Road King Blog

Wow, have I been slacking. It’s time to get the blog caught up with some of the riding from the past few months, and also talk about an upcoming trip.

Matt

It’s February in Daytona - and that means it’s time for Bike Week!

Lisa and I ventured up on the first Sunday to see the sights and look at all the bikes and bike toys on display.  Some of the custom bikes are just amazing, and pictures just dont’ do them justice.  We started with the infield of the Speedway, and after wandering around there for a while, we headed into the utter madhouse of the speedway parking lot exhibit area.

At the Harley Davidson tent, they had display models of the entire 2010 line, including my dream ride - this stunning 2010 Electra Glide Ultra Classic Limited. So nice. The paint which appears bluish in the photo is really a very dark metallic purple that Harley calls “Black Ice”. After sitting on and drooling over a number of different new Harleys, we wandered out into the lot and looked at the dozens of vendor booths and the hundreds of motorcycles on display. Lisa snapped lots of photographs of the amazing paint on various different bikes, some of which appear below.  It was a very pleasant way to spend the day, made all the more pleasant by having Lisa riding along with me.

On Tuesday, January 5th, SGT. David A. Croft Jr. made the ultimate sacrifice in Baghdad, Iraq when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an IED and small arms fire. SGT. Croft was killed just three days before his twenty third birthday and two weeks before he was scheduled to leave Iraq.

We are truly humbled by the fact that David’s family reached out and has invited The Patriot Guard Riders to stand in Honor of their son and brother. The family is familiar with the PGR from Honor Missions that have been laid on for other Heroes from Plant City who have given their all in the Global War on Terror. This small town has lost nine of her sons who have given their lives while protecting our freedom and while fighting to bring freedom to those that have never known it’s sweet taste.

Please join us as we let SGT. Croft’s family, friends, Brothers and Sisters in Arms, and his community know that a grateful nation recognizes and appreciates their loss and the sacrifice that he made for all of us.

This will be a two part Mission. We will stand in silent respect at Visitation on Friday, January 22nd and for the Funeral and Graveside services on Saturday, January 23rd.

Once again, the PGR was called to gather in Plant City, Florida to honor another American Hero.  Plant City is not a large community, but Sgt. Croft was the 9th member of the Armed Forces from Plant City to give their life in service to our nation.

Bike Staging

Prior to this mission, I had built a mount for the bike so I could mount a 3×5 American Flag, and on this mission, I had the honor of joining a small group of flag bikes escorting Sgt. Croft from the funeral home to the church.  There were some issues with the escort, but the PGR contingent bore down and got the job done anyway.

As is often the case, the response from the PGR and other riding organizations and Motorcycle Clubs was outstanding, and there were dozens upon dozens of bikes at the church.

Following the flag lines and service, we mounted up for the processional to the cemetery.  Between the cars and bikes, the processional was very long and impressive.  Along the way, many members of the community stood alongside the road to show their respect for Sgt. Croft and their support for his family.

Unfortunately, the procession was not trouble-free.  During the procession, a driver pulled out of a parking lot, cutting through the procession, and then made a left turn in front of one of the Hillsborough County motor deputies who was escorting the processional.  The deputy was thrown from his bike and sustained injuries in the crash.  He was airlifted from the scene, but through the grace of God his injuries were not life-threatening and he is expected to make a complete recovery and return to duty.

This was a long, long day, but it was worth it to Honor Sgt. Croft and show his family and friends that our nation is grateful for his service.

This morning, approximately 600 members of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Florida National Guard mustered at Orlando International Airport for a deployment to Iraq, joining with another 2000 National Guard members from across the state.

This was a bit of a short notice mission as the date / time changed more than once leading up to the actual day.  A few of us who were able to attend braved the cold and headed to OIA.  The ceremony was being held in a hangar at the airport, and all parking was in the “Gold” remote lot.  Remote is a good word - that lot isn’t remotely near the airport.

It was a good opportunity to come out and support the troops and their families as they leave home and hearth to answer our nation’s call.  As always, I was proud to stand the flag line with the PGR.

WELCOME HOME

SPC Darrin M. Gronowski

US Army

Orlando, Florida

Thursday, 10 Dec 09

The Patriot Guard Riders have been asked to attend and participate in the Welcome Home for US Army SPC Darrin M. Gronowski.  The soldier is returning from Iraq and will be arriving at Orlando International Airport on 10 Dec 2009.

From a proud father: Michael “Mick” Lum, United States Marine Corps, RET, Our Daughter is also in the Army and has served 2 tours in Iraq as well as her Husband with 2.  Our son has never had a Hero’s welcome and I am getting together with my AMVETS post with others and are trying to arrange a huge welcome for him.

The weather was less than cooperative for this one, with a steady and annoying rain falling over the area.  We met at a local restaurant for dinner, the group of us from the PGR and Spc. Gronowski’s parents.  Quite a remarkable family - this was the first time in nearly six years that at least one member of the immediate family was not overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan.  It is hard to even imagine.

At the airport, we learned that his flight was delayed, so we loitered about for an hour and some change until he arrived.  With the layout of OIA, it was difficult to know exactly which exit into the terminal lobby he would be coming out.  Fortunately, the staff at the airport knew why we were there, and they managed to steer him out the entrance where we were standing the flag line.  He was quite surprised and touched by our presence.

It’s nice to have the happy missions sometimes…..

On Sunday, 11/8, myself and 4 other students had the pleasure of attending the Ride Like a Pro course in Port Richey, Florida. If you’ve seen the video, you have a good idea of what the general flow of the course is like. If you haven’t seen the video, you really ought to go get it. It’s one of the best investments you will ever make in your riding safety and enjoyment. We had three female and two male students representing a variety of experience levels, riding a mix of cruisers and touring bikes.

Like the video, we began by discussing the proper use of the friction zone, rear brake, and using the head and eyes to direct the path of travel. Then we made some slow, straight “slow race” passes down the parking lot, maintaining a walking pace with the rear brake and the friction zone.

That mastered, we moved on to the slow cone weave. There were two lines of cones set up, the first on 15 foot spacing, and the second at 12 feet. With “Motorman” Palladino offering commentary on the PA and Donna Palladino at the far end of the line pantomiming the rhythmic rocking of the handlebars, we swayed our way through the cone weave one after another. With just five of us in the class, we were pretty continuously moving, and in short order everyone in the class had the weave down.

This brought us to the circle exercise, and the introduction of serious lean angles. Starting with a large circle, we did a few slow passes, and then moved into the 24′ inner circle. Wandering out of the circle elicited commentary from Motorman - “hey, it’s a free country, ride wherever you want”. After a while, everyone in the class was handily orbiting inside the line, and after a break, we moved on to the Offset Cone Weave.

As Motorman says, the Offset Cone Weave builds a quick left-to-right transition and a quick left-to-right transition is exactly what you need on the road when someone violates your right of way. In order to successfully negotiate the Offset Cone Weave, you have to learn to trust the bike and follow the natural preference of the motorcycle to make large ‘S’ shaped turns between the gates. As with the cone weave, we started off with wider spacing, and soon the group was scribing sweeping S turns through the gates.

It is worth noting here that the staff of the course was excellent in offering advice and guidance on all of the exercises, showing where us where we should be looking and helping us get a feel for the proper speed and turn in points. When a student was having problems with an exercise, there was significant individual attention and encouragement, and even at one point Motorman even had a student ride through the exercise as a passenger with him, so the student could get used to the feel of the bike running through the maneuver. I was very impressed with the instructors and the quality of the instruction.
After the Offset Cone Weave gates were moved to the tighter spacing, the exercise became much more challenging, requiring more precision in the positioning of the bike through each gate and consistent, quick left to right transitions. More challenging and more fun, with the exercise being punctuated with the occasional sound of floorboards scraping as a student executed a very tight turn through the gates.

From the Offset Cone Weave, we moved into the Intersection Box, and moved through the Plus shaped box doing a series of U-turns (and even 540 degree turns) and then back out to run the Offset Cone Weave again.

Once Motorman was comfortable with our skills, we started putting multiple bikes into the intersection box. This required a bit more concentration, as the other bikes in the exercise provided another factor to consider. In short order, we were all comfortable with running through the exercise in multiples, and we were having a lot of fun with it.

From the Intersection Box we moved to the Figure 8. Although the turns were the same radius as the Offset Cone weave and the U-turn box, the different appearance required some adjustment (but less than when moving from the circle to the Offset Cone, at least for me). In short order, we were looping through the figure 8 singly and in pairs, with one of the instructors riding with us.

From the figure 8, we moved on to the high-speed weave. Not really high speed, but about 20 miles per hour. The object here was to do the cone weave at countersteering speed as opposed to the handlebar direct steering speeds we had been running all day.

Next, we moved to a braking exercise, entering the box at 20 mph, and stopping firmly and in control. Everyone had this down quickly, and we moved into the next to the last exercise, making a turn from a stop. Starting off with the bars turned is a different sensation, and it definitely takes getting used to. Fortunately for me, this is an exercise I have practiced quite a lot, so when I came up to the line, I cranked the bars over to full lock.

Eventually, everyone in the class was making turns from a stop with the bars turned well over, and we were on to the last riding exercise, a game of “follow the leader”. With Motorman in the lead and Rick running chase (and occasionally yelping his siren), we ran a 6 bike nose-to-tail line around the range, doing circles and figure 8’s and running through the intersection box in both directions.

Over 4 hours, we learned a lot about our bikes and how to negotiate a variety of exercises with them, and we had a lot of fun. Motorman’s instructional style makes the lessons fun as well as educational. Over the span of the day, Donna had taken a great many pictures of the class, and she’ll be sending out picture discs. We picked up the course cones, and got our course certificates.

I’d highly recommend this course to any motorcycle rider who wants to develop and enhance his or her riding skills. An excellent, very worthwhile investment of time and money in the safety and enjoyment of one’s riding. You’ll leave the class with the skills to handle your bike in slow, tight quarters where other riders fear to tread.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 832-09
October 26, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Oct. 23 in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.

Killed were:

Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla.
Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, Utah.

And with that somber announcement, the Patriot Guard were once again called to honor a young American Hero who gave his life in the service of our nation. Unfortunately, this mission would be further complicated by the presence of “them”. “Them” refers to the Westboro Baptist Church, a group of vile, loathsome individuals who attend the funeral services of American service members bearing signs that say “Thank God for IED’s” (and even more revolting things). They are a bunch of sick, pathetic, freaks who get off on torturing the families and loved ones of the fallen to advance their moronic cause. This being a PG-rated, family friendly blog, I can’t tell you what I really think of these freaks. I can, however, tell you that we in the PGR won’t abide that garbage. The PGR makes certain that when these uninvited guests sleaze into town to try and torment a servicemember’s family, we show up in large numbers to create a human wall between the protesters and the family to shield them from the vile hatred of these so-called Christians.

And Saturday was no exception.

I left the house in the cool, pre-dawn darkness at about 0530 to meet up with a group of PGR members from the area to make the 80 mile trek from our area down to Plant City to honor Spc. Lembke. We rolled out of staging at 0630, with the fiery hues of dawn beginning to light the landscape and headed down the interstate in formation. As the sun rose further in the sky, the morning chill began to fade, and we made our way down Interstate 4. A flotilla of hot air balloons over Celebration added an element of beauty to the ride, and I reflected that but for the somber nature of the day’s purpose, it was a great day to be riding.

We rolled into Plant City ahead of schedule, and stopped to top up our fuel tanks in preparation for the second ride of the day, when we were to escort Spc. Lembke and his family from the church north to Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. But that would come later. First, we had to get through the service.

There were about a dozen bikes in the staging area when we arrived, along with a pair of support vehicles. When we arrived and checked in with the Ride Captain, we got some very welcome news. It seems Plant City has an ordinance that states that no person may protest within 300 feet of the property line of a church or funeral home during a funeral service. That was the good news. The great news was that the church where Spc. Lembke’s service was being held happened to own not only the plot they were on, but the plots on all sides of the church. The protesters were issued a permit to hold their protest at the public library some 1/4 mile away from the church. They were never heard or seen by anyone at the church, and their mission to torment Spc. Lembke’s family was a dismal failure.

Meanwhile, the bikes continued to roll in. The final count was 85 bikes at the church, with a couple dozen more waiting for us at Bushnell. We set a flagline that ran nearly all the way around the church, and were joined by some local residents who brought their own flags and signs to honor Spc. Lembke and show their support and love for the family.

It was a great honor to stand the flagline with the PGR at this mission. Just as it is with every mission. The turnout for Spc. Lembke was impressive and humbling, and I was proud to play my small part in it.

Following the completion of the service, we broke down the flagline and prepared for the 60 mile trip to Bushnell for the internment. While we were standing the flagline, the winds began to build, and by the time we left the church for Bushnell, we were contending with 20-30 mile per hour gusting winds.

The sheer size of the procession caused some complications, and the Ride Captain decided that we would send out a large group of bikes ahead of the procession, without escort, to arrive at Bushnell first and set the flagline there to receive the procession. And so off we went. The streets along the route were lined with local residents holding flags and signs, and the fire department had an aerial device up over the road with an enormous American Flag hanging down over the route.

Oh, yes, and the processional also handed the protesters their final plate of fail. The protesters thought that their site was along the route, and that the family would see them as they passed. Wrong - the processional route was changed to leave the church via a different route, and never passed any closer to the protest. It must have been hard on the protesters - all dressed up and no one to torment. Tragic.

The scene at Bushnell was much like the one at the church - a massive group of PGR and other riders holding flags, lining the entire walkway around the committal pavilion, showing the family our respect and sorrow for their loss and our deep respect and gratitude for the service and sacrifice of Spc. Lembke.

Following the internment ceremony, the massed riders broke up into small groups and soloists as we made our way out of the hallowed grounds of the Florida National Cemetery to our respective destinations. Words can’t express the pride I felt leaving the cemetery. Not for my small part in the events of the day, but for the overall effect of the large turnout. I hope with all my heart that our presence there was a comfort to the family, and that they were left knowing that Spc. Lembke’s sacrifice will not be forgotten.

On August 19th, 2009, 4 members of the Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment lost their lives in a training accident in Colorado.  The family of SSgt Tucker invited the Patriot Guard Riders to attend the service and honor SSgt. Tucker.  We were privileged to be able to do so.

Some background on the 106th SOAR is probably beneficial here.  From the USASOC website:

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment’s mission is to organize, equip, train, resource and employ Army special operations aviation forces worldwide in support of contingency missions and warfighting commanders. Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world, day or night, with unparalleled precision. They employ highly modified Chinook, Black Hawk and assault and attack configurations of Little Bird helicopters.

Soldiers of the 160th have been actively and continuously engaged in the combat operations since October 2001. Today, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment continues a sustained and active forward presence in the U.S. Central Command area of operations at multiple locations in support of operations Enduring and Iraqi freedom, in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. Our crews also provide support to U.S. Southern and Pacific command.

These skilled aviators don’t push the limits of the envelope - they define the envelope. It was an honor to be invited to attend the service and pay our respects.

As is so often the case, a group of us from the area met up to ride to the church together.  Lisa and I met up with the group at a gas station on route 46 and rode east toward the shore and then down US 1 to Titusville.  Along the way, we passed over the wide, marshy bed of the St. John’s river and rolled by a large alligator sunning himself on the shoulder of the road.  In short order, we arrived in Titusville.

One thing that made a large impression on me was the dedication shown by SSGt. Tucker’s fellow soldiers from the 160th, who were acting as the honor guard and pallbearers for the funeral.  I got the impression this is not a duty they normally perform, but that the bond they shared compelled them to handle this final task for their fallen brother.  While we were getting organized and waiting for the family to arrive, the soldiers were practicing the drill for their duties during the funeral over and over again.  It was hard to watch, because you could feel the pain under their professional pride, and see the drive to make sure they performed their tasks to perfection because nothing less would do.

As the family arrived, we set the flag line and stood in silent respect as the honor guard performed the drill one final time, removing SSGt Tucker’s casket from the caisson and bearing it into the church with precision and reverence.  In due course, the service ended.  As is often the case, we sent several bikes ahead to the cemetery to set up a flagline there to receive the soldier and his family.  Lisa and I volunteered to go with the advance group, and we soon set off on the short trip to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, another group of soldiers from the 160th were rehearsing for their role in the internment service.  They displayed the same fierce dedication to making certain that they performed their duties flawlessly in final service to their fallen brother.  Once again, it was very humbling to watch.  And very inspiring.  These young men and women in our armed forces possess a quality of character all too seldom seen today.

During the internment service, a police helicopter overflew the grave site in tribute.  This was an emotional service, and I know that several of us - myself definitely included - got more than a bit of blurry vision from the tears that gathered but never quite fell.

After the conclusion of the service, each and every one of the soldiers from the 160th SOAR came over and personally thanked each of us for being there.  It was very moving - and very humbling.  I mean, compared to the hardships these young men endure and the sacrifices they make serving our nation, I’ve done absolutely nothing by riding a handful of miles to stand the flagline.  At one point, one of the soldiers shook my hand and thanked me for being there to honor SSGt Tucker.  Both of us were holding back the tears, and we kind of paused there for a second hanging on the edge.  I told him that the honor was mine for being there, and that I was grateful for all that they do.  As we were preparing to leave, one of the members of the 160th presented us each with a pin with the 160th SOAR unit crest.  It sits on my desk as I write this, and I will cherish it always as a reminder of the day.  I’ve not the right to wear it, and would never even consider doing so, but I feel quite honored that SSGt Tucker’s brothers in arms considered me worthy to receive it.

This was a tough mission for me, and it took me a long time to write it up.  It was just so humbling to have these dedicated soldiers thanking us for what we were doing, and it effected me for quite a while.

It is interesting how life often circles back around.  About a month ago, we found a lost puppy wandering the streets near our home.  He had no collar or tags, but he was well fed and looked cared for.  Naturally we assumed someone would be looking for him, so we picked him up and printed up some fliers with his picture and posted them at every intersection for a couple miles around.  Nobody called.

We called our local vet to see if they had someone in the office who could scan the pup for a microchip, and we were lucky enough to catch someone there.  Success! He had a chip.  Surely we would have him reuinited with his people shortly.  Or not.  The chip was never registered, and the trail dead-ended at a shelter in Oregon.  They had apparently adopted out the dog, but never recorded his chip number.

Days went by, and nobody called about the dog.  It was becoming more and more apparent that someone had just put him out rather than making an effort to find a home for him.  We could not keep him long term, because we already have two big dogs.  So we turned him over to a local rescue group, Pet Rescue By Judy.

Fast forward to this weekend.  The local Harley Owners’ Group held a charity ride to benefit Pet Rescue By Judy, and Lisa and I knew we just had to go.

We rolled into the starting staging area around 8:30, and joined the large group of riders already on hand to raise money for this worthwhile group.

The first stop on the ride was, appropriately enough, the Rescue’s main shelter.

The shelter doesn’t normally allow visitors in the animal lodging areas, but because it was a special event, they allowed us back to visit with some of the dogs. In the kennel area was a familiar face - little beast, the dog we had found and turned over to the rescue! He seemed to remember us, and promptly flopped over for a tummy rub when he saw us. The rescue staff told us they had a foster placement for him, and he would be going there soon. It’s good to see he’s with people who care about him and are taking care of him now. A horrific pox upon whomever dumped him….

The ride continued through a couple more stops, where the riders had to locate items of information about each of the stops for our ride forms.

The ride culminated at the Green Parrot in Fern Park, where the final turnout proved to be very impressive.

It was a great day for a ride, and a great turnout to support the work of the Rescue. Lisa and I were glad to be a part of it.

Well, it’s been a long couple of weeks, and Lisa and I really needed to get out for a bit.  So we decided to go somewhere for a ride.

We have a local travel book called “Best Backroads of Florida”, and one of the chapters discusses some of the roads in Lake County near Lake Miniehaha.  One road is identified as “the most scenic in all of Florida”.  Well, that sounded too good to pass up, so we put on our gear, gassed up the Road King, and hit the road.

As it turns out, the author of the book clearly had not been to the road he lauded so heavily in quite some time.  It is, perhaps, home to the most scenic landfill in Florida, but that’s hardly the same thing.

Oh, well, live and learn.  We headed North out of there along Lakeshore drive, which was in fact quite lovely.  A dense canopy overhangs the road, with long tendrils of Spanish Moss hanging down like party decorations long forgotten.  The views of the lake are spectacular, and quickly redeemed the trip.  We rumbled along around Lake Minnehaha, and then north along Lake Minneola and Lake Palatakaha before joining Route 19 northward toward Howie-in-the-Hills.

At this juncture I’d like to note that I’ve no idea what or who Howie is, nor why he / it is in the hills.

Route 19 wanders along past farmland and dozens of smaller lakes and ponds before crossing Little Lake Harris via a long bridge 2 lane with low railings.  The views of the lake from the bridge are strikingly pretty, and well worth the trip.  In due course, we arrived in Tavares, where we turned East along the north shore of Lake Dora and began to head back home.  It was our longest outing to date, with a little over 4 hours on the bike, and a great way to get out of the house for a while.