RFTW XX, Day 9 – May 22, 2008
Wytheville to Roanoke

Good morning RFTW XX, Day 9. After a good nights rest, it was off to Wytheville Memorial Park for our morning ceremonies. Breakfast was served to the riders which included sausage biscuits, low calorie donuts (there were holes in the donuts so the calories fell out…), pastries, coffee, juice and water. Our morning meeting was conducted and the day’s announcements were made, group pictures were taken, and the riders awaited the arrival of the students from Spiller Elementary School.

At precisely 8:30 am, the children proceeded down the hill from their school, each waving flags as they assembled at the Memorial Park. The children watched the Wreath Laying Ceremony and then the kindergarten class sang “God Bless America” to a standing ovation. The 4th and 5th grade classes sang “Stand by Me” with solos by Haley and Emily. If these two performances did not touch your heart, you are obviously not capable of fogging a mirror. After the morning ceremony, the riders mingled with the children, passing out commemorative RFTW pencils, ride pins, and some riders even swapped their personal memorabilia with the students. Some of the riders had children placed on their motorcycles for a family photo opportunity. After our all too brief stay in Wytheville, the students gathered in the bleachers to give the riders a wonderful Wytheville send-off.

From Wytheville it was off to another of our sponsored schools, Montvale Elementary School, where we had lunch with the students. Each rider was escorted to a classroom where they sat at desks with the children, had lunch, shared stories and made new friends. After lunch, everyone assembled in the gymnasium for a presentation by the students. The students put on a wonderful production with patriotic music, and video clips of previous RFTW visits. We enjoyed the presentation of Military Flags by the children, then the Kindergarten and First Grade classes sang, “America” and “There are Many Flags in Many Lands”. We all started getting a little teary even before the Second and Third Graders sang “Sing, America, Sing” and “We Love Our Country”. By the time the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grades sang “We Celebrate America”, Grateful to Be American”, and “Mighty United”, all of the riders were wiping away tears while standing and clapping. We all sang “This Land is Your Land” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag” with the children. A particularly touching moment was when one little girl stood up to do her solo; you could tell that she was overwhelmed by all of the riders so her initial singing was so very quiet. You could hear a pin drop in the gymnasium and feel all of the riders silently rooting her on. Another soloist quietly stepped behind her and sang in her ear to help support her. By the end of the solo, this little girl was singing her heart out. Needless to say there was not a dry eye in the house. The children gave 20 flags to RFTW to be placed at the Wall in Washington, D.C.

From Montvale, under police escort, the riders took a scenic tour in route to the Salem Veterans Center and Homeless Shelter for dinner and visits with the patients. After dinner and visitations, the riders departed to their various hotels in preparation for Day 10, our ride into the Nation’s Capitol and the formal end of Run for the Wall.

People in the Spotlight, Day 9

To the teachers of Spiller Elementary School and Montvale Elementary School - You do not earn the salary of a superstar or sports figure. You often spend your own hard-earned money to provide the students with the material they need and work many hours beyond the classroom to insure the students have a great education. Thank you for instilling patriotism in your classrooms and teaching your students about honor and respect for all veterans; past, present and future.

Respectfully submitted by MSgt Steve Hill, USMC (Ret) “Hawgwash”

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As always, it is impossible to know and thank all of the kind folks who help us as we cross the United States. However, here is a list of special people and organizations who helped us in Virginia:

City of Wytheville, Virginia
Students of Spiller Elementary, Wytheville, Virginia
Mayor Trent Crewe
And hundreds of citizens of Wytheville, Virginia
Students of Montvale Elementary School, Montvale, Virginia
Tree of Life Ministries in Lynchburg (M-25)
Sgt. Dan Jessee
RFTW State Coordinator for Virginia, Laurie Clay
RFTW Assistant State Coordinator for Virginia, Bob Atwell

Return to Run For The Wall - Southern Route - 2008

There are so many photos for this day that I am just getting started here. Photos from Wytheville are posted on "Nine." Click here to see Day Nine Sit Reps.

When we rode into Montvale, the children were waiting on each side of the driveway to welcome us...flags, welcome signs, and smiles from ear to ear greeted the veterans. After exchanges of greetings and gifts, we proceded to the cafeteria, pick up box lunches, and were taken into classrooms to eat with the children. The program took place after lunch. One very special part of Montvale is their Wall of Honor. Local and RFTW veterans see their names on the wall and sign each year. We were happy to notice that not so many local military personnel are deployed this year. Photos on this page were taken by John McKee, Polley Berry, and Anne Perry.

Montvale Elementary personnel and our Staging Crew helped guide the riders to the "right spot." The Little Patriots and staff were waiting! What a wonderful welcome!

Ms. Minnick, the music teacher and performance coordinator, brought her father to see the performance. It was so nice to meet him, too. Below, a very special moment happened when Carley and Ghost reunited. This is Carley's last year at Montvale, and their friendship has continued through the years. When Ghost couldn't come last year, she was concerned about him. For Ghost, this was the trip's highlight event! Montvale Principal, Ms. Brouhard, is at the right with Cowboy.

Above, left, Michael "Engima" Mendell signs by his name on the Wall of Honor. Above, Laurie "Airborne" Clay, the RFTW VA State Coordinator, signs beside her name. Many thanks to Laurie for her unfailing loyalty and assistance since the beginning of the Southern Route of Run For The Wall! Love ya!

Left, Sgt. Dan Jesse has been our guide for years, too. Without him and his assistants, we could not have such a smooth trip into Arlington!

Right, Cheryl and Bob DePeau rode with us this year. Bob was born in Massachusetts and served the United States in VietNam. He went to Australia for R&R and loved it there, so he moved there after his service ended and has been there 37 years. This RFTW was the first experience he has had being welcomed home with American veterans. He had just finished telling me that when I took this photo. We hope somehow to receive his story to share with you. How about a video, Bob? So glad you two were with us!

Student assistants took us to classrooms for lunch.

Our veterans and supporters spent lots of time clapping. There were not many dry eyes during this program. For many of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, this was a "first" welcome home, RFTW-style. Young and young-at-heart were all appreciative for the Montvale experience. THANK YOU, Montvale!

On 6/14/08, Gary Baird submitted the following great photo of Sgt. Rock at Montvale Elementary School: