Action speaks louder than words

People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do. ~ Lewis Cass

On Memorial Day we hear and read a great deal about honoring those who fell in service to our nation. This is as it should be.

Some allowed their comments to spill over to the general topic of veterans. For this, these commenters can be forgiven. At the end of this national day of recognition, hearing and reading their comments about veterans, I come away with an observation about POTUS.

 

When deeds speak, words are nothing. ~African Proverb

Watching several speakers on television and reading comments of others, many used the opportunity to decry the on-going issues with the Veterans Administration. During one such broadcast, the aforementioned observation came to mind about POTUS.

 

I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts. ~John Locke

It occurred to me that POTUS has said a great deal about the issues with the VA and veterans. But in my view, he has done very little. Though professing concern, in comparison to social issues he supports, POTUS has been notable for his lack of action. On social issues he has shown a proclivity to sign Executive Orders and to issue Federal Regulations. By some count, thousands of pages of the two.

 

Well done is better than well said. ~Benjamin Franklin

Setting aside for the moment the illegality of his Executive Orders and Federal Regulations, what is telling is that in spite of lofty rhetoric concerning issues with the Veterans Administration and care for our veterans, POTUS has chosen not to take the same approach in addressing them as he has with social issues, climate issues, the environment, LGBT issues, international security, and other matters not involving our veterans.

 

A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain. ~Arabian Proverb

A minor epiphany, but a revelation nevertheless. By his actions, POTUS demonstrates his lack of care for veterans and their concerns.

Actions speak louder than words.

Memorial Day 2016

Memorial Day 2016 will see thousands of bikers converge on Washington, DC to participate in Rolling Thunder.  Starting with staging in the north parking lot of the Pentagon (brings back memories of being one of the first in and last out of that lot during my time there 1993-1997).

Once the ride begins, it will be hours before the last bikes cross over the bridge into our nation's capital.

Along the route, the riders will pass Marine Staff Sergeant Chamberlain, nicknamed "The Saluting Marine."

Some will have ridden thousands of miles to participate in this uniquely American expression of patriotism. 

Like those in Run for the Wall.

Lest no one ever forget our fallen, POWs, or those for whom there is no accounting.

Lest we forget

Lest we forget.

 

Let their actions speak for themselves

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Protesters at Trump rallies have stomped on the American flag. 

Burned the American flag.

And repeatedly flown the Mexican flag.

 Let their actions speak for themselves.

Inspiring students

While out cycling this morning, I came to a stop while passing Fletcher Hills Elementary School.

Why?


Because I could see and hear students and staff standing in front of the school by the flag pole, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.



Quintessential way to begin the school day. The scene had a Norman Rockwell quality to it, at this neighborhood school located east of San Diego, California.



The lilting voices of the students as they finished, pledging, "...one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all."




This inspirational scene is pure Americana and makes this old veteran proud.



All middle schools, high schools, community colleges, colleges, and universities should begin each day in the same way.

Marine Corps brotherhood on bikes for a great cause

Last Saturday, beginning in a little town about 20 miles north of Camp Pendleton, the Brotherhood of Marine Corps Riders (BMCR) hosted their 12th Annual Semper Fi Fund Poker Run.

Registration took place in the parking lot for the Chopper Gallery in Temecula.  On the initially overcast morning, the prevalence of Marine Corps and veteran patches was uplifting for this gray beard retired Marine.

Just as was the banter common among and between Marines.  

This morning the banter was familiar and comfortable, as the gathered Marines are also bikers.  While no excuse is really needed for a real biker to throw a leg over the saddle, dropping down $20 for the entry in a poker run supporting the Semper Fi Fund was a no brainer for these Marines.  Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis -- Always Faithful -- the world renowned motto of the United States Marine Corps.  What could be better than riding with fellow Marines in support of the indisputably best military charity?

In addition to registering, getting the first card for the poker draw, and grabbing a fat pill (also known as doughnuts), it was shaking hands, slapping backs, and acknowledging one another.  Then it was time to crank up the bikes and head onto the route for the next four stops, drawing a card at each and ending up in Winchester for a BBQ lunch.

Riding along some of the best biking roads in region, as evidenced by countless other bikes we encountered, my favorite stop was the Round Up, located by an RV park overlooking Lake Henshaw.  Nice little restaurant that seems to cater to bikers, since it is open only Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

From there, it was only two stops to the Wild West Arena, where the lunch was superb (beef, ribs, salmon).  Predictably, my poker hand was miserable, but it didn't matter.  I had spent the day riding with my best friend since grade school and shared the event and roads with fellow Marine bikers, all in support of the Semper Fi Fund.  Doesn't get any better than that. 

Hollister - the original motorcycle rally

My best buddy and I decided we’d attend the Hollister Rally this year. We've been before and are looking forward to returning.

It's likely many are unaware of the history of Hollister, a small town out in the boondocks of central California. Inland from Monterey and south of San Jose and the Bay area, in 1947 Hollister was the location of the now famous “riot” that served as the basis for the Marlon Brando film “The Wild Bunch.” By popular myth, it is also viewed as the birth of the American biker culture.

The bikers were World War II vets, who joined in various clubs, or "gangs," as the press called them. The American Motorcycle Association sanctioned a Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister that weekend in 1947. While reports differ widely, it is generally agreed that many more bikers showed up than were expected, with folks coming from all over. Some reports indicate a few guys got out of hand, though the press wildly exaggerated the situation.

Though the bikers roared their bikes up and down the town’s roads and drank in all of the welcoming bars, various sources indicated later that it wasn’t as bad as made out to be by the press after the fact. For good or bad, however, the legend of the Hollister riot had begun. Inarguable, however, was the fact that the American biker image had begun to take shape and the foundation for the biker life style had been laid. The Hollister Rally has been taking place over on and off over July 4th for a number of years.

And the term “1%’ers” actually has its origins in the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) sanctioned Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister that weekend in 1947. As discussed earlier, there was a so-called riot that received plenty of bad press. To counter the bad press, the AMA published an article declaring 99% of its members are law abiding and only 1% were the outlaws who created the problems. In protest, some of the groups cut their patches into three pieces, which now have great significance in the biker world. Thus began the definition of the one percenters. It has become synonymous with outlaw. Other, more conventional biker clubs use one-piece patches, which usually identify a riding club, AMA sanctioned club, political action, or biker rights club.

I did a bit of research and found the LA Times carried a story estimating 60,000 bikers enjoyed the three days of the last Hollister we attended.

60,000 bikes at an average cost of $20,000 each equals $1,200,000,000. Over a billion dollars, just in bikes alone. What an impressive display of American consumers in action. Impressive by any measure. And it isn’t the largest motorcycle rally. During the same research, I checked out Sturgis 2010, also known as the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, which we attended. According to Motorcycleusa.com, Rally Director Brenda Vasknetz estimated 600,000 people attended Sturgis in 2010. There are far more couples at Sturgis than at Hollister, so I needed to come up with a way to approximate the number of bikes. For general purpose and based on personal observations, I assumed 85% of the bikers were solo, leaving 15% having a passenger. Based on these estimates, that works out to 555,000 bikes. Using the same figure from above, 555,000 bikes at an average of $20,000 per bike means there was over eleven billion dollars worth of bikes at Sturgis in 2010. Now that is really impressive!

Wonder how many bikes will be heading to Hollister this year? We will be there and look forward to the rally. Hope to see fellow veterans and Marines walking and riding the streets.

A dangerous time for the nation

We all need to be concerned about recent reports stating the size of the active duty Army will soon be at the lowest point since before World War II.

All Americans should correctly look at presidents and politicians over several years and from different political parties as shouldering the blame for this situation.  We are told budgetary concerns are driving the lower, dangerous force levels and not mission ready aircraft and ships.

Smallest Navy, smallest Army, severely aged and inoperable Air Force aircraft, and half of Marine Corps combat aircraft not mission ready.  These are not the measures of a force in readiness to defend the nation.  

And our warriors are worn out and frustrated.  We are breaking faith with the less than one-half of one percent of the nation who voluntarily serve in our military.

Again, we are told this is a budget issue.

Feckless and reckless spending and equally reckless policies and decisions, by multiple administrations and Congresses, have not only created an enormous national debt, they have placed our military forces in a dangerous status.  A status of which others inimical to the country may choose to take advantage, much like what occurred leading up to World War II and Korea.  

This is indeed a dangerous time for our nation. 

Sunday time in the saddle

Lifelong friends are in town for an extended stay. So we took advantage of the nice weather for us guys to hit the road on our Harleys, leaving the gals to chat and catch up. The destination was Descanso, so we stopped in at the Descanso Junction Restaurant for lunch.

If you've not been there, the motif is decidedly western.
 
But as we bikers like to say, it's not the destination, it's the ride. And on this day I was riding with my best buddy since our grade school days, having first met back in the late 1950s. Avid bikers, we have rolled together to Sturgis, Hollister, and other interesting places in the western United States. Sometimes our wives have shared the adventures. At other times it has just been the two of us.

Today was the first time we have shared the road since September 2014, so just gearing up and mounting up on the bikes was great. It wasn't a long ride by any means, as we headed out east on I-8 for a relatively short trip. After passing Alpine and climbing into the local mountains, the temperatures dropped, so we were happy with the decision to wear full leathers.

Running at freeway speeds as the traffic thinned, we climbed a few thousand feet as the freeway headed towards the state line. Taking Exit 40, we were soon parking the bikes at the restaurant.

It is one of those places that is just plain comfortable, with food at decent value. While enjoying our meal over cups of coffee, we mused about all the similar places we have visited during the rides we've shared over the past 16 years. Local watering holes known for their decent food at decent prices. Like the one outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

For these two gray beards, all was right in the world this afternoon. On the Harleys with best friends and sharing a comfortable ride to enjoy lunch and conversation.