May 27, 2023 – In Washington DC
It was a beautiful day. Started at 57 and hit the mid 70s. Today we headed to the Lincoln Memorial for group pictures.
Remember when we were at Angel Fire Memorial and the Huey, I told you I would ask for a bio from Scooter. He kindly sent this to me.
Kim starts playing Star Spangled Banner and everyone starts singing. It echoes thru the plaza.
After the picture, we walk down to the apex of the Vietnam wall. This is where the plaque is placed signifying the mission for Run for The Wall is complete.
People are looking for names of families , friends..…
As we walk down, you can see the bio paper or the MIA or KIA that people have been carrying across the country. They place them at the bottom part of the panel where their name is listed.
Items are placed below the panel as remembrance and tribute. The NPS collects, catalogs, and preserves these objects as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection.
It has been a very long journey to get here. Plaque at the apex of the Vietnam wall.
MISSION COMPLETE!!
When you are an FNG you have an FNG pin. This allows everyone to know you are a first-time rider and you get lots of hugs. Once you have reached the wall, you have someone turn your pin upside down to signify you have completed.
THE WALL
Somewhere on this incredible journey, we had a speaker that said this and it really stuck:
Teach all to honor those that protect our country.
Always be loyal to those serving.
And never leave anyone behind.
So therefore, the Run must never stop.
POW / MIA Poem
We need to remember them every day.
They went to fight in a place so far away,
They gave their all when their country sent out a call
Not ever knowing that their name would end up on the wall,
No matter how we honor them no matter what we do
We should always remember that they paid the highest price
For the red, white and blue.
So when you look up at the flag flying in the wind on a clear blue day
Remember it’s there because of the
POW and MIA
*****************
I hope this blog has given you some idea of our mission. It is a grueling trip. Long day, short night, 4;30 AM wake up calls…. This starts to wear on you. Our trip was only 10 days. Think of our troops in extreme hot and cold days. They have a lack of sleep, long days......they stand to keep us safe a lot longer than 10 days.
Here are a few fun facts about our trip
- Temperature ranged 32-107
- We traveled in 14 states + Washington DC
- From Loveland, OH to Ontario, CA to DC to Loveland, OH – 6402 miles
- Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.
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 bracelets, making pocket patches, hanging flags on the overpasses, closing down streets, organizing volunteers for meals, 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 personnel…..and the riders themselves. The logistics to get that many people across the country has to be done by so many
We continually asked each other: What time is it? What time zone are we in? What day is it? What state are we in? But there is one thing we knew the answer to: what was our 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
I have sent many quotes thru the last 10 day. Here are my last two:
U - Unselfish
S - Service to
A - America
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
General George Patton
On the Run, we said the Pledge every day. I see our 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.
HOW FAR ARE WE GOING??? ------ ALL THE WAY
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!
I especially want to thank my husband for such an incredible journey.
One more set of prayers 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 2 songs that really hit home with our Men and Women that server:
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
American Soldier (by: Toby Keith)
I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed for success
From my head down to my boots
I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our futures
My responsibility
Yeah, I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be
And I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekend's been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready
When the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady
Hey, I'm true down to the core
And I will always do my duty
No matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
'Cause freedom don't come free
I'm an American soldier
An American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
Sleep in peace tonight
American soldier
I'm an American soldier
God bless the USA.
NEVER FORGET !!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment