THEY DID!!!
Great job by the staging crew. They love these big lots where they can set platoons next to each other.
Lunch stop is at the New Market Battlefield.
Fun Fact:
A makeshift Confederate army of 4,100 men defeated the larger Army of the Shenandoah under Major General Franz Sigel, delaying the capture of Staunton by several weeks. The battle is primarily remembered today for being the only time in American history a school's student body was used as an organized combat unit.
Gomez is always there to bring us in.
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a general officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the Eastern theater of the war until his death.
Great day for an outside lunch!!!
Hard to believe there was a battle here.
Jenny and I occasionally discuss what layers to wear. Do I put my heated gear back on (it was upper 50s) or put that back in the bike and just add a jacket? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Last minute direction. This is our last leg into DC. We have an escort but trying to get 300+ bikes thru 6 lanes of highway can be a challenge.
A sea of hats.
OK one more where's Courtney?
Check this out !!! It was under construction when we came thru last year. Now we have an HOV lane, and it gets us almost all the way to our exit. And the part where we need to cut over, the police have closed the highway. This was a piece of cake!!!!
What a reception. They other 2 routes make it in before we do and always there in support.
Platoon 1 in DC.
Pretty Boy got a new patch: DON'T FOLLOW ME.
BUT the mission is not complete until we get to the Wall tomorrow.
Temps: 47-74
Route: I-64 E, I-81N, I-66E
Miles:257
Quote for the day:
Heroes do not wear capes, they wear dog tags.
Here is a flag on the back of a helmet. It reminds me that I am able to ride on this mission because I am free and those that serve have preserved it for me.
REMEMBER: Please thank our men and women in the service as well as our police and firemen. A simple hand shake goes a long way and it only takes a minute.
Last post will be tomorrow.
.JPG)
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