The photo above changes daily to reflect a variety of experiences on Run For The Wall.
Roger "Cowboy" Mead
Southern Route
Coordinator
Greg "Pied Piper" Smith
Southern Route
Assistant Coordinator
Welcome to Run For The Wall
Southern Route - 2008
May 14 - 25
"We ride for those who can't"
12/10 - This update was received from Lynne and Edwin about Edwin's latest report from his doctor: Edwin's right fibula has healed, thanks to the ultrasound, to the point where the doctor no longer feels surgery will be needed. In addition, he's been released on his wrist to do at-home therapy, so no more PT visits. Thanks for all the prayers & good wishes!!
With a hug,
Lynne & Edwin
Mayor Trent Crewe from Wytheville, VA, sent the following newspaper clipping to Cowboy in December. The rider appears to be Terri Korsvik the 1st platoon tail gunner/assistant platoon leader. It's great to learn how riders' donations are being used.
The following note was sent by Jim Stone on 11/26/08:
The note below is from the webmaster of the Queensland Chapter of the VVMC of Australia. He provides an update on Skip Eklom, a Vietnam Vet from Australia who was paralyzed after a bike wreck near Bakersfield, California and on his way to Rolling Thunder XXI.
The guys at qldvvmc have set up a raffle to raise money for Skip. For something less than $25 US you can buy five tickets to a drawing for a custom-built Harley. Whether you win or not, any help you can provide will be most appreciated. If you visit the club's website it will provide you a trail to another site where you can buy the tickets via paypal.
Take a look at the video on Youtube too.
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Chinese John <cj.qldvvmc@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 6:19:26 PM
Subject: Skip Update
G'day Folks
Just an update on the email I sent out last week about Bruce 'Skip' Eklom, our bloke who was rendered a quadriplegic after a bike accident in America earlier this year. I did ask you all to visit the You Tube site and view the video on Skip http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=KvePlyhs9V8
I was hoping you would pass it onto your address books and contacts and hopefully they would do the same - with the aim of making this the most watched video on You Tube, thereby boosting visits to our website www.qldvvmc.com and helping with ticket sales in the bike raffle http://www.qldvvmc.info/raffle.html
Whilst nowhere near the most viewed on You Tube, the video is now the third most popular of the Brisbane 'Extra' stories, only eclipsed by two others that have been there for 6 months or more.
This has been reflected in visits to our website and ticket sales, so on behalf of Skip I thank you.
Thank you friends for your help
CJ
Webmaster
Vietnam Veterans MC, Queensland Chapter
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Posted 7/25/08 - From Lynn and Edwin
Hi, friends & family!!
We went to the bone doc today. Good news on the ankles: We gave the Boots the boot!!! BUT we have to wear these really fetching ankle braces for another 6 weeks. We can wear shoes with them :>)), but only big (ugly) lace-up shoes :>(( But Lynne can now drive & go back to work next week...won't her lace-up motorcycle boots look smashing with her suits??!!
Not as good news on Edwin's wrist...it's only @ 25% mobility & the doc thinks it probably will not return to full mobility. He feels it should have been plated instead of pinned...who knows? But he will regain more mobility with additional PT & by wearing a pair of fixed braces to help stretch his wrist while resting/sleeping . They'll see him again in 4 weeks, x-ray & re-evaluate. And while we may not be able to ride a bike on our fall vacation, the doc said he will be able to ride eventually. So, look out, RFTW 2009, here we come!!
Thank you all for your love, support, prayers, caring and help during this time...we love & appreciate each & every one of you!!
With a hug,
Edwin "Wookie" Craft & Lynne "Ticket Mama" Fouraker
Jefferson, GA"
Carpe Penguin
(Sieze the Penguin)
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Posted 4/24/08 - RFTW will be participating in a project called the “Freedom Bridge and Memorial Park.” Lake Havasu City, Arizona is building a second bridge to the island, because the famous London Bridge cannot handle the increased traffic. The new bridge will be called “The Freedom Bridge,” and the surrounding Memorial Park will be a tribute to all of our veterans from all wars.
The Foundation is inviting veterans, family members, and friends to honor their loved ones by purchasing bricks to be laid in the Freedom Memorial Park and the Memorial Walkway, which will extend along the Bridgewater Channel from the new Freedom Bridge to the London Bridge. As a participant in this project, RFTW will receive $5 for each brick ordered by anyone who designates RFTW as the organization they wish to donate to. This is a brand new project and will take several years to build out. The Foundation expects to eventually have monuments to each war; the Traveling Wall had indicated a strong interest in making the Memorial Park in Lake Havasu its permanent home in 2010 or thereabouts. One of the memorials will be in honor of veterans of the current war, perhaps the very first such memorial in the nation. Lake Havasu anticipates this being one of the largest Veterans Memorial in the U.S. outside of Washington, D.C.
For more details, visit www.HavasuFreedomBridge.com, and watch a short video on the website.
Brochures will be available in the merchandise trailer for each route. Be sure to pick up a few to pass on to friends or co-workers. This project will bring in some additional revenue for RFTW. A special is being offered until September 11, 2008: buy four bricks and receive the fifth one free.
If you have any questions, contact Judy Lacey, Veterans Liaison to the Freedom Foundation at judylacey@aol.com.
Post-Run Information - 1/8/09 - There is a beautiful video by Mike "Due West" Kerr (which has photos from RFTW-CR 2007) posted on YouTube. The lyrics are "right on" for many of our RFTW veterans. Click here to link to "Vietnam Vets Thank You." 12/10 - Mayor Trent Crewe from Wytheville, VA, sent a newspaper clipping for our SR riders to enjoy. See below. 12/10 - Update on Edwin Craft. See below. 11/26 - See below for a note about helping an Australian Vietnam Veteran biker hurt last spring. 11/20 - Vance will be recuperating for at least two (and maybe three) more weeks; he has not yet had the surgery needed on his elbow. Please send get-well cards to Vance Scott, California Convalescent Hospital, 4020 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura, CA 93303. 10/27 - Please keep Vance and Shirley Scott in your prayers. Vance was seriously hurt in an accident on his way to a PGR mission this morning. 6/16 - information about the 2008 RFTW "unofficial" reunion in Kerrville; 6/30 - President's Latest News posting on www.rftw.org about the Angel Fire Reunion. Updated 7/21 - Important message needing your support to name a ship after Jack Lucas; 7/8 - posting with photos from Jim Stone; 6/22 - John King's note of thanks and about his bike accident (and address for additional notes). See thank you note from Freedom is Not Free organization.
Here is a great website posted by Raven "Tread" Heart-Donham where each photographer can have a folder posted of his/her own photographs taken during the 2008 RFTW: http://community.webshots.com/user/RFTWphotos
Share Your Photos
Email them with your name & CR or SR to:
RFTWPhotos@gmail.com
Photos will be credited with your name and uploaded to the site above on WebShots.com.
Although there are many great photos on the Southern Route's pages, and space is limited, please consider sizing (approximately 4x6" or 6x4" at 72 resolution) your BEST photos and sending them to me to post. With each email, include the number of the specific photo, the date and where it was taken, as well as any additional important information you want posted. In the subject line, put your route taken and the date of photo (example: SR - 5.20.08 - day seven). If it was your mission to take something to The Wall, a short story about that would be appreciated by the rest of us. When pages are updated, it will be noted above. Thanks for your patience! Email photos here.
Information on the highly-visible Glo-Gloves which our Road Guards are using may be found at <www.gloglov.com>.
Merchandise (Available again after July 1 when
inventory is completed...supports RFTW's mission)
Freedom is Not Free website
(Southern Route this year will help the Freedom Is Not Free organization (www.freedomisnotfree.com) in raising funds for their sports camp. This sports camp is for the children of our current military, WIA and KIA's. This is the second year for the camp. Freedom Is Not Free was formed in late 2004 with the aim of helping our wounded service members and family members of our KIA's. I selected them for four reasons, one being we support 3 schools on the Southern Route and RFTW supports our past and present troops. Second is that they guaranteed me that any monies collected would be earmarked directly for the sports camp, not their general fund. Third is that 100% of all monies raised goes to their projects. Fourth reason is that many of us wear a patch saying "Freedom Is Not Free" thus when I saw their name it seemed the ideal group to help...from Cowboy 4/08)
Click for Windows Media File Downloads:
2007 Route-specific web pages and photos
Americans Still Missing
(from the POW Network on 4.14.08) -
World War I: 4,452
World War II: 74, 384
Korea: 8,178
Vietnam: 1, 763
Cold War: 125
Desert Shield: 12
Desert Storm: 2
Iraq: 5: Fouty, Jimenez, Altarie, Speicher and
McDaniel
Above,, "Pied Piper, " Dave "Wrong Way" Cappel (Road Guard Captain), and "Cowboy" were introduced at the first riders' meeting for both routes.
Contact the webmistress