When you ride a motorcycle, weather is a huge part of the ride.

Out in the elements all day, packing in the rain, riding in snow, the heat of the Sun the power of the wind, and all the debris that flies your way, being outside without a roof heading down the highway 60 to 70 miles an hour, weather is important, so ....

If it seems like we obsess over weather when we give ride report - wanted you to understand.

We have had heat and humidity for two days like it may rain any moment, and rain it just did, for about 3 minutes (after getting into our motel).  And now - heat and humidity will return with vengeance.

Praying everyone makes it to the night stop or Rainelle or Lewisburg, West Virgina safely, they're predicting strong storms with wind and hail later this afternoon, wanting all riders indoors before that one.

Over 1100 people are pre-registered for Run For The Wall XXIII

The 2011 Run is in place.  Over 1100 people have pre-registered on-line.  People are on the road now headed to California.  All across the Nation communities are preparing for the parade of motorcycles.  Several last minute details are being loaded into support vehicles.

And a huge thank you is going out to all our volunteers.

Pictures posted on Facebook of Run For The Wall in Corydon

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LINK TO CORYDON INDIANA'S PICTURES

So many communities welcome Run For The Wall each day of the ride.  I've come up with some numbers.

There is 1 Run For The Wall.
There are 2 Routes, Central and Southern
Each Route has 3 chase vehicles that help with down bikes and riders
There are 4 extra days that RFTW participants are together - 2 in California for orientation/training and a mini reunion, and 2 in DC for the visit to the Wall and Rolling Thunder.
Each Route has 5 people in the Lead Element called the Missing Man Formation. 

|  | the first two bikes, Left leading, Route Coordinator Right - State Coordinator (changes each State)
|    this rider rides with a "missing man" to his right (this position changes each leg of the Run

|  | the Route Chaplain and Missing Man Coordinator ride these two spots


Each Route has 6 platoons made up of motorcycles, and one with motorcycles that pull trailers or trikes.
There are 7 Board of Directors for Run For The Wall, Inc.

After leaving California the Southern Route stops in 8 more states.

Once they leave California Central Route goes through 9 states. (see the map of both routes here)

The ride itself is 10 days.  We leave on a Wednesday and arrive on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

We registered 620 people in California for the 2010 Run.
Not all of them traveled all the way to DC with us.
Southern Route registerd an additional 700 + people and CR almost another 700 across country.

The Routes totaled over 90 stops for Fuel or to visit VA Hospitals, Veterans Memorials or Schools or to overnight in a community.  That's over 90 communities across America that HOST Run For The Wall.

Pretty impressive.  Can you tell we love what Run For The Wall does for Veterans with a TOTAL VOLUNTEER STAFF!!

Thank you America!!

Corydon, Indiana to Hurricane WV

Today we gear up for the VA hospital in Louisville, and the Memorial in Frankfort.  Both are equally rewarding and emotional, then end up with a long leg to Hurricane West Virginia.  Several surprises in Mt. Sterling KY this year also.  Will blog on all this later.

When I entered the lobby of the VA hospital in Louisville today the first think I saw was a very large plaque with Robley Rex's likeness in bronze and a dedication to his volunteer service.  It was extremely moving, as the Hospital has changed it's name in his honor.  We were greeted by him every year our first 6 years on Run For The Wall, and he passed away last year a few days before the Run.  There was a memorial patch made last year, and I see it on many biker vests. 

Here's one article about him: 

Robley Henry Rex, a World War I-era Army veteran renowned and beloved for his volunteer service to other veterans, died today at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville just four days short of his 108th birthday.
Rex was born May 2, 1901 [This is incorrect according to emailer JT Major. Rex lied about his age when he enlisted and was actually born January 2, 1903. I guess that would make him 106? -S] in Hopkinsville. He credited his longevity to his wife of 69 years, the former Gracie Bivins, who died in 1992 at age 91.
"I married the right woman," Rex always said. He called her "the smartest woman in the world."
The two met at Camp Taylor in Louisville in 1919 before he was sent overseas with the Army. They married in 1922 when he returned to the United States.
Rex was "delightful, bubbly and an energetic, fun guy to be around," retired Brig. Gen. Les Beavers, commissioner the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs from 1998 until December, told The Courier-Journal a few years ago. Beavers had shared the stage with Rex at many veterans ceremonies.
"Robley not only had a long life, but a quality life. It was an honor to know him," Beavers said....

I broke out of the pack today to get out of the heat ... this has definitely been the hottest RFTW we've done, but before breaking away we experienced the first Mt Sterling free fuel, free lunch.  Every year for 21 years Run For The Wall has had lunch and fuel on your own in this fine city.  This year the mayor told Run For The Wall, "We've ignored you, when you came through our town, long enough.  We want to welcome you."

9 families lost a loved one in Vietnam from their community, and 7 of the families were represented at our lunch.  The lunch was pork loin sandwiches - wow what a great lunch, what a great community, and good job Garth Vinson, KY State Coordinator.  THANKS Mt. Sterling for the fuel and lunch.

Goodland KS to Junction City, KS

Yesterday we dealt with wind most of the afternoon, the rider behind me said my bike was riding at a 45 degree angle all the way across Kansas!  Go figure - wind in Kansas.

Here's a pic I took after Breakfast at Goodland (riders meeting with Platoon Leaders) this morning,  The platoons get their final instructions before we head out across more of Kansas.  We had so much open space that platoons looked tiny, they had several clusters of riders out in the open air.  We don't know what to do with so much space on Run For The Wall!!

Goodland really turned out - it's so amazing to see small towns come out on their lawns, step out to the curb, come downtown to the center of their hometowns and greet us waving flags, holding banners, honking horns, truly a heroes welcome for all the HEROES in our pack ... always outstanding job.  Thank you Goodland.

So fun seeing Kevin's bike set up for Registration ... we've got people trained now to look for his bike - and the wonderful canopy supplied by Annie - super job.

We were promised more than last year in Junction City, and oh my goodness, I wish there was a way to take pictures and ride (well there probably is but it wouldn't be safe for me to attempt it).  We rode into a town that had people out all along our route, then when we hit the intersection that took us to their memorial park, there were so many people holding full size flags, narrowing our path to simply just enough room to ride through flags, it was a RED, WHITE and BLUE tearful event, I could hear sobs over the rumble of bikes ...

Williams to Gallup