Welcome to
Run For The Wall XXI
Southern Route - 2009
"Service Beyond Self"
Day One - May 13 -
Rancho Cucamonga, CA, to Phoenix, AZ
Sit Reps for Day One have been added below (on 5/16)
"This [is a collage of photos taken by Tuck Broich] from an overpass on Highway 10 In Palm Springs, CA today (5-13-2009) at: 9:30AM. The bikes are on their first leg on the Southern Route to The Wall in DC. The event was organized by Gary Olsen (golsen@dc.rr.com ) a member of the American Legion, Palm Springs and the ‘Leather Necks’." [Thank you to BOTH Gary and Tuck AND to all of the supporters on the bridge!]
Exit # Distance Time ETA ETD
R. C. - Coachella Dillon Rd. 94 miles 1:35 9:35 10:20
Coachella – Blythe Mesa Dr. 101 miles 1:30 11:50 1:15
Blythe – Tonopah 94 98 miles 1:35 2:50 3:30
Tonopah – Phoenix 144 B (N. 5th Ave) 57 miles 1:00 4:30
Total Mileage 350 miles
The following photos were submitted by SR Photographer, Ed Kain:
Registration continued VERY early in the morning on Day One.
Road Guards direct traffic into the mall parking area for staging (below) while others already there purchase merchandise from Carol Olmstead (right).
MANY thanks to the couple of places in the mall which provided free breakfasts. That was wonderful this year!!! (So sorry we didn't get the names of the organizations to give some credit.)
Left, the Color Guard
Below, left, President Mark Rittermeyer
Below, right, President Rittermeyer introduces
Judy Cockrum, Mike McDole, Ron Young, and other members of the RFTW Board of Directors.
Right, Southern Route Coordinator, Greg "Pied Piper" Smith, introduces Ray "Too Tall" McDowell, the Assistant Route Coordinator.
Below, left, Advance Team Leader, Ted "Oscar Bear" Riedel, gives instructions at the first gas stop, Coachella.
Below, the Lead Element (which includes the Ass't. Route Coordinator, front left, and Route Coordinator, front right, followed by the guard of the Missing Man position, right, followed by the Missing Man Coordinator, Della "Pocket" Morris, left, and a Chaplain, right) approaches Coachella.
The wonder is always how so many bikes are fueled in just 20 or so minutes! As you can see below, double lines are formed at the pumps, and the Advance Team members lift the gas hoses to facilitate bike movement. Riders pay by rounding up to the nearest dollar of the amount they owe. Extra funds apply as donations to the schools or for a funded gas stop later in the mission.
Above, right, Roger "Cowboy" Mead reintroduced Karoni Forrester (daughter of MIA who joined us at last night's dinner). These photos are of MIAs from 1972 and will be taken to The Wall by riders.
The community of Blythe, CA, always turns out in force to welcome Run For The Wall. The Arch of Swords welcomes all riders to lunch. Below are the Junior ROTC Color Guard from Blythe's High School and the presentation at the Prisoner of War/Missing In Action table...beautifully done...thank you! The Palo Verde Valley Times sent us a link to the video of the Remembrance Ceremony. They also provided a link to their Photo Gallery of the RFTW event. It's truly remarkable to have the ability to share their photos, and we are grateful to them for these links.
Above, Della and Don Morris greet a resident of the Carl Hayden VAMC in Phoenix. Riders treasure their times spent with other veterans at the VAMCs where we stop. The VA police (below, right) with their "rides" were interesting to observe.
Below are photos from the memorial ceremony and dinner at the Radison Hotel in Phoenix. The Scottish-American Military Society presented the Colors. Below, right, was US Army Retired Colonel Joey Strickland, Director of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services Office.
Above, Dee Newman, President of the Phoenix NW Valley Chapter of America's Gold Star Mothers. Right, Cathy Upchurch, widow of James Upchurch, killed in Vietnam in March, 1969, and National President of Gold Star Wives.
Left, proud mother, Sharon Grassi, current President of the Blue Star Moms. Below, Colleen Czaplick read a poem she has written to her son who had been assigned to Iraq. The poem was presented to Pied Piper to be taken to The Wall. (RFTW's Arizona State Coordinator, Jerry McNelly, stood behind Mrs. Czaplick, providing light with his flashlight.) Right, rear, is the Route Coordinator, Greg "Pied Piper" Smith.
Sit Reps for Day One
Day 1, Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Good morning everyone. Can you believe another year has come and we are ready to depart for Run for the Wall XXI? Our "family" from all across this great land have arrived in Southern California and are ready to depart. Some have been here several days and others arrived just in time for the Run. This year we are going to use a little different format for the Southern Route Sit-Reps. There are literally hundreds of people across the Nation that help support RFTW and we are going to recognize them at the conclusion of the Run in a massive "Thank You" for food, beverages, police and fire support, donated fuel stops and the general good will of people all across the country.
Many thanks go to Greg "Pied Piper" Smith, Southern Route Coordinator for the exceptional job he did with the myriad tasks that needed to be completed to insure your run becomes a great one. To the Leadership team and many volunteers, your efforts over the past year are about to bear fruit. Hundreds of riders have staged at Rancho Cucamonga for the first leg to Coachella, California for fuel. And then it will be on to Blythe, California for our lunch stop at the fairgrounds.
A record number of FNG's are riding with us this year and we welcome you with open arms to our family. During the next 10 days I will be interviewing FNG's and in particular we will follow one FNG as he shares the events that lead him to become involved with RFTW.
Louis Fathree of Fort Stockton, TX [click to see photo on pre-run page] is traveling with us for the first time. He is a veteran of the US Army, 1967 - 1979 with a combat tour in Vietnam 1968 - 1969. Louis received a little different welcome after joining RFTW this year than he did nearly 40 years ago to the day when he returned from Vietnam and had people spit on his uniform, call him every name in the book and basically treat him as a third class citizen. Louis is excited about joining his new family, and his travel to Washington, D.C. You will be hearing more about Louis in the days ahead in a brief we will call "The Louis Update".
After the morning ceremonies it is off to Coachella for the first fuel stop and the Southern Route briefing. After a short break, the riders departed for Blythe, CA for lunch and ceremonies at the fairgrounds.
Of the many people we met in Blythe, we would like to recognize Wally Morgan, WWII POW and Jerry Wolford, WWII veteran. Thank you both for your service.
The riders then departed for Tonopah, Arizona, for the afternoon fuel stop and then it was on to Phoenix, AZ to visit the Veterans Home for visitations. Again, we would like to extend our great appreciation for the work of the Road Guards who were able to successfully guide us into downtown Phoenix without a Police escort. We had a good ride into Phoenix, were greeted with a Patriot Guard Flag line outside the Carl T Hayden VAMC and went in for visitations. Patriot Guard provided the Welcome and opening ceremonies while we were visiting with the residents. After all of that, we then went on to the Host Hotel for Dinner, evening ceremonies and a much needed rest. It was a wonderful day to be riding across our nation on the first leg of RFTW XXI. We want to wish our Brothers and Sisters on the Central Route a safe journey and we will see you down the road.
Respectfully submitted by
Steve "Hawgwash" Hill
MSgt. USMC (Ret.)
- - - - - - - - - -
Run For The Wall wishes to express its deepest appreciation to ALL supporters, from those who provide support standing beside the road or on overpass bridges as we pass by to those who provide financial support. As always, it is impossible to know and thank all of the kind folks who help us as we cross the United States. However, here is a list of special people and organizations who helped us through California:
Blythe Area Chamber of Commerce
Blythe Police Department
Blythe Fire Department
Cal Fire, Blythe Stations
RFTW Arizons State Coordinator, Jerry McNelly
(We hope Jerry McNelly will send the list of Arizona supporters soon.)
Here are four more photos sent by Tuck Brioch:
5/23/09-Dave Barron sent the following e-mail and photos:
"Hi
I was all signed and registered and ended up injured and unable to ride this year.. Totally disappointed.
We brought out the Fire Engine I own and cheered as the ride went by.
This was taken in Buckeye Az, 8 miles east of the Tonopah gas stop west of Phoenix. We had a 1972 Crown Firecoach with flags on the bridge. The riders had spent the afteernoon in 100 degree weather and were just 30 minutes from the days end and the VA Hospital. A place that the President, while in town never quite got to!!
Dave Barron
Be there next year."
The following six photos, taken before the run began, were submitted by Gary Black, Photographer for the Central Route:
