Mission Summary
Calendar Link:
Calendar
Ride Captain # 1:
Carlton Emmons
cruiser54@charter.net
(817) 205-3339
Ride Captain # 2:
Sylvia Miller
slmiller19@sbcglobal.net
(972) 742-4956
Ride Captain # 3:
Jeff Wike
asm757@att.net
(817) 301-4293
Ride Captain # 4:
Mark Gravit
putt4dou@msn.com
(720) 422-9221
Summary:
MOH Procession from DFW International Airport to Gainesville High School.
Part 1 – Staging & Procession
Mission Date:
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Staging Time:
1330
Starting Time:
1600
Staging Point:
DFW Airport
Staging Address:
Hwy 183 and Amon Carter Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76155
Staging Area Map:
Map to Staging Area
Staging Area GPS:
32.838993, -97.049128
Details:
Riders will stage at the old Great Southwest runway on the north side of Hwy 183 and Amon Carter Blvd.
Access to the Staging area will not be open until 12:30, so do not arrive until after 12:30.
At the request of the MOH Committee, 12 Big Flag Bikes will stage in front near the entry gate as the lead group. All other Big Flag and non-flag bikes will stage behind the 12 lead bikes. PGR Ride Captains will be there to assist in staging all the bikes.
Water is being provided by the Cross Timber Riders of the CMA. Again this year, Fetch with Cyclone Motorsports, will be handling motorcycle support if anyone has a breakdown at the staging area or in route.
It is imperative that riders are staged and ready at the time of the Safety Briefing. This briefing is very important for you and the riders around you.
Special Note: There will be no weapons allowed on Airport Property or at Gainesville High School.
Mobile Restrooms will be provided and will be stationed on the east side of the staging area at a location directly next to the motorcycle staging area rather than at the far north end of the runway. You are welcome Ladies!
ALL RIDERS - Make sure you have a full tank of Gas at the time of staging. There will be NO stops during the movement. The route is 65 miles in length and will take about 1 1/2 hours to reach our destination.
Part 2 – Procession Arrival
Mission Date:
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Staging Time:
1530
Starting Time:
1700
Staging Point:
Gainesville High School
Staging Address:
2201 I-35 Frontage Rd
Gainesville, TX 76240
Staging Area Map:
Map to Staging Area
Staging Area GPS:
33.604831, -97.161978
Details:
The Procession will arrive at Gainesville High School. Those not able to be in the procession, please meet at the high school and contact the PGR Support Director for assignment.
We will be placing 60+ flags, either hand held or planted in the ground in preparation for the arrival of our MOH Recipients.
The Procession will pull into the first entry point from the southbound service road and make their way to the back of the High School.
ALL Bikes and Motor Units will park in the paved parking lot behind the High School. The rest of the Festivities will take place once the MOH recipients have been moved into the Cafeteria.
North Texas Patriot Guard Riders · 8640 Funtier Court · Ft Worth, Tx 76179 · USA
History
Back in the mid-1990s, Don Pettigrew and I were privileged to attend reunions of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association, which were held annually in Wichita Falls or Dallas. For two Marine Vietnam veterans, meeting these men was a pilgrimage ... an honor. The second reunion of Iwo Jima Survivors we attended reminded us how the half century since five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the flag on Mount Suribachi had decimated their numbers. At the time the only survivors of the two flag raisings were Charles W. Lindberg from the first group and James Bradley from the well-know second raising of the American Flag. Many were hobbled by old wounds and advanced age as they met in Wichita Falls one February to remember and honor those who died young in the black sand of the five-mile by two-mile Island, and those who had passed on later.
The Battle of Iwo Jima is near synonymous with the Medal of Honor--the nation's highest award for valor in combat. And Iwo Jima--the bloody crucible that cost over 7,000 American lives and 20,703 Japanese--remains the most highly decorated single engagement in U.S. history. Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded in a little more than three weeks; 13--virtually half--were awarded posthumously. Twenty-two were earned by Marines and the remaining five went to Sailors. Fully one--quarter of the all the Pacific War Medal of Honor Recipients earned their medals taking Iwo Jima.
In 1996 three Iwo Jima Medal of Honor Recipients were scheduled to attend the annual Iwo Jima Survivors Association. The first night Don and I met Marine Hershel "Woody" Williams and Rufus Herring, a Navy boat commander who received the first Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima. Later, Don was talking with Cy Young, one of the reunion's organizers and discovered that the third Recipient was unable to attend because the group didn't have sufficient funds for his airfare and expenses. We were floored. How could the cost of a plane ticket stand in the way of flying a Medal of Honor Recipient anywhere?
Surely any airline would gladly and proudly donate the microscopic cost. Don did not let it go. He began calling the major domestic airlines. "They said that they best they could do was a senior discount, if (the Recipient) is over 62'," Don said. The answer never changed ... none of the airlines he contacted would provide one of the nation's greatest heroes with a trip to Wichita Falls. Not long after we met him, Rufus Herring became ill and a few months later he passed away. Since then roughly 50 have passed away; only 109 now survive.
Don returned home still stunned at the lack of respect shown these great men; he and his wife, Lynette, decided to do something about it. They contacted me and a number of other volunteers and it was decided that what was needed was a unique way a small North Texas community could show its respect and appreciation for America's veterans. The committee's vision was to go beyond a static reflection of patriotism such as a memorial or statue; we needed to establish a multi-faceted program that could teach and inspire ... especially students. The answer lay with the nation's greatest heroes. Gainesville's Medal of Honor Host City Program was born.
Beginnings
It was decided that we would invite recipients of the nation's highest award for valor to visit Gainesville as a destination, or even when simply passing through North Texas. Here they would be welcomed and, time permitting, tour the city and give Gainesville the chance to show its gratitude. As a small token, each Recipient would be provided a stipend to defray his expenses while visiting. It evolved that we would formalized the visits into an annual "Medal of Honor Weekend" celebration each spring and invite as many Recipients as possible. Thus far 19 Recipients have visited, meeting with residents, speaking to the children and allowing us to show them that a patriotic pulse beats strongly in small-town America.
It's been over seven years since we started and ours is the only program of its kind in the country. Seed money was provided through the City of Gainesville and not long after the first Medal of Honor Recipient to visit was 1st Sergeant David McNerney who was the Grand Marshal of the city's 2002 Christmas Parade. Impressed by his reception, McNerney has returned each year since. Additionally, the late Medal of Honor Recipient and World War II Aviator, Marine Brigadier General Robert E. Galer and his wife, Sharon, maintained a summer home at nearby Lake Kiowa and were very supportive in the program's early days. The committee then created the next level of the Host City Program's mission by inviting Recipients to participate in an annual, three-day celebration around March 25th--Medal of Honor Day.
National Medal of Honor Day
The United States Congress has designated March 25th of each year as National Medal of Honor Day, a day dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. (Public Law 101-564.)
Conceived in the State of Washington, this holiday should be one of our most revered. Unfortunately all too many Americans are not even aware of its existence.
Why March 25th?
The date of March 25th was chosen to highlight this special day because it was on March 25 (1863) that the first Medals of Honor were presented ... to six members of Andrews' Raiders. If you haven't read the story you can follow the hyperlink below titled The First Presentation to read about that historic day. http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/hist...tory_first.htm.
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