Day 2 – May 14th – Auburn, CA

Reno VA Medical Center – Reno, Nevada

Auburn CA: State Coordinator: Wayne Worden

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Locations:

Weather:

The day began cool and got cold as we crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains. At 7300 ft it was 38 degrees, colder with a 65 mph wind chill. Reno was about 63 degrees under partly cloudy skies and then we hit the high desert from 3900 ft to over 6100 ft where the wind and little sun kept it quite cold. Only a few drops of rain all day, so we were very happy about that.

Agenda:

Veteran’s Hall, Auburn, CA

The American Legion Riders sponsored NVAR at the Auburn American Legion Hall for breakfast, greeting us with fresh coffee.
Outside the Auburn Jeep Club cooked up a great breakfast fit for riders who were about to ride across country.
Coffee was hot, breakfast was filling, the certificates of appreciation were presented and we all congregated in the parking lot for our last “so longs.” The ride meeting was in the parking lot as the three TV stations were recording.
Fox News Sacramento interviewed Mike Rinowski for a live morning news piece, and KCRA-3 interviewed Wiley Wilson live for their morning show. Fox, KCRA-3, and Channel 13 all took extra film of the jeeps and bikes leaving. Maybe some of you will see it on TV this evening.

Bowman School Drive-Thru, Auburn, CA

The parade through Old Auburn and Downtown Auburn was fun, as usual, but it was the drive through Bowman school that thrilled all of us. Every student and teacher, along with many parents, were waving hands and flags wishing us a safe journey.
And if all that wasn’t enough of a send-off, there were people at two overpasses shortly after we got onto Interstate 80, with people waving flags and wishing us well.

VA Medical Center, Reno, NV

We met our Reno Police escort at Boomtown and they took us into town and right up to the VA Hospital. Due to a light snow the day before the event was held indoors, although the weather was sunny. I suppose you could even say warm, since 63 was the warmest weather we had all day.
As we approached the event we were met by Patriot Guards forming a flag-line directing us the where we were to park. We got to visit with them a bit before going inside to meet the vets.
One of the Reno Police who escorted us, is a veteran. Fairal led the presentation of a Freedom Medal—see the picture in the gallery.
The bar-b-que was smoking as we approached. The hamburgers were delicious; later we discovered they were white-tailed venison. What a treat.
The band they had was indoors also. We visited with vets both in the dining area and in their rooms…being able to go into the rooms of those who were bed-ridden was a first since COVID. We all enjoyed it very much to see and encourage them.
Zig and Angie met Kathy, a Colonel in the Army serving as a nurse, who for years was the care giver for her husband, a retired vet. She fell and broke her hip and now resides at the Reno Veterans Home. Her husband is gone now, but she is every bit as spirited as when she was younger. They really enjoyed visiting with her, and believed to have made an impression on Kathy as well.
Wayne again found two vets to present with the quilts made by the VFW Auxiliary in Colfax.

VFW Post 2350, Elko, NV

NVAR is honored to have so many peace officers desiring to give us an escort into Elko. Carlin Police met us several miles before their town, then the Elko County Sheriffs took over, and the Nevada Highway Patrol led us to the end of the Elko offramp where the Elko Police took us to the VFW Hall. What a welcome!
Then we received a very warm welcome from those at VFW Post 2350, in more ways than one. They welcomed us from their street-side salute, then handshakes all around, followed by a heartfelt greeting as we entered their amazing Hall curated more like a museum. The food was exceptional and the building was warm after the last leg of the journey being quite cold for all riders. Everyone of the members and the auxiliary bent over backwards to make sure we had everything we needed.
One of the last to leave the Post was Jerry Conner. While again thanking the kitchen staff, Jerry discovered one of the workers was not auxiliary but a veteran. JoDee served in Iran and returned home, joining the VFW for the support and comradery…being with fellow vets who understood. Jerry quickly found the chase truck–Mike, Kat, and Donna–and got a Freedom Medal. I heard that it was an amazing, maybe even life-changing, ceremony for JoDee. Jerry, Mike, Kat, Donna, and Robert (who took the picture) will not soon forget that this is why we do what we do. It makes a difference.

OTHER NOTES

For the record, it is important to note that this year, for the first time in 25 years, a trike road in the missing-man formation. Don “Quacker” Jenkins was the very first to enjoy this honor. I hope others will also in the future.
Personal musings by your SitRep: After riding three and one-half hours (with a gas stop) we topped a hill and looked down at the straight road ahead of us. The road went off into the horizon (see picture in the gallery). It was picturesque to look at the picture, but might also imagine how the riders were feeling. Desiring their next gas stop and a moment to walk around and warm up. From my vantage point the rows of bikes were straight, riding tight and at speed limit. My initial impression was that they were in order, organized, and disciplined. My second impression took a minute to register. As I looked at the line, I then saw a group of people—some vets, but not all—on a mission. A mission to welcome vets home, ensure vets know their service is appreciated, educate youth about the importance of service their communities, and honoring the vets who have gone before us. This mission has brought each rider to this ride, to the top of this hill, and will take them to the next rest stop as they consider who they are riding for. It’s that sense of belonging to a bigger purpose which makes me proud to be a part of NVAR.

Thank a veteran today,

Thank You Libby Worden – SitRep Admin