Haven't forgotten y'all. Just been "kinda outta touch lately." Please give me a little leeway here... Enjoy the Ride!

My Ride To Ground Zero, Part I

Here it has been nearly eight weeks since I came home from New York and yet it seems like just yesterday. I have spent the past weeks thinking about the ride and where it took me... and not just in the sense of physically moving along a line in space but moving me along on a personal level through a web of beliefs, virtues, goals and guesses. Just like there are no straight roads in Virginia, there are no straight lines in life except on a blueprint. We may have an overall goal of, say, where we want to be in five years or ten or even thirty-five when we retire but those goals are just as dynamic as the process of achieving them.

My ultimate goal has always been to be a good and contributing member of my community and, ultimately, our society regardless of what career, family or personal path I chose to follow. Our society is built from strong communities, which are built with strong people. If we have weak and shoddy materials we end up with a mobile home of grief and greed instead of a stone house of pride and Patriotism. To me, the Army's Core Values have always been personal. These are values that I had instilled in me before I ever raised my right hand on 10JUN1986; loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage are not just buzz words for me. Perhaps it is because my father was a Marine and my dear friend, whom I consider to be a father to me, Roque Manrique, was an Army Green Beret. Perhaps they simply instilled in me what was instilled in them, which amounts to many, many lifetimes of military history.

Let's face it, our Country would not be what it is today if not for the gathering of strong, like-minded individuals who wanted their lives and the lives of their descendants to be better. A gathering of rabble rousers we call Patriots who organized themselves and their communities into a force to be reckoned with and we are still that same group today. That is what makes us Americans. It wasn't just a coup, but the beginnings of a greater society. And it worked! And here we are! And if not for the bravery and valor of those who voluntarily place themselves in harm's way to defend it, we would not be able to continue to enjoy being Americans.

I can no longer serve our Country in the manner in which I would like, as a Soldier, but, I can still serve our Country by providing for those who are serving in that capacity; Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen.

Twenty years ago, when I was injured, there was nothing out there as far as services for Veterans, either through the Government or as a third party organization, to turn to for assistance. I was discharged and received a DD214 and a letter from the then Veterans Administration welcoming me to their side of the house. It was over two years before I learned that I had educational benefits. I won't kid you either, it was like dealing with a multi-headed snake! I couldn't get one straight answer from any one individual or office. It was so frustrating that I often gave up for months before trying again to get benefits from the VA. In 2006 the Army began a program called Army Wounded Warrior Program or AW2 (not to be confused with the organization Wounded Warrior Project). Let's see, 1775 to 2006... that would be 231 years to finally develop a program for taking care of the seriously wounded. I would like to laugh about that but it isn't funny. That said, I applaud the Army for instituting this program and the men and women who worked tirelessly to see it through (standing ovation). They did a good job and I hope it is working as it should.

So, considering such a track record, I was really moved when I started seeing the emergence of organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project and Soldiers' Angels and Independence Fund. These third-party organizations are set up specifically to help our War Wounded and also those Military Service Personnel currently on deployment. These organizations are relatively small (compared to the size of the VA) and are prepared to help the Veteran at every step of the way. From the battlefield to the hospital and back home these organizations are always within reach; they are prepared to assist with whatever need be and if they don't have it, they go out and get it, period. I guess we finally decided that it was time to stop with the big bureaucracy and actually take care of the Troops as they should be cared for... as they deserve.

Two years ago I was able to join Wounded Warrior Project for their Soldier Ride in Texas. At first I had a hard time because of the callouses I had built up in dealing with the VA. It turned out fine though and, in the end, I had completed the ride and made a bunch of new friends. I also had a good appreciation for Wounded Warrior Project, what they are about and what they are accomplishing. That appreciation carried over to Soldiers' Angels this year when I had the chance to meet Toby Nunn (of Soldiers' Angels) on the 2009 WWP Soldier Ride. Toby and I talked about the Soldiers' Angels program and what they were doing for our Troops throughout the ride and I really liked what I heard.

Another contributing factor that set in the back of my mind while I planned this ride was a Navy Veteran I met on Soldier Ride 2008 by the name of Kevin Baker who was a paraplegic and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Kevin was a nice guy; he told a good story; he would have made a good politician or, perhaps, a preacher. Anyway, Kevin came up with the idea of riding his handcycle from his residence in Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. carrying the American Flag, which he would have had flown over the White House and then turned over to Wounded Warrior Project for them to use as their official Colors. Kevin set out from his home on his handcycle towing his wheelchair with one small suitcase on it. He reached somewhere in Louisiana where a lady found him sitting on the side of the road in a cold rain. She called her husband who brought a truck and loaded everything up returning to their residence. They put Kevin in some dry clothes and put him in bed for a rest. Kevin died there in bed and never completed his mission. Regardless of Kevin's story, he was a Veteran and he was attempting to do something larger than himself. It cost him his life but, perhaps, he died knowing that he was doing something good. I only knew Kevin briefly but his story challenged me to do something bigger than myself and, so, I set about trying to bring America's attention back to the Troops who, for the past eight years, have been placing themselves in harm's way to protect our way of life; to bring recognition and assistance to the 31,000+ War Wounded Veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). OORAH, Kevin... R.I.P. Brother.

This ride would take me away from home for at least thirty days and would require some contributions from my wife and children as well. I sat down and drafted up a really rough plan which I then discussed at length with my family. After working through some scheduling issues, we all agreed that it wouldn't be a problem for me to be away from the family for a month and they supported me one hundred percent in my undertaking. I worked nearly every day for over eight months planning, organizing and training for this ride. For a while I had been kicking around the idea of a cross-country bicycle ride but that's all I had, an idea. After going on Soldier Ride and talking with Toby I began to get a better picture of how to go about putting together a ride. After those several months of planning and organizing I finally felt secure enough about my mission and, on 12AUG2009, I pedaled out of my garage and turned the nose towards Ground Zero and New York City. I chose Ground Zero as my destination because of its significance in our Global War On Terror (GWOT) and I chose Wounded Warrior Project and Soldiers' Angels as the organizations I would represent because I felt, and still feel, that they are doing such a great job taking care of our Military Service Personnel, wounded and otherwise.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect once I reached New York. Outside of going to Basic Training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and what I have seen on the television and in movies, I had never been up in that part of the Country let alone to New York City. The best-case scenario I could come up with was getting a room, pedaling around Ground Zero on 9-11 without getting run over, grabbing some food and maybe one of those double-decker bus tours without getting mugged and heading back to Texas on a bus. The city itself is so big and contains so much history that there was no way I could have hoped to see too much in just a couple of days. As it turns out, though, I was in for a grand tour that I would never forget.

I'll work on putting that all together for you and, for me. For now I wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving... especially all of our Troops who are currently deployed. Without their dedication we would not be enjoying this time with our families. Thank you all for your service to our great Country. ESSAYONS!

Here is a picture of Kevin Baker on his handcycle in front of the Alamo. This picture was taken during WWP Soldier Ride, Texas 2008. Calm seas and fair winds, Sailor...

Love Your Wife Day

It started more than two years now, I figure. One day I was looking at Theresa and I thought, "you know, I don't want to wait until the kids are gone and then find out I don't even know who my wife is." We spend so much time and energy on the kids and work and everything else to keep our household running that we often forget to take the time for each other. We rush through our harried day, grab some dinner, clean up, go to a meeting or watch a little t.v. to relax and then it's off to bed where we fall quickly to sleep from exhaustion. You tell yourself that you'll "get around to it" or my favorite "next weekend we're gonna...blah, blah, blah" and it never fails that next weekend comes & goes in much the same manner as the previous fifty-two.

One day I opened my PDA and added a date to my calender; it was "Love Your Wife Day" and I set it to recur every Sunday to give me a little kick in the right direction. The first few months I simply made sure that I told Theresa I loved her and how much she meant to me. Then I started clearing away other items scheduled for Sunday morning so I could take her for breakfast. Every Sunday I would pick a different restaurant so that we didn't just get into another scheduled event that we had to attend. Picking a different restaurant involved talking about what we liked and didn't like and where we might like to go next. That led to us planning where we could go eat that would put us in close proximity to something we wanted to do for the day such as the beach, a park or the movie theatre.

Now, I think, everyday is "Love Your Wife Day." We spend more time together. We know each other so much better. It is easier to make decisions and there is much less time spent discussing issues, which leaves us that much more time to enjoy the things that we love to do... like discussing issues that are bigger than us. We both look forward now to a time when every day will be Sunday.

Ride On!

Still Alive, Just Recuperating

Here it has been nearly two weeks and I am still mulling over bits from my journey to Ground Zero. There is just so much that happened, from individual acts of kindness to expanses of beautiful American countryside to listening to the rain fall on my tent, that I think I'll need a lifetime to actually appreciate all of it. I spent the first day simply unloading, cleaning and stowing away my gear then, I slept for the better part of three days. The next four days I spent simply sitting and thinking about my journey in such a melancholy as to not even want to visit with friends or family. I cannot define a beginning or end to my sadness nor can I begin to explain why I felt that way...I just did.

I have been guilty of not completing my journal for this mission. Truthfully, I do not want to make the last entry in the blog because that would mean that it has officially ended and, I'm just not ready for that right now. I'm working up to it though. I met with my psychiatrist last Friday and we, including Theresa, spoke for quite some time about this journey and the near future. It was a positive meeting and I think the outlook is good. I've loaded a new photo journal on my laptop and have begun organizing the pics from the ride. I have a few left from my days in New York along with some final thoughts that I will be posting in the next day or two. While it all must come to an end sooner or later, we can at least savor it a little longer. I will always remember and think fondly of this journey.

On the other hand, my good friend Anthony and I are discussing our own venture that would provide for immediate assistance needs for Military Service Members and those who care for them (i.e. firefighters, law enforcement, etc.) in our communities; a sort of EMS Rapid Response for Troops who need immediate relief with healthcare, budgets, family support, housing, transportation, etc. It is still in its infancy but, we both want to be able to help our Troops at a personal level giving back to those who gave so much for us. We are both motivated and passionate about making this a successful undertaking, so, I think you may see something in the works very soon. I'll keep you posted as this develops and, please, feel free to comment on what you think about our project.

Ride On!

I have finally made it home. It was a very long drive today but a pleasant one. I am safe and relatively sound and very happy to be with my family... Peace.

One Last Run, Baby!

I awoke this morning to a torrential downpour slamming against the window and roof (I'm on the 3rd of 3 floors), the same reason I wheeled into this Comfort Inn last night around 2130hrs with the time gain. I made a clean 800 miles yesterday from Dahlgren, VA to Greenville, AL. Initially I was going to stop outside of Montgomery but after topping off with fuel I found I wasn't tired and figured on taking as big of a chunk as I could out of the distance between me and my wife and children. About 30 miles north of Greenville it began raining hard enough to pond on the road and render visibility to about 50 feet so I decided it best and safest to get a hotel for a shower, some sleep and a good breakfast.

When I pulled into the Comfort Inn at exit 130 in Greenville I pulled in behind a pickup displaying a 101st Airborne patch in the back window. Upon entry I met Gary Starr of Five Starr Steel proudly wearing his 101st Screaming Eagle ball cap. We talked for a while and exchanged some stories enjoying having met each other. It turns out that Gary was on his return to Texas from his Unit's Reunion in Hampton, VA. He departed and I then met Dottie, who was attending the evening desk. Dottie was super nice and had just gotten me checked in when Gary returned and offered to pay for my room for the night. Thank you very much Gary! I appreciate your kindness and generosity.

It did not take me long to get settled in and off to sleep in the super comfortable bed. I'm serious. Of all the hotels I've stayed in over the last few weeks the beds at Comfort Inn are the best, hands down. I awoke several times during the night anxious to be getting back under way. The Weather Channel radar is showing nothing but green along the entirety of my remaining route. I was hoping to make the last 400 miles in short order but I guess that is not to be. So I will take my time and continue to absorb all that has happened over the last few weeks.

Thanks again to all of our Wounded Warriors who courageously placed themselves in harm's way to protect the Freedoms we enjoy in our great Country. I will always remember.

Also, good luck to my good friend, Latseen Benson, who is attending the U.S. Paralympic Team event this week. Enjoy yourself and know that I am very proud of you, Brother! I'll be routing for you!

Ride On!

Time To Boogie Back To Texas

Up this morning with plenty of rest and I believe it is time to head for the barn. I had a good day yesterday hanging out with Scott. We went over to Fredericksburg and had some awesome bbq at Allman's then after a tour of the town we stopped in at Capital Ale House for some Brooklyn Brown Ale and hamburgers. It was an early evening as I wanted to get rested up for the drive home. Via the Interstate Highway system it is roughly 1200 miles from door to door. I'm hoping to make 600 miles per day and with the freeway it should be possible.

Again I would like to thank everybody who helped out along the way. In particular I want to thank Woody Groton and the folks at Wounded Warrior Project. This being my first go at such a mission the Wounded Warrior Project was integral in carrying out the plan and I appreciate them helping me out with advice, lodging and logistics. I want to thank Toby Nunn and Soldiers' Angels who provided the TerraTrike and hp netbook thus allowing me to actually make the ride and also to keep in touch with my family and all of you. Thanks to Anthony Mulheron for the B.O.B. Trailer, which allowed me to ride totally self contained. Thanks go to the New Jersey State Police for the escort and the Fire Department New York City for taking such great care of me while I was in New York. Thanks also to all of you who provided gear, discounts on merchandise, assistance, meals, lodging and encouragement to successfully complete the mission.

Lastly, but certainly not in the least, I want to thank all of our Military Service Personnel without whom none of this would be possible. Thanks to their voluntary service to our Country we are able to travel freely without fear of taking small arms fire or being blown up by an IED. Every Freedom we enjoy is directly credited to those valiant Men and Women who choose to place themselves in harm's way. I will always remember this and will keep Them in the forefront of my heart and thoughts.

Ride On!