I get lots of comments on my vest and leathers; some seem to think I’m wearing them as a fashion statement; others think it’s ‘cute’. Yes, when I first started riding, I bought all kinds of patches, because I liked them all and the way they looked on my vest.  I’ve gradually removed patches that weren’t “personal” to me and now everything I have tells something about me.

It’s  like my Facebook wall, or a scrapbook. The patches and pins I wear each have a story. For example, the patch I wear on my back is this one:

Bikers and riders who belong to an MC, RC or MM wear their club patch on their back, usually with nothing else, especially if they have to earn the patch.  Because Randy and I aren’t affiliated with any club, we wear this patch to show honor and respect to our military.  (We do belong to the Patriot Guard, but it’s not considered a club.)

Along the bottom back of our vests, we wear patches that tell about significant events.  I’ve got a patch from the Tail of the Dragon (where I learned to trust myself in curves, as well as trusting God to take care of me in all situations), the Apalachicola  Escort (we were part of a mile’s worth of bikes riding to escort the moving wall through parts of Florida, while thousands of people stood along side the road to salute the Viet Nam veterans who rode with us), and the 2009 Thunder Beach Spring Rally.

The front of my vest has pins that have special meaning to me.  On my right side, under my name patch are ten little metal heart charms, one for each of my grandchildren: Hunter, Dylan,  Chloe, Khloe, Layney, Destiny, Nevaeh, Reid, Talan and Esme.

On the left side, under my PGR patch, are mission pins.  Some missions were funerals for military or emergency first responders; others were welcome-home missions.

Some patches are for specific people- Bill “Snap” Lines was a great friend to everyone in the PGR; when he was killed in a traffic accident, some of his friends had a special patch made up.

And finally, I have some that are funny, but tell a little about me;  for example this one:

I always enjoyed watching “I Dream of Jeannie” when I was young; no matter how much she tried to help, she ended up causing trouble more times than not. I kinda feel like that most days.

Of course, these are only some of my pins and patches; you’ll just have to check out the rest of them the next time you see me. If you have other friends who ride, check out their vest as well.  Every one is individual, so you’ll probably learn something.

And as for the question of leather chaps and jacket – I do enjoy the look and feel of the leather, but  I wear my leathers for the same reason I wear a seatbelt – safety.  If I go down, they offer another layer of protection between the road’s surface and me.

See you on the road!

Last Friday (Oct 9) folks in Alabama gave a long-overdue welcome home to the men and women who served in Viet Nam.  While most of us have already reached out to them individually, I’m glad an event was organized to make it official.

The veterans who rode motorcycles met in the parking lot at Sam’s in Montgomery; they had a police escort from there over to the Farmer’s Market near the Coliseum. Before they left out,  keychains with Viet Nam beads were handed out.

After they reached the Farmer’s Market, they joined up with the rest of the vets, who would be riding golf carts, cars or walking to rest of the parade route. They were also given t-shirts designed for the event, and pins.

The parade was led out by the Huntingdon’s Scarlet and Grey Marching Band.  Lt Gen. Hal Moore (who wrote We Were Soldiers Once… and Young) followed, saluting the crowd as he rode his jeep into the fairgrounds.

Over 85 vets on motorcycles were next, followed by at least that many more on foot or in cars and golf carts.

The outside part of the ceremony included patriotic music and a flyover by a C-130. Then we moved into the Coliseum where we watched as the colors were posted, and a group from the Sons of the Confederacy presented the colors in full costume.

Lt. Gen. Moore spoke on the service that veterans and their families gave to our country, and the Gold Star Mother did a presentation.

The Grace Notes, a singing group from Montgomery, sang a medley of service songs- each branch’s members stood and sang along with their song.

One of the most touching parts of the ceremony had us all standing in complete silence, while five vets brought in a base, military boots, dog tags, a helmet and a POW/MIA flag; these were assembled into a monument for all those who served. These five vets remained at attention while a wreath was laid at the base of the monument.

Echo Taps was played by four trumpeters – that was almost more than I could take.   Everyone remained silent for another few minutes, then the MC invited everyone to stay for the free concert by Yard Dogs. The ladies at Sam’s put together a beautiful 14 foot high cake that was shared by everyone.

Randy and I were so glad to be able to be a part of this- our friend Steve rode up with us, and we were glad to be able to honor him along with all the other men and women who served.

I’d like to say a special thank-you to Paul “Penguin” Reynolds, who played a big part in getting this celebration together-he and the rest of the committee worked very hard to get everything together, and it was an awesome thing.

Our county has truly served her country well- we have many veterans living among us, from World War II, Korea, Viet Nam and all the way to current-day conflicts.
I read a statistic that our country, on average, is losing over one thousand World War II veterans every day, and that’s not counting vets from other wars. What are we doing to insure that the history within those men and women doesn’t die with them? And more importantly, what are we doing to make sure all veterans know we hold them in honor and respect?
Whether we agree with the wars they fought in or not, we owe these men and women a debt of gratitude we can never repay.
I’d like to challenge you to do two things. First, if you know of someone who is a veteran, spend time with them. Get to know them- at some point, they may want to share their experiences with you. Whether they do or not, make sure you tell them how much you appreciate the sacrifices they made for you and your family.
Second, remember that we have many veterans who are buried in cemeteries in our area- and many of those cemeteries depend on the family members for maintenance. I’ve seen some graves that have gone untended, either because the family has moved away or died, or because family members are no longer able to keep them clean. If each one of us adopted a grave and made an effort to keep it cleaned up, what a difference it would make! The simple act of placing a small flag on the grave would be another way to show honor to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Someone once said we live in the land of the free, because of the brave. Please remember to thank those brave men and women who answered the call of their country.

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