Martinsburg VAMC – Martinsburg, West Virginia
Friday May 23rd, Bridgeport, WV (Day Eleven) 
WV State Coordinator: Eddie Shinn
Locations:
- Starts in Bridgeport, WV, and on to Rocky Gap, MD, then back into Martinsburg, WV, before dropping down into the DC area and lodging in Alexandria, VA
Weather:
- We began the day with a clean weather report, chance of rain less than 5% for the next four days. The best thing about no rain is:
- Warmer
- We can see blue sky
- Lots of people showed up at Rocky Gap Memorial
- We could spend time with vets out of doors at the Martinsburg Medical Center
- We can get better photos
- Road hazards reduce by those drives who don’t know how to drive in rain
- Able to visit memorials this weekend without donning rain gear and umbrellas
- Dry grass for walking the lawns at Arlington
- I’m solar powered, I’ll be recharging my batteries
Agenda:
Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery, Rocky Gap, MD
- Just before getting on the freeway, we had an opportunity to award a Freedom Medal to a man at a gas station. Quite unexpectedly he was surrounded by some of our riders, awarded the medal and a pin for his wife (they have 3 kids), and was showered with hugs and handshakes. It was a touching moment for him, and as a result it meant even more to us. This is the reason for the Freedom Medals—to give them the recognition and welcome that some years ago didn’t get. Today, he certainly knows he’s appreciated for his service to our country.
- Police led us out of the gas stop and onto the freeway in Bridgeport, in a perfect line.
- The organizers of the memorial ceremony on the Rocky Gap side did a bang-up job. The community groups that put flags on all the gravesites—thousands of them—did a wonderful job. See all the flags flapping in the wind actually heightened the sense of patriotic fervor. They knew we only have about 40 minutes before we would need to leave again, so all the participants were ready to go when we arrived.
- It was the largest squad of wreath layers (~12) the whole trip, but this gave everyone a chance to be a part of a ceremony. It was beautiful. They laid the wreath, followed by rifle volleys, and then the somber atmosphere of taps.
- We saw people on several of the hills walking out to a particular spot on the mount. The actual wreath ceremony was over shortly, but the sense of loss for the vets who remain there, their contribution to the freedoms we enjoy today came at the cost they paid on our behalf.
- I was talking with a rider about the beauty of the location for this Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery. If ever there was a place you would want to enjoy quiet reflection as you visit the site of a veteran, this certainly meets you needs.
VA Medical Center, Martinsburg, WV
- It is so great to roll up into a spot and see the vets out in front waiting for us. I’m so grateful we have such a tightly timed agenda, so they know almost exactly when to come outside. It was a little windy so many of them had blankets around them.
- Three of them received a quilt or an afghan but all got pins and artwork or thank you notes from children across the country. The visits was too short. The warmth of the sun was no rival for the winds as they whipped across the open areas.
- They served us lunch inside, and some of the vets came too. Jerry asked the volunteers who served us lunch their role in the preparation. Each received a rousing cheer for the different dishes they prepared. And we had a delicious lunch.
- On our way out of the facility, HeadDog led all the bikes, cars, chase truck, and Ride of Pride one loop around the grounds. In one building where the patients were not able to join us outside, they hung a sing in the windows thanking us for coming to visit. (see pic below)
Arrive in DC/Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
- Our ride across the country was especially good this year, and the drive into DC was no exception. With all the police escorts in big city areas, and our highly skilled NVAR road guards, we stay in line the majority of the way across the country. Occasionally a car would cut in behind the Tail Gunner and the passenger would snap a few pictures, but on the whole, we stayed together as a group.
- Coming into DC we had a bit of a surprise. A six-lane road came to a halt in all lanes. A police arrived to get NVAR moved into the lane best suited for out destination. Like an angel, the police shortly evaporated into the crowd of vehicles, yet we pretty much stayed in line the whole way to our hotel. The only glitch was a car got in-between us just as we got off the freeway, so the vehicles had to stop at one red light about a block from the hotel. And that, I might add, is the first red light we’ve stopped at in eleven days.
OTHER NOTES:
- The team that gets us across the country safely: HeadDog who leads the pack, Double D, sets the pace for all that ride behind the missing man formation, the Road Guards that get us into and out of all sorts of places safely and intact, the Tail Gunners who drop off with anyone who needs to pull over for any reason, the Chase Truck driver(s) who were more than once called on to help out a stranded bike/rider, and a new roll we formalized this year, the Bike Doctor. I think I speak for everyone when I say, “THANK YOU!”
- Another note I’d like to add. We have had so many police escorts I’m not sure I could count them all. Each time I speak to an officer, whether police, sheriff, trooper, highway patrol, etc. I hear a similar story. They signed up to be an officer to serve their community, to bring peace in clashes and order to large events, and always to protect their communities. Whether they call themselves peace officers, law enforcement, or some other title, I learned that they prefer days when they never have to unsecure their firearm. I think the shows on television and movies would demonstrate them as using their guns on a regular basis, but that is wildly exaggerated from the real world. In one sense, as first responders, they are not so different from those who volunteer for the military. The key difference is, they protect us on our home soil rather than overseas. A big shout out to our Law Enforcement officers.’
Thank a veteran today,
Thank You – Libby Worden – Sitrep Admin
