Run For The Wall
Southern Route
2011
This note was received from James Stone, a Road Guard on SR, on May 12:
Friends and Colleagues,
On Friday 13 May, 2011 I am leaving Ft Worth on my motorcycle with 45 other bikers, some veterans, some not, to ride to Los Angeles, Kalifornia to again participate in Run for The Wall XXIII. We will carry everything we need for the next twenty or so days on our motorcycles. Many of us will also have a United States flag flying on the right side of our bikes as well as a POW/MIA flag from the left. (The POW/MIA Flag is the only flag other than the Stars and Stripes to ever fly above the White House or the Capitol Rotunda.)
This will be my fifth Run, and once again I am going All The Way from Los Angeles to Washington DC. By trips end, those of us who ride all the way will ride about 6700 miles round trip to ask our politicians to Never Forget the price our young people have paid for our Freedom!
On Wednesday, 18 May we will join several hundred other bikers and Vets in Rancho Cucamonga, Kalifornia on the annual pilgrimage to the Vietnam Memorial, The Wall, on the Mall in DC. The purpose of this ride is to bring attention to the POW/MIA issue and provide safe passage across America and support for Veterans of all wars. There are still 1695 warriors listed as Missing in Action from the Vietnam War. (When I started riding RFTW in 2007 the number was 1863. The Joint POW/MIA Accountability Command at Hickam AFB in Hawaii continues to find those still missing, but we cannot rest until we have a full accounting.)
The motto of this ride is ‘We ride for those who can’t.’
This year I will be riding for a friend of mine who served two tours in Vietnam with the Australian Army. He died 3 May, 2011 of cancer caused by Agent Orange. I will also ride for my 84 year old neighbor, a three-war SEAL, WWII, Korea and two tours in Vietnam; for my father, an Artillery Forward Observer during WWII in Europe; my mother, a Marine Sergeant during WWII. I will ride for Martin VandenEykle II, shot down 2 December, 1969, the brother of a flight attendant I met on American Airlines Flt 51 from London on 4 May, 2009 and the colleague of one of the RFTW Road Guards. I will ride for the brothers of two of our coworkers here at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics who died in Vietnam one year apart on 13 June, 1970 and 13 June, 1971. I will ride for my friend Bill who retired from the USAF as a Chief Master Sergeant and from Lockheed Martin as a Master Black Belt 22 years later. And finally, I will ride for my friend Thomas, who served with the Norwegian Army and NATO forces in the Balkans and saw the horrible aftermath of Srebrenicia. ‘We ride for those who can’t.’
When Run for The Wall leaves Los Angeles we will stop for the nite in Phoenix; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Midland, Texas; Grand Prairie, Texas on 21 May; Monroe, Louisiana; Meridian, Mississippi; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Wytheville, Virginia; Roanoke, Virginia and finally Washington DC on 27 May. As we cross this great land The Run will visit three Veterans Hospitals and three elementary schools along the way.
As we crossed through Mississippi last year, we had over 800 riders, and as we entered Arlington, Virginia and the end of The Run, we had registered over 1700 and nearly 500 were still riding with the Southern Route.
On Sunday, 29 May, we will join with hundreds of thousands other bikers for Rolling Thunder XXIV. Rolling Thunder XXIV is a motorcycle ride/demonstration from the Pentagon parking lots to The Wall. The major function of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is to publicize POW-MIA issues: To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action.
You can follow the ride at the following Southern Route website: http://www.rftwsr-2011.us/ with daily sitreps or thru http://www.rftw.org
This Memorial Day, as we pause to remember those who have fallen in defense of freedom, please include those still Missing In Action.
I will see you on in June.
Please pray for our troops.
jes
- - - - - - - - - -
This note was received from Trent Crewe, Mayor of Wytheville, VA on February 14:
"Some weeks ago the President of the DAR shared with me the fact that so many of the Spiller student's essays mentioned the importance of RFTW to them. She was very impressed that so many had taken your message and involvement to heart. [Below] is an article from our local newspaper that explains a bit more. I thought you should see the evidence of RFTW being a part of this community year round. You are indeed making a difference in the lives of our students and their families. It's nice to know someone notices! Thank you!"
Patriotism is Alive and Well at Spiller Primary School
By Staff
Published: February 14, 2011
Fourth-grade students at Spiller Primary School participated in the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution 2010-2011 U.S. flag essay contest. The local contest was sponsored by Stuart Chapter DAR. The purpose of the contest is to encourage patriotism along with instilling the correct care and usage of the flag.
The topic for the essays was “How I Respect the Flag of the United States of America.” Students from the classes of Mrs. Soprano, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Terry wrote inspiring thoughts concerning their feelings about the American Flag.
References were frequently made as to how the students have been affected by the local “Run for the Wall” and the personal interactions they have had with veterans from all over the nation. As one student wrote, “Run for the Wall is a day that honors our country and veterans. We get to high five and ask questions to the veterans. Sometimes they give us stuff like little flags, pins, stickers, and beads. Finally we get to watch the veterans ride off on their motorcycles with us singing the National Anthem.”
...
The two top essays have been entered in the Virginia DAR state contest. All participants were presented with Stuart Chapter certificates and small United States Flags. Members of Stuart Chapter appreciated each student’s participation in the contest.
—Spiller Primary School
