Wednesday morning was cloudy and overcast, the sun trying to peek through as I made the quick 15 minute drive to Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I had worked into the wee hours the past two nights but made sure I was up for this, my first experience of the "Run For The Wall." Not knowing what to expect, I arrived fifteen minutes before the planned riders meeting, prayer and ceremony and found a sea of riders in leather chaps and vests or jackets sporting the Run For The Wall patch. The Christian Motorcyclists Association (www.cmausa.org) San Diego Chapter was cooking up breakfast burritos while the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department Color Guard stood by waiting to post the colors.
RFTW Mission: 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.
Riders and well-wishers alike removed caps and saluted the flag, bowed their heads for a prayer of thanksgiving and for safe travel and then Taps was played as overhead helicopters flew by. Without much fuss, riders and passengers split up into their platoons and prepared to take to the road. The Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department raised the Stars and Stripes between their ladder trucks over the driveway where the riders would depart from the staging area.
"We don't give political speeches or stage demonstrations. Run For The Wall gets its message across to the public by riding through the United States. We obey traffic laws and treat all citizens with dignity and respect" www.rftw.org
The thing that suprised me most was that after all of the years this run has taken off from our area, there was not one person here from the news media. This moment was meant to honor our fallen heroes and to raise awareness of the men and women still unaccounted for from all of our wars. It was a time meant to bring healing to so many who have had to deal with their war experiences.
Riders and passengers, old and young, Vietnam Vets and FNG's, bikes and trikes filed out; some pulling trailers, one sporting a yellow mohawk on his helmet and one who brought tears to my eyes, a vet in a wheelchair. His custom trike is made for his wheelchair to roll up into and strap down. He rode off with his Run For The Wall family, headed for Washington DC where they are expecting 700,000 bikers this year at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on May 30th, 2010, Memorial Day.
Though the well-wishers numbered less than one hundred, our enthusiasm was not to be outdone. Watching as the platoons left in double file lines, first the Central Route riders and then the Southern Route riders, we cheered them on, waving and clapping, waving our flags. As I walked back to my car, I chatted with a veteran from San Diego, who had ridden his Gold Wing up to wish his RFTW family farewell. He told me about the times he had made the trip, showing me his bike and the iPod his grandson had set up for him to enjoy his music during his travels.
I know I wore a grin all morning as I gazed at row after row of motorcycles and leather clad riders and passengers. My heart, already worn on my sleeve, must have grown a few sizes reminding me of that scene from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. My last order of business as I left was to call my husband and let him know we would be joining this run in 2012, as soon as he retires. "No worries" he says, "we'll need a new bike and we can start shopping any time!"
On Saturday, May 29th the Run For The Wall group will meet for a group photo at the Lincoln Memorial and present a "Mission Accomplished" plaque at the Wall. On Sunday, May 30th, the group will depart from the Pentagon parking lot in preparation for their participation in the ROLLING THUNDER Parade which travels through downtown Washington and ends at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
I would encourage anyone who lives in an area near the Run For The Wall route to go out and greet the riders as they pass through. They will be participating in veterans and memorial ceremonies, visiting Veterans Memorials, VFW and American Legion groups. For the dates and locations the Run For The Wall riders will pass through check www.rftw.org
Central Route travels from CA through AZ, NM, CO, KS, MS, IL, IN, KY, WV, VA, DC
Southern Route travels from CA through AZ, NM, TX, LA, MS, TN, VA, DC
