My Trip of a Lifetime

[Patriot]

I met many patriot Americans from all over the country during my trip

Many, many healing and healed Vietnam Conflict Veterans which warmed my heart

At Rolling Thunder, there were 500 thousand bikes staged in 3 different giant parking lots around the Pentagon for the parade ride down Constitution Avenue

crowd of thousands lining the streets with the Washington Monument and the Capitol dome all in sight as we left the Pentagon parking lot

I'm still tingling by my great experience and by great Americans I met where ever I went

3375 miles last 12 days...Metairie to Longview TX to Wash DC to Metairie

I just got back from one of my trips of a lifetime Run For The Wall

12 days - 3375miles - my '04 Feejer now has 92275 on it

kicker of the trip was standing in line at Thunder Alley near the Vietnam

Wall at the burger tent. A vet with vest walks up behind me for his lunch -

has one artificial arm. I order my hot dog, hamburger, and diet pepsi and

tell the lady I'm getting whatever this vet behind me wants. I wish him

welcome home and he surprisingly brightens up and thanks me profusely. I

tell him I'm Navy, fought the Cold War, and am a PGR Ride Captain from

Nawlins'. He points to a patch on his vest. It's indicates "Society of the

Medal of Honor". Holy shit, he's a Vietnam Conflict Medal of Honor Winner.

I offer him my card and a PGR pin. He takes my card and says he isn't into

pins, but he has something for me. He pulls out his "Mission Coin" with the

pic of the Army Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart on one side with the logo

of the Society of Medal of Honor Recipients, and his name Gary G. Wetzel and

date of incident - during Tet 8 Jan 1968

Gary Wetzel

he seemed pleased when I told him I had before shook hands with 5 other

Medal of Honor recipients and attended 2 recipients' funerals standing the

PGR flag line for them

Mike "in awe" in Nawlins'

BTW, I bought the HBO movie on DVD called

Taking Chance

it's very powerful and not to be missed

I wish all Americans would see the movie

 

[Patriot]

It's quite a thrill to see Army helicopters: Blackhawks, Apaches, and Cobras hovering in front of overpasses as you ride through Mississippi and have to punch through their rotor wash with your bike. There were hundreds of well wishers with flags and banners on many, many overpasses and lining the edge of the interstate at on/off ramps to welcome and wave to us. Very moving.

 

[johnny80s]

Mike,

Thanks for sharing. I read Mr. Wetzel's story and the article on the movie Taking Chance. Definitely amazing. I need to get a tissue.

 

[Patriot]

Scary - I made the newspaper in Tuscaloosa (VA center visit) on Run For The Wall

Pics from the VA visit in Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa News Article including Video of the event

 

[Patriot]

 

[FJRPierre]

Thanks for this Mike. Having Cold War'd myself from 61-88 with the Canadian Army/CAF, I lived that era vicariously through TV, and through meeting many many Vietnam vets over those years. I'm glad to see their valor is not forgotten.

 

[Patriot]

Thanks for this Mike. Having Cold War'd myself from 61-88 with the Canadian Army/CAF, I lived that era vicariously through TV, and through meeting many many Vietnam vets over those years. I'm glad to see their valor is not forgotten.

Amen

We owe them their due for their willingness to go and for the shit they put up with when they returned home

It's gratifying to see healing in their eyes just for expressing to each of them personally a "Welcome Home" and a "Thank You"