Welcome to

Run For The Wall

Southern Route

Pre-Run in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
May 16
May 17
May 18
2010

22 YEARS OF HONOR
Riding in Freedom for Those Who Can't

"Honoring All American Warriors"

Click here for Pre-Run Sit Reps

Please remember - there are LOTS of photos on these website pages! You will need to be patient for the photos to load (give it time, depending on your Internet connection speed), and then scroll down. The links above are to each of the three pre-run days.

5/16 - Again this year, we are honored to have Ed Kain as our Lead Photographer during the Run For The Wall for the Southern Route. Each night, as able, he will send photos with descriptions.

Above, left, Bruce Officer and Ed Kain leaving Surprise, AZ, for the ride west to Rancho Cucamonga. Above, right and below, Road Guards and Road Guards-In-Training (RGITs) must assemble early in CA for training and instructions necessary to guide the pack across the United States as safely as possible. They also must eat, of course!

Above, right, and below, Registrars Shirley Scott and Val McClymonds set up registration for the Road Guards (only) so that their day-time hours could be spent in training.

5/17 - More photos taken Monday from Ed Kain. The first few below were at the Southern Route's "All Hands Leadership Briefing" which was held Monday night.

Ray "Too Tall" McDowell addressed the group. Above, right, someone also described a program which will help newer veterans finance their participation in Run For The Wall.

Above, Holly and Hawgwash clean up bikes for Slammer and Too Tall. Their products work to "dry cleaning" bikes! Registration is on-going insider now. Above, right...Patty Handley from CR with SR's Val "Stitch" McClymonds; you can always count on Val for a great smile! To the right, is Judy "Sugar Bear" Cockrum, Secretary of the Board of Directors. Below, Martha Stellman and Annie Raymond (both from CR) help with registration.

Below, Ms. Ela Yazzie-King (SR) and Patty Handley (CR) helping during registration.

Above (and right), Annie Raymond (CR) and above is Val McClymonds. Below, Martha Stellman (CR) helping. Below, right, Shirley "Top Sarge" (with white cap) is seen helping set up general registration.

Below, Chicken Joe, platoon leader for the trikes on SR, is being registered by Martha.

Above, right, and below, photos from Road Guard meetings. Cajun was giving information below, right.

Wayne "Cajun" Guidry and John "Slammer" Gebhards at the Road Guard meeting. Slammer is the R.G. Captain. Above, right, a separate meeting of Road Guards with (facing camera) Dave "Wrong Way" Cappel in the center, Coinslot, Doug James, and Don Morris on the far right. Below, left, Sharan “Sam” Tuinhout helps with registration. Below, right, Ray "Rayman" Huston...

5/18 - This last day of the pre-run included continuing registration, as well as the Southern Route's Charm School -- Road Guard and Road-Guard-in-Training refreshers on safe riding and guidance for our "pack." This is the third year for this much-appreciated training, and all of us are grateful to the trainers, the RGs, and the RGITs for their dedication to helping us ride across the United States as safely as possible! The following photos are from Ed Kain:

John “Coin Slot” Williams, a certified rider safety instructor, briefs the class members on what is expected in the exercise. Below, Don "9 Ball" Morris, also a certified instructor gives a demonstration.

Below, left, is the windshield sticker which each Road Guard (or RGIT) received when they completed the course. Below is Don Morris directing participant Roy "Scratch" McClymonds as he finished an exercise.

Right is Pete "Baron" Nolan.
Below is Gene "Flyboy" Adee.
Below, right, is Howard "Guardian" Saunders.

Above, left, is Glenn "Viper" Scott. Above, right, Bruce "Ducktape" Officer, also a certified officer, explains a procedure to one participant. Below, John "Slammer" Gebhards, 2010 Road Guard Captain, standing with Abe "NuGuy" Duran. Below, 9-Ball and Guardian.

Below, left, Wayne "Poppy" Savoy.

Below, right, George "Snapper" Rome.

It's NOT easy to do this, folks!! Above, left, Dwight "Dutch" Stevens was trying to fix something on his bike, and Officer asked if he needed some ducktape! Above, right is THE CHARM SCHOOL GROUP. Below, Slammer brings serious commentary to the group. The last photo is of Officer giving instructions. Pavement for the school was wet...good training potential for the weather which may "happen" during the Run.

Meanwhile, registration continued. Below, left, Candy "Tagalong" Negrete (left) and Sharon "Little Bear" Ingram. Below, right, Bob Duensing helps with registration.

Above and below, the Advance Team meeting; these are the folks who help the fueling at each stop go smoothly...most important!!!

Below, left, David "Wahoo" Hampton, Staging Team Leader. Dave is from Oklahoma where he runs a funeral home. In 2006, he rode across the country with the POW bracelet of a young soldier whose remains the family had finally received and buried. David's dedication to the POW/MIA cause continues to inspire us all. John "Squeekie" Grub (below, right) is the Fueling Team Leader.

Above, a patriotic restored 1956 Chevy on display in the parking lot. Below, left, Roger "Cowboy" Mead and Trish Burnett, the youngest daughter of MIA Colonel Sheldon Burnett who went MIA on January 10, 1970. Colonel Burnett's remains were identified in 2004 and returned to his family, but Trish remains very active with other POW/MIA families. Below, right, VA Representative Laurence Diaz was in the lobby giving veterans information of how to apply for benefits.

A VA Mobile Health Care bus was there (above, left). Above, right, and below is an FNG meeting which was held for new riders on Run For The Wall.

Pat and John Urban, right, are FNGs. Pat is Marketing Analyst in Kroger's Corporate Branch and works for Jerri Ann Dalman. Kroger is supplying RFTW with snacks, fruits, bananas, water, etc. We're SO THANKFUL for Kroger's participation!!!

Below, Too Tall addresses SR riders.

Below, left, Dutch and Poppy explain and demonstrate hand signal directions. Below, right, Slammer gives other riding safety information.

Below, left, Dee "Short Stack" Barker took the lady riders aside and explained some things they needed to know. Dee is driving her chase truck for the third year. Right, "Lil Bit" is back riding her own bike.

Below, Active Duty Navy Chaplain Timothy R. Moore is riding as one of our SR chaplains this year. It's GREAT to have any current military personnel riding with us...we ride for them, too! Below, right, Amy Scruggs (of the group Scruggs and Adams) sang the Star Spangled Banner after the RFTW dinner hosted by Rancho Cucamonga.

Left, Gwyn Frost, CA State Coordinator Jim Frost's wife, gave the invocation. Above, right, Trish Burnett received a plaque of appreciation from Too Tall and spoke to the riders.

Above, left, Jim "The Mayor" Frost presented a pink Air Force cap to Roger "Cowboy" Mead. Cowboy led the Southern Route in 2008 on RFTW's Twentieth Anniversary. Below, left to right, Medal of Honor recipients John Baca and John Pittman. Below, right, Doug "Sgt. Major" Lyvere read MOH Pittman's citation; Jim Frost read MOH Baca's citation.

Above, right, Roland "PegLeg" Marchand announced that the VVA Chapter to which PegLeg and John Baca belong is being renamed to honor MOH Baca. Above, left, Sam Spagnola, RC Councilman; middle, Mayor of RC, Dr. Donald J. Kruth; lower right, Scruggs and Adams entertained after the dinner. It was a wonderful send-off!! Thank you, Rancho Cucamonga!!

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