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27 Jun 2008, 10:45 pm / Other
As I wrote in my log a few days ago, my first mission was to be today, Sgt. Washington, a 20 year old Marine from one of the local highschools. So I really was excited about partaking. I rode and fueled yesterday, so I'd be ready early this morning, as meeting was 6:45. 6:30 I pull out of my garage, get a few blocks down the street and I feel an immediate ker plunk, ker plunk.. back tire goes flat. Pulled in at a nearby station to air it, the machine was broken. Ok fair enough... gritting my teeth and accidently a few expletives fall out. Hard as hell to back a bike up with a flat, isn't it? So I decide to ride about 2 miles up the road to a Les Schwab; I thought I heard mention that they did bike tires. Got there by 6:45 and no one to call in PGR since I'm new, I don't have a phone list. I sit down on the concrete, also having heard they open at 7am. Not long of a wait, so feeling on top of things. 7am rolls around and I look closer at the window. 8am opens. Well crap, I can't move, I have a freakin FLAT! So sit down again and wait. Finally, 8am, the doors open. I don't even get in the door.. "Sorry, we don't do bikes"... grrrrrrr, so I had them air it up and took off down the road about a mile where a Honda/Yamaha dealer is, knowing I'd have to wait til 9. Plop back on the sidewalk and wait. 9am I get up to stand in front of the door..... WELL SHIT!!! They don't open until 10!!!!!!!!! 3 1/2 hours later from when I left the house, they open. Go back to the service dept, tell them I have a tire that needs to be fixed. "I dont think we can get to it today". I didn't say a word, turned around and walked out. He opened the garage bay door where my bike is, and said, "Didn't mean for you to leave mad, I see you're stranded.. we'll take it in." Nice :) This is the same Service Manager who came to my house last year to check out why the ride wouldn't start. Very nice kid. So by 11 I'm outta there, head home to print off the itinerary for the service and see I can make the cemetary part if I get there in 45 minutes. Rode like the wind and pulled in, opened my bag to get water and the RC calls us over. We go over some orientation stuff and then mount up. Whew, I made it! About 50 bikes head out of the parking lot, hop on the freeway for a few miles. On an overpass we go under, are a few police cars. Now, its been years since I saw/felt something that actually gave me goosebumps, but they were saluting as we drove by and that did it for me. We pulled in, made our flag lines and shortly after the cars come. The guns firing and taps brought a couple tears down my cheeks, and thinking... 20 years old, his second tour. What a hero. And it was an honor to be able to show my respect and thanks as they say, 'from the heart'. The war. The affected. The children and wives, and parents. The younger siblings or kids who looked up to you and don't understand. Now the maimed, the disabled, the mentally affected with PTSD who can't cope with life as they left it. All I can do is do my rallies for the troops, runs to the Old Soldiers Home, and respect and thank the dead. What a day.
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