Took a long ride

[Red_bike]

The second part of the story.

Also long.

The next morning started at 2:00 AM as we started the 1063.5 miles back to Ft Benning GA with a piece of the WTC. By 4 O’ Clock we were meeting up with some guys to go eat breakfast and then on to the start of the ride. What we were doing was escorting a piece of the WTC and a 1951 Fire truck called the 343 from Floyd Bennet Field, Brooklyn, NY to Ft Benning GA where the I-beam will be placed. The Fire truck 343, is named because there were 343 fireman killed when the WTC fell. Everyone was there because they love their Country and was touched when part of it feel. The thrill I had as we all gathered together while someone sang the National Anthem and then the prayer for the run is something I will never be able to explain to anyone. As we rode out of NYC the “fire riders” which are fireman on motorcycles from that area were up front. But on the lead bike was Susan Rescorla. There is a statue of her husband, Retired Army Colonel Rick Rescorla at the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning. The Iron Beam will be near his statue when it is finished. Colonel Rescorla had worked in the WTC and was killed on 9/11. Before he was killed he was credited with saving over 2700 lives before he returned to save more lives and then the towers feel. Over the next several days I had the honor of meeting Suzie and every day we spent some time together talking. After the fire riders everyone else just fell into place somewhere and the Iron and 343 moved in different places of the convoy during the next 4 days. As we left NYC there was fireman everywhere. They even had the fireboat in the river doing its thing as we got ready to cross the Veranzo Bridge and head out of NYC. But that was not the end of the Fireman that had showed up to send us off. For the next 50 miles, almost every bridge we passed there were Fireman and their truck parked on top saluting us as we went by. Where there were no overpasses; they were parked beside the road standing at attention while the convoy went by. Since we had police escort the entire way there were no stopping for red lights or toll booths and I quickly learned that the speed limit was not an issue either. When we stopped for lunch some of the riders left but we picked up some new ones. You would be going down the road and you would see someone up front give a wave and take the next exit. Or you would pass by an exit and at the end of it would be a bike or several bikes waiting for us and would just join in at the end. This was the way it was the entire trip. The weather held until we were well outside of NYC before it rained again. Over the next four days when it would rain we would slow down to a safe speed but nothing was stopping this mission. There were guys appointed to stay with the Iron or with 343 if they had to pull over for any reason but they never did. We would ride about 250 miles each day and stop for lunch about halfway thru. Before we left Brooklyn NY I signed the I-Beam with the name Duck and at every stop they let everyone that wanted to sign it. At one point they had to turn the Iron over because it was full of names. There were 4 guys from Georgia that started the ride from Brooklyn and did the whole run. There was one other that we picked up about 100 miles out that lives in Warmer Robins. I was the only one from the Columbus\Ft Benning area that did the whole run. We stated picking up the Georgia riders near the SC border and several from Columbus joined us in Newnan GA. The weather was great from Newnan to Columbus but when we got almost to the Macon Rd exit it started raining. Now I don’t mean a small rain, we were going about 60 mph and had to slow down to about 30 just to see the white line on the road. When we got to the Infantry Museum it was still raining and the only person there to meet us was my mother-in-law, Kathryn. I am not sure who dropped the ball but if you were not involved with motorcycling, most likely you didn’t know anything about it. All along the way, at every town we stopped at, people were out to great us, but somehow the folks of Columbus never were told about it. They did turn out two days later when we had the dedication of the Iron to Ft. Benning and it was well attended.

Now for some of the highlights of the trip. Well there are too many to mention in an E-mail so you will just have to get with me in person and let me tell you about them. One thing I will tell you about was how proud I was to see my family up on the overpass as we came into town and see my wife smile so big because I had made it. And then to see Kathryn out in the rain waving as we came in, WOW. Once again I think of how hard it is for me to even get out of bed some days and to do a ride of almost 3000 miles, it has to be God’s will that gave me the strength.

When you do see me, be sure and ask about the little boy looking at my bike.

I did meet some great guys and we now have a bond that will not be broken. I did take more pictures on this section of my trip and some of them can be found here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/theduckfami ... directlink

Once again I thank God for giving me the strength to do this ride and yes I am planning on doing the NY to DC ride next Sept. if I am able.

Duck