Run for The Wall

This blog is not dedicated to this motorcycle event, but I as the writer tend to be.  I am en-route to do this mission for the 9th time.  7 times all the way and 2 times I joined on the way.   It is hard to explain why this mission is so important to those of us who do it.  Shadow says that some have quit their jobs to do it if they could not get the required time off, he is correct.  This year for the second time we have three separate routes, and one mission, and we are one big happy family.  We seldom agree with each other on much, except the mission, and that we can not stop doing it until Congress brings everyone home.

The recent news of the Marine in Mexico and his treatment and the ignoring of this treatment by the same people who say we must be nice to illegal aliens here, and SSgt Bergdahl still being held as a POW in Afgahnistan is horrible.

As far as I can tell nothing is being done for either of these individuals, they do not meet the narrative of the national media.  Fox News is reporting on them, but unless you get your news from the internet you have never heard of either of them.  I myself am ashamed that I do not know the Marine's name, and that he was captive for 60 days before I knew of it. 


We who do the run for the wall stop at monuments, memorials, VA hospitals, and schools on our ten day trek across country.

27 years ago was the First Rolling Thunder Parade in Washington D.C.  and 26 years ago was the first Run for the Wall.   Millions have participated in Rolling Thunder, and Thousands have participated in Run For the Wall.
Then of course there is all the support that goes into making Run for the Wall possible.  Thousands of folks wait every year for us to come.  I have never been in the planning of the event, but always in support of leadership during the event.  I guess it must be hard with so many communities wanting us to stop.  If we could we would stop at all of them, but then the trip would take ten times the ten days we have to do it. 
We start in Los Angelas, (actually now Rancho Cucamunga a suburb of LA) and we go to Washington D.C.
The trip could be done in 4 or 5 days, but with all the commitments we have it takes us ten days.
It is a good ride, but it is an intense ride.
The original group rode in parade formation all the way across, without much support.  In fact most of the time they could not even buy a cup of coffee in most towns.  They were thought to be some kind of motorcycle gang, not the event that they were.  A few places welcomed them, Kansas Abate paid their tolls there, Wentzville MO a gas station owner (may he rest in peace) bought them gas.  Then of course the West Virginia Turn Pike refused to do as Kansas had been so gratuitous to do.  So the original Run took the Midland Trail around the turn pike.  That put the Run in Rainelle WV, and it was a wonderful thing, and is a wonderful story.  It is told by one of the founders of the Run on rftw.org much better than I can tell it, cause he was there.
Today when we do the run, at least on the Central Route, and I am pretty sure this happens on the other two routes too, every over pass as we head east has someone on it. Rain or shine, hot or cold, they wait to see us thunder under them, or past them, or sometimes through them as in the case of Junction City KS, where people line the streets with flags.  Then there is all the food, I lose weight on the Run, but do not know how, we get free breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.  This year we have several fuel stops that are being paid for by groups or individuals.

The fact that 25 years ago there were no POW/MIA flags flying  anywhere, and today they fly at rest areas, capitol buildings, and military bases shows that what we do has an impact.  We do this mission for POW/MIA awareness, and we also do it to promote healing for veterans of all wars.  Many of our riders are veterans of the war on terror.  This year we will have participants and supporters from WWII, Korea, the Cold War, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Afgahnistan.  As we the Cold war Vets, and the Korean Vets, and WWII Vets, and the Vietnam Vets get older the younger folks will carry on for us.  I for one will do this run until I cannot hold a bike up, then I may go on trike.
The riding is not easy, it is not a Party, nor is it a Rally, it is a mission, and like any mission you do not have to like it, but once committed to it you just have to do it.
I like the stops, I like the family feel of it, but I really do not like the riding.  I enjoy riding to and from the Run, but the Run itself requires constant focus, a little mistake by one rider can get a lot of people hurt bad.  We have had accidents, and unfortunately we have had people die coming and going to the Run.

I pray everyone gets to CA safely, and that all three routes have good weather and safe travels.  I thank all of you who support our efforts, even though thank you is not enough, it is all I have.


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