Well gents.... what a ride. An amazing time with some incredible people. Such a great experience and a lot of fun to say the least. We had some great events along the way and the scenery was stunning. We had two Gold Stars with us on the ride this year. One who rode her late husbands bike, which we had tracked down, stole and had repaired. In Las Vegas we held the Hero's Classic hockey game. Each player wore a jersey with the name of an Honoree on the back. The leg to Scottsdale I drove the truck and was joined by Nick Lavery, the only SOF amputee to return to active duty and deploy to combat. He's a bada$$. He spoke at our Scottsdale event which was held at Top Golf and helped raise money to treat Vets. From there we headed to Albuquerque. No event, but a great time for the riders to connect, rest and get a bit of laundry done. Next day we headed to Amarillo, TX. Along the way a dozen motor officers, another dozen in SUVs and about 50 motorcycle riders joined us. We had a police escort the last 100 miles and didn't stop for anything. That'll never get old! Great event there and the turn out was truly impressive. Next was Dallas, TX for three nights. The last 50 miles we rode in the rain and to say I was soaked is an understatement. We had an Air BNB which was full of food and beverages thanks to some local support. We held two events one at the home of a local motorcycle collector. A smaller and private event where we turn out all the lights, cameras and phones are put away and we gather around a bonfire. Let's just say not a dry eye in the place. The next night was a Motley Crew cover band complete with pyro, midgets and dancing girls. We had been joined by a Gold Star mother who was front row rocking out with her small dog under her arm. It was great to see her let loose and have some fun. Next stop was Hot Springs Arkansas where some of our members dove Fearless Rock which is about 30' under water at the base of a Dam. Adam Brown's (one of this years Honorees) parents came out as did his widow Kelly, who is planning to join us next year on the ride. The local Sheriffs department gave us an escort in and insured we had zero interference. Hot Springs was our last official event as the back half of the ride is designed to be more decompression prior to Arlington. Nashville was a quick stop, but we managed to get out and have some great laughs before pushing to Boone, NC. I was glad to be off I-40 and the ride into NC was stunningly. Winkler Knives, who has a special tie to the special operations community, hosted us for a few hours and shared some very special things. The last push was into Arlington, VA and once again we got soaked. Traffic in that area is no joke, but we worked as a group to push our way through and arrived at the hotel late in the afternoon. We got some strange looks rolling through the city streets. The evening was good food and laughs before heading to bed. It was an early departure to Arlington National Cemetery. More Gold Start family members joined us in addition to team mates of those buried there. We visited the head stones of each, read the official release of each as well as hearing stories from those who knew them and how they died. The kind of thing that has you crying, angry and laughing. In the distance bagpipes where playing, a 21 gun salute, marine one flying up the river and even a missing man flyby from some F15's. A heavy day. It was a great experience and I am looking forward to next years.
A few pics from the trip.
April Bittner said she want to ride in a Fire Truck so we made that happen.
This years Honorees
