Day 10 – May 23, 2014 After a hectic breakfast in Bridgeport, WV, we got on the road for the final leg of this year’s journey. What a ride it has been. There were 47 Bikes, 5 trikes, 6 vehicles, and the chase vehicle. Riding Missing Man Formation was Ed Norton and Mike Stupar. More about Mike later. While we ride the 100 miles to the Rocky Gap Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery, here’s an update on our friend Marla’s condition. We are so pleased that she is doing well. Thanks to Dee Hoops for giving us an update. Among Marla’s injuries are a concussion, broken pelvis, cuts, scratches and abrasions and a broken thumb. All in all, not too bad for such a bad fall. I’d like to give special thanks to the wonderful professionals we had on our ride. Husband and wife team Don, who is a Physician’s Assistant, and Sue, a Nurse, Tardif were on the scene immediately and helped us sort through this difficult situation. They made sure that no harm came to Marla through caring, but clumsy hands. I know we also had some EMS people riding with us who assisted, but unfortunately I did not get their names. Thank you all for making our ride safer and for sharing your professionalism. The Rocky Gap Maryland Veteran’ Cemetery is one of the most beautiful in the country. Nestled in the hills of Western Maryland, the majestic landscape provides a gorgeous resting place for our Veterans. Every year for Memorial Day they celebrate our vets with a special program, followed by refreshments. There are many people from various organizations and schools that take part. Mike Gregory welcomed us on one of the most beautiful days we’ve had on the ride. Last year it was so cold and wet that we couldn’t wait to get going. The kids from Allegheny High School place hundreds of flags on every grave. Also participating were the Young Marines, American Legion Post 13, the US Navy Sea Cadet Corps. the 9th grade government class of Allegheny Schools, The Children’s Trust of Frostburg, and many others. We are invited to begin the ceremonies with a Wreath Laying. Top Desherow appointed Terry Hoops, Al Voorhees (Wall Gang Essay Winner), and our Norwegian friends Svein Lubrekk and Einar Lubrekk to the wreath laying squad. In case you’re wondering, Sevin and Einar are not related! Guess Lubrekk is like Smith in Norway. Sonshine Troche led us in beautiful prayer and Taps was played. Our time had to be short in beautiful Rocky Gap because we had a date at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 138 miles away. We were respectfully sent on our way by an honor Guard. We were eating lunch at Wendy’s on our lunch stop when some of the riders noticed that the rest of the bikes leaving! We ran like crazy to the chase vehicle and told the stragglers to follow us for the last 80 miles to Arlington National Cemetery. Top masterfully threaded us through horrendous traffic and got us there before the main group. Cool! We were so happy to welcome Linda and Dennis Stucki back into the fold! They got hung up with cycle repairs and had to decide whether to go 600 miles home, or 600 miles to join us. We’re so glad you decided to rejoin the family, guys! When the bike count was taken after everyone assembled, we had 57 bikes, 7 trikes, six vehicles and the chase. Somewhere we picked up ten more bikes! The NVAO Wreath Layers this year are Ron Immesoete, John Childers, Tony Cunningham and Ray Adams. They really represented the NVAO well in their handsome uniforms. Congratulations, guys, for being awarded this prestigious honor. “Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Known Only To God” This is the inscription on the beautiful Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I won’t go into detail about the Tomb or the Tomb Guards. It really is a fascinating read to learn the history of the Tomb and the dedicated Tomb Guards. Google Tomb of the Unknown and click on Wikipedia for a concise explanation of this historic tradition. After the wreath laying, Steve Moore arranged a brief question and answer session with one of the Tomb Guards. As luck would have it, the guard was from Dayton, OH who went to Centerville High School. Our Ohio riders gave him an ovation as an Ohio native son. Steve also introduced us to Mike Stupar, a young man who is married to his niece Crystal Moore. Army Staff Sgt. Mike Stupar has been deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He regards his service as a “Combat brotherhood forged like steel”. He is from a family with a proud military history; and he is still in service at Ft. Bragg, NC where he lives with his family. Mike continues to train our young soldiers. Jerry awarded Mike with the War on Terror Medal, for which he was very grateful. After checking into our hotel, it was dinner at our favorite Asian Buffet; amazing food and wonderful company. If you want some fascinating stories, ask Crazy Larry how he spent his time in Vietnam, etc. You won’t believe it. We have such a wonderful and unique family in the NVAO. Everyone is so dedicated and eager to contribute to the success of the ride. I’d especially like to thank Jerry Connor, our National Coordinator. His organizational skills and gentlemanly approach to whatever challenges face us is the glue that holds us together and makes this ride work. Thank you, Jerry. You are not allowed to retire…ever! Well, my time with you is just about finished for another year. Of course, there are those going to the Wall, some who will be joining Dave at the grave of his son and a traditional lunch at the Accokeek, MD Fire Department. I’ll add another post if I can. Thanks so much for following us across the country and for all the lovely and encouraging comments on the sit/reps. Fondly, Julie “First Lady” Manner P.S. Dont forget to visit the facebook pages of our riders, especially Tony Cunningham who is our photo coordinator. I cant get all of the wonderful pictures on this blog. Svein, Buzz, Karla, and so many other of our followers have posted some great stuff. Happy surfing!
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 02:46:32 +0000
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