Steel Voices
Poetry is not my strong suit, but on the way home from Rolling Thunder in 2006, I kept having words turning and in the end let them have free reign to come out.
When I originally wrote this, a friend who wrote for a biker magazine on the West Coast suggested it be submitted, and it was accepted and published that same year.
I apologize the poetic style isn’t what you’d consider very good – but not for the words and what they mean.
Wreaths Across America, Arlington National Cemetery 2009
Wreaths Across America took place this morning, at Arlington National Cemetery just outside DC, and at locations across the US, and overseas.
Wreaths Across America
This was the 18th year the Worchester Wreath Company has provided the wreaths, brought in by 18-wheelers all the way down from Maine, provided by themselves and through donations from many many others.
It’s hard to describe the event – it seems so simple, it went flawlessly, but there’s so much behind everything that words aren’t really adequate.
Lest We Forget
This coming Saturday morning, December 12th, several thousand people won’t be home in the warm, cuddled up in their beds all comfy and toasty.
Instead, they’ll have made their way early that morning to Arlington National Cemetery, as well as other locations spread out across the United States, Iraq, and other foreign locations.
Silent Rest - Arlington 2008
This will see the final phase of the annual Wreaths Across America project to completion for the 18th year.
The trucks, carrying over 150,000 donated wreaths, are in transit as I write this entry, escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, and many others – organizations and individuals.
Powwow
There’s nothing quite like a Powwow to help bring you back on track inside your own head – Especially when you go to two of them in the space of three days, both social ones.
The second one, George Mason University’s Veteran’s Day powwow, is going to be one of the “memorable” ones.
After two years of effort and work, and with the help of 10+ pounds of steel, I finally got to dance standing up (Well, dancing if you use a rather loose interpretation of “dancing”).
Render: A Sight For Sore Eyes
With gratitude to all the stick jockeys who fly into all kinds of hell to keep the faith – everyone goes come.
PGR Ride Report – PO1 Joshua Harris, 36, Navy SEAL Lexington, NC, ANC 12 SEP 08
It is said that the measure of a man is not so much by his deeds in life, but by how he is seen after he dies.
If that is true, Petty Officer Harris must have been a man I should regret never having met.
The Washington Post ran a story, back on September 3rd 2008, in which PO Harris’ mother described him as a “Renaissance Man”. I never knew him, but if the ~400 people in attendance at his funeral today at Arlington National Cemetery are anything to go by, he was that and more.
PGR Ride Report – SPC. Michael L. Gonzalez, 20, Spotswood, NJ, ANC Sep 10 2008
It’s been a while since I was able to go on a PGR Mission, but thankfully circumstances have conspired to make them possible again.
Today, with the family’s permission, we were able to escort them to Arlington National Cemetery to lay to rest Specialist Michael Gonzalez.
Specialist Gonzalez hailed from Spotswood, New Jersey, and was assigned to the 340th Military Police Company in Baghdad. On August 28th 2008, he was killed by an improvised explosive device.
The first parts of the mission were carried out by PGR members in New Jersey itself. Four of them also escorted Specialist Gonzalez, his family and friends, to ANC today, driving all the way down.
Dishonour
I’m not sure which is the more enraging right now.
That a hotel seems to have a company policy to refuse accommodation for any service member in the UK.
Or that the (parent?) company has the gall to call itself “American Amusements” with such a policy in place.
What
The
Fuck?
Such a policy sure as hell isn’t “American” (unless you count certain unmentionable crazies who qualify as “American” solely on the fact it’s their citizenship, not their philosophy).
From “American Amusement”’s website:
American Amusements Ltd is one of the UK’s fastest growing and most successful Leisure Company’s.
Standing For Those Who Stood For US
I was answering an email from the mother of the singer/songwriter for Hailing Star, when it occurred to me that people in the UK might not know what PGR does.
So it was off to YouTube to find some videos.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a Private or a General – if the family asks, as many of us as are able will turn up to show respect and our thanks.
YouTube direct - They Ride In Respect
You can find more here.
Operation Braveheart
[Edit: August 24th @ 0923] The site seems to be back up, my guess is DNS decided to bork for a while.
I noticed Operation Braveheart’s website is down. I’m not sure why, but if it’s a technical problem and anyone reading this (Hailing Star band members?) has a way of contacting Mr Godfrey, I’d appreciate it if they could pass this on to him and let him know that I’d be honoured to offer hosting for his site.
He can email me at moonwolf@moonwolfs-lair.com
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