galxy5
galxy5
Hey Rad ,
I just got home from Rolling Thunder ,, it has taken me so many years to go to the wall ,, every year I say I'm going ,, but one thing or another has gotten in the way ,, the reality is that I just could not muster the courage to go ,,
so saturday morning I got packed ,, loaded Galxy5 down with my camping gear and started out from Roanoke alone ,, I came across many groups on the road ,, fell in behind them for a while and then cranked G5 open and continued on alone ,, this was a journey I just had to make on my own ,, when I came home from my first tour of duty on that fetid river and the delta ,, I was looking forward to seeing my family and the girl who wrote to me every day giving me the details of how my friends were doing who had gotten married and who was off to college ,, having arrived I was walking through the tiny terminal ,, my heart pounding with happiness to be once again home ,, a woman about 30 came walking over to me yelling calling me a baby killer and spit in my face and on my uniform that I was so proud to wear ,, I was so shocked I just stood there not knowing what to do or say ,, then Mandy was there wiping my face and uniform telling me it was ok and that she was so happy to see me ,, and not to listen to that woman ,, I shrugged it off and went to see my family and friends ,, it was a great time for me ,, I felt alive and happy for the first time since I had arrived in country ,, but in the back of my mind that incident kept replaying over and over ,,
after my 10 days were up I went to the airport ,, and while I was waiting to board my flight I looked at Mandy and asked her not to write to me anymore and not to wait for me ,, that I would not be comming home again ,,
2 more tours and a lot of drunken and opium filled nights I did come home ,, just long enough to see my mother and get my bike on the road ,, I was gone for 25 years ,, in 1998 in Santa Anna California I found myself standing on a bridge over the 405 with a rope around my neck ,, I was tired ,, I was sick and tired ,, of running away ,, of being alone ,, never being able to connect with anyone on a basic level ,, being ashamed of what I had seen and done ,, because the country said we were murderers ,, not warriors fighting a noble cause ,,
something clicked insde my head ,, call it a higher power ,, call it God ,, but I came back over the barrier ,, I spent over a year in the Westwood VA hospital ,, being treated for my adictions and PTSD ,,
and finaly in '03 I did come home ,,
so,, saturday afternoon I got to my campground ,, set up my base camp ,, had a meal ,, took a shower ,, got dressed and rode into DC ,, it was around 10:30pm when I pulled onto Constitution Ave. the street was lined with bikes of every make ,, and vets were standing around talking to each other ,, after I pulled into a space close to the Lincoln Memorial several guys acknowledged my being there ,, saying hey ,, where you coming in from ,, cool bike ,, that sorta thing ,, a quiet calmness surrounded the area ,, I sat on a wall drinking a bottle of water ,, smoking ,, just waiting till I had the courage to move ,, I crossed the street and walked into the park and directly to the bronze statue ,, it's remarkable how lifelike they are ,, or maybe it's the lighting ,, or someting I can't describe ,, the park was full of people milling through ,, quietly talking together ,, taking fotos ,, I sat for some time just looking at the statue ,, many memories passed throuh my head ,, and finaly I got up and started down the path to the Wall ,, seeing it for the first time was awe inspiring ,, and a wave of emotion ran over me like nothing I have ever felt ,, at some point I realized I was on my knees weeping like a child ,, and I also noticed a hand on my shoulder ,, asking if I was ok ,, I don't know how long I was there like that but when I could compose myself I stood up ,, when I did I was a head taller than the guy that was comforting me ,, he was wearing a Rolling Thunder vest ,, and 101st Airborne patch ,, he looked at me and said "first time" I said yeah ,, he said "it will get easier the more you come" "welcome home" about that time I realized I was home ,, for the first time in a very long time I felt a weight come off my shoulders ,,
the next day (Sunday) as I was riding along with the other thousands of Vets down 66 ,, people were lining the closed ramps and overpasses with signs saying WE LOVE YOU ,, WELCOME HOME ,, waving and cheering us as we passed by ,, the streets were lined with bikes ,, and people ,, I met a Pearl Harbor Survivor ,, he was being wheeled throught the crowd by his son ,, I thought about my uncle who was aboard the Arizona that terrrible day ,, and my father who fought the Nazi's in Europe ,, it was all about celebrating being alive ,, and remembering those who have fallen in the service of their country ,, and in the service to those who have needed our help ,,
I am proud to be an American ,,
with all her scars and warts ,,
she is beautiful ,,
and I love her
if you have never attended you deserve to go ,, vet or not you need to see this very special event
thanks for understanding my need to share this
I just got home from Rolling Thunder ,, it has taken me so many years to go to the wall ,, every year I say I'm going ,, but one thing or another has gotten in the way ,, the reality is that I just could not muster the courage to go ,,
so saturday morning I got packed ,, loaded Galxy5 down with my camping gear and started out from Roanoke alone ,, I came across many groups on the road ,, fell in behind them for a while and then cranked G5 open and continued on alone ,, this was a journey I just had to make on my own ,, when I came home from my first tour of duty on that fetid river and the delta ,, I was looking forward to seeing my family and the girl who wrote to me every day giving me the details of how my friends were doing who had gotten married and who was off to college ,, having arrived I was walking through the tiny terminal ,, my heart pounding with happiness to be once again home ,, a woman about 30 came walking over to me yelling calling me a baby killer and spit in my face and on my uniform that I was so proud to wear ,, I was so shocked I just stood there not knowing what to do or say ,, then Mandy was there wiping my face and uniform telling me it was ok and that she was so happy to see me ,, and not to listen to that woman ,, I shrugged it off and went to see my family and friends ,, it was a great time for me ,, I felt alive and happy for the first time since I had arrived in country ,, but in the back of my mind that incident kept replaying over and over ,,
after my 10 days were up I went to the airport ,, and while I was waiting to board my flight I looked at Mandy and asked her not to write to me anymore and not to wait for me ,, that I would not be comming home again ,,
2 more tours and a lot of drunken and opium filled nights I did come home ,, just long enough to see my mother and get my bike on the road ,, I was gone for 25 years ,, in 1998 in Santa Anna California I found myself standing on a bridge over the 405 with a rope around my neck ,, I was tired ,, I was sick and tired ,, of running away ,, of being alone ,, never being able to connect with anyone on a basic level ,, being ashamed of what I had seen and done ,, because the country said we were murderers ,, not warriors fighting a noble cause ,,
something clicked insde my head ,, call it a higher power ,, call it God ,, but I came back over the barrier ,, I spent over a year in the Westwood VA hospital ,, being treated for my adictions and PTSD ,,
and finaly in '03 I did come home ,,
so,, saturday afternoon I got to my campground ,, set up my base camp ,, had a meal ,, took a shower ,, got dressed and rode into DC ,, it was around 10:30pm when I pulled onto Constitution Ave. the street was lined with bikes of every make ,, and vets were standing around talking to each other ,, after I pulled into a space close to the Lincoln Memorial several guys acknowledged my being there ,, saying hey ,, where you coming in from ,, cool bike ,, that sorta thing ,, a quiet calmness surrounded the area ,, I sat on a wall drinking a bottle of water ,, smoking ,, just waiting till I had the courage to move ,, I crossed the street and walked into the park and directly to the bronze statue ,, it's remarkable how lifelike they are ,, or maybe it's the lighting ,, or someting I can't describe ,, the park was full of people milling through ,, quietly talking together ,, taking fotos ,, I sat for some time just looking at the statue ,, many memories passed throuh my head ,, and finaly I got up and started down the path to the Wall ,, seeing it for the first time was awe inspiring ,, and a wave of emotion ran over me like nothing I have ever felt ,, at some point I realized I was on my knees weeping like a child ,, and I also noticed a hand on my shoulder ,, asking if I was ok ,, I don't know how long I was there like that but when I could compose myself I stood up ,, when I did I was a head taller than the guy that was comforting me ,, he was wearing a Rolling Thunder vest ,, and 101st Airborne patch ,, he looked at me and said "first time" I said yeah ,, he said "it will get easier the more you come" "welcome home" about that time I realized I was home ,, for the first time in a very long time I felt a weight come off my shoulders ,,
the next day (Sunday) as I was riding along with the other thousands of Vets down 66 ,, people were lining the closed ramps and overpasses with signs saying WE LOVE YOU ,, WELCOME HOME ,, waving and cheering us as we passed by ,, the streets were lined with bikes ,, and people ,, I met a Pearl Harbor Survivor ,, he was being wheeled throught the crowd by his son ,, I thought about my uncle who was aboard the Arizona that terrrible day ,, and my father who fought the Nazi's in Europe ,, it was all about celebrating being alive ,, and remembering those who have fallen in the service of their country ,, and in the service to those who have needed our help ,,
I am proud to be an American ,,
with all her scars and warts ,,
she is beautiful ,,
and I love her
if you have never attended you deserve to go ,, vet or not you need to see this very special event
thanks for understanding my need to share this
