As Memorial Day weekend approaches and we make plans to celebrate with family and friends, there are so many who will not be celebrating.  They will, instead, be visiting Arlington Cemetery and hundreds of other cemeteries across the country where their loved ones, who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, have been laid to rest.

And then there are the “lucky ones” who made it home.

YouTube Healing Waters by Lisa Mei and BigDawg

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Some homecoming.  They returned to a country that is struggling with sky-rocketing fuel and food prices, out-of-control government spending, record deficits, high unemployment rates, record home foreclosures, businesses going under, and the ever-increasing government intrusion into our private lives.  These heroes, our wounded active duty military members and veterans, have the added struggle of trying to muster the will and courage to press on with their lives as they suffer in silence not only from their physical impairments but from the never-ending nightmares, anger, loneliness, guilt, depression, and a number of other gut-wrenching emotions — all of which are triggered by and attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Thankfully, there are caring organizations that understand what our battle-scarred warriors are going through and are actively engaged in helping them begin the healing process.  One such organization is Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc (PHWFFI).

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Hello, Everyone following us! Today was my first day on the ride, riding from San Simeon to Pismo Beach. I cannot even describe what a rush it is to ride along side our Wounded Warriors; it is an absolute Honor! They all have been so incredible towards me, making sure I know what I am doing and don’t get hurt.

Actress Kristy Swanson

I admit, I did have one spill at a rest stop today. LOL!  It was my own fault not getting out of my clips properly. So, of course, I fell in front of everyone! They picked me up, dusted me off, and patted me on the back.  Several guys said, “Oh, we’ve all done that several times!” They made me feel at home. (more…)

Nate making the grade

Peter Gabriel once sang about the Big time. He probably did not have Big Sur in mind when he wrote that song, but it sure came to mind today as we set off from Carmel on our way to San Simeon. The 92-mile ride featured more than 7000 feet of climbing. The riders were in great spirits after the great event at Carmel Mission Ranch the night before.

In the song Gabriel talks about Big Boys, Big City, Big Adventure, and Big Heaven. Well, that pretty much sums up the day today: Big Hills, Big Scenery, Big Adventure and Big Heaven-on-Earth views. (more…)

Join us for our next events:
California Challenge – Oct. 4-10
Florida Challenge – Dec. 12-17

Day 6 was set to be a 35-mile ride from Hampton to Virginia Beach. During the course of the ride, the riders would be given a tour of Ft. Monroe, one of the most picturesque military bases in the world. It is also the location where the African slave ships would come to the new world in the 1600s and 1700s. While on base, we stopped to take the big team picture.

"American Idol" David Cook

After the tour, we had a stop at the nearby American Legion post to load up the bikes to drive through the Hampton/Norfolk tunnel.   With the help of the Virginia State and Virginia Beach Police, the ride restarted on the other side. (more…)

Day 3 started with a great weather report as the front that threatened rain had passed thru and the weather was mid 70’s, perfect for a great ride though the Virginia countryside.

The 65 mile ride to Richmond along a good portion of Virginia Bike Route 1 promised to be a lot of fun.

Bike Route 1

Most everyone knows that Richmond was the capitol of the Confederacy, but did you know that: In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech in Richmond and in 1781, under the command of Benedict Arnold, Richmond was burned by British troops. (more…)

The Ride 2 Recovery kicked-off today with a ride from the National Memorial Parade to Manassas. The 50 mile journey, with about 2,000′ of climbing, would take the riders down the beautiful George Washington Parkway, past Mount Vernon and the west to the town of Manassas.

250,000 people lined the route

The Parade features many Military groups and R2R was honored to be a part of such a great event.

The riders left the Parade area and headed down the GW parkway under the usually great escort of the American Legion Riders. (more…)

I’m your guy.  You will want to pay me a visit.  You’ll be wanting to sit me down in your offices and have a little chat with me.  And if worse comes to worst, I won’t even cost you much at Gitmo (while it still exists); for I require no Koran, no prayer mats, nor would I require any of the bathroom fixtures to be realigned to point toward Mecca. But you are definitely going to want to bring me in.  For according to you, Janet Napolitano, Director of the Department of Homeland Security, I am a dangerous threat to the security of America. 

Apparently, I am a right wing extremist. 

Janet Napolitano

You said this past week that the pro-Life, anti-illegal immigration, returning vets are to be flagged as being possible right-wing extremists.  Since I wasn’t in the service, I guess I missed the trifecta.  But two-outta-three ain’t bad.  In advance of your grilling, I’m sorry… profile interview…I will list some personal information for you so that my incrimination and persecution can go more smoothly.

First off, yes, I am PRO-LIFE.  This means that I hold human life to be precious, sacrosanct, and worthy of protecting, particularly when it is an innocent baby, either newborn or preborn.  And yes, contrary to the intellectual Luddites that comprise the abortion enthusiast ilk…I believe that a preborn infant is a human being.  It’s not a dog, it’s not a giraffe, it’s not a tumor, it’s not an “unviable tissue mass”.  It’s a human being. (more…)

The warrior cried, but not for himself.

His tears flowed from the blessing of the little girl — the one with the angel-voice. And, as we stood in ovation in the American Legion Hall her lyric, “… I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see” reminded him why his military service and the forty-odd years since had all been worthwhile: her Freedom, our Freedom.

As our tearful eyes locked, he restrained in a whisper, “See that? That’s why I lost my legs in Vietnam.” But then he smiled, “losing my legs is the best thing that ever happened to me… it’s why I am here right now, and it’s given me a great life.” 

Of course, I can never truly know the depth of my new friend Duane Wagner’s struggles in meeting his post Vietnam war challenges, but I was privileged to share with him a true moment of ‘amazing grace’ in the knowledge that his sacrifices – and all those of his compatriots — were not in vain. (more…)

General David Blackledge (rt) in Iraq

Major General David Blackledge is not a superhero. He’s a human hero. 

In February of 2004, Major General Blackledge’s convoy was ambushed in Iraq. The interpreter, who was sitting next to him, was shot through the head. Taking fire, the vehicle rolled. But the survivors were able to escape. He sustained a broken back and ribs, with other injuries requiring eleven months of recovery and physical therapy.  

Fifteen months after the ambush, Major General Blackledge was deployed back to Iraq. While in Amman, Jordan for meetings, he was in one of three popular hotels that were struck by terrorist bombs. The explosions killed over 55 people and injured over 110. He suffered a neck injury.  (more…)

The day got off to a great start when former President George Bush showed up to visit the wounded warriors and give us a big sendoff on our way to Arlington and Texas Rangers Ballpark.

The weather again cooperated with a brisk tailwind to get to the ballpark in time to throw out the first pitch. The last day was full of celebration and looking back at the week that brought us all together. The ride is full of stories that none of us will ever forget. (more…)

Day 5 felt a bit different. Maybe it was the fact that we did not have 40-50 mph crosswinds, or perhaps it was the larger than expected turnout of American Legion Riders, but all of the riders could tell that this was going to be different than the previous four days. The R2R crew took off on the ride through Johnson County to Cleburne with a relief that the tailwinds had returned.

As soon as the ride reached the first big town of Whitney, you could tell the difference was the amount of people that had come out to greet the riders.

Each day, the local American Legion Auxiliary helps plan and support the event. Whether it is our lunch stop, dinner, or getting the local schools and business showing their support for the wounded warriors. (more…)

It was the start of another great day in Texas as the R2R group was strengthened by the arrival of several new riders including Preston from the League of American Bicyclist, Ryan from Team Astana, and 12 members of the Army Cycling Club.

As we left Austin, the local elementary school gave us a big sendoff as they lined the road to greet the wounded warriors. They really got into it as we did a second pass through the kids giving high fives and waving signs. (more…)

Welcome to PROFILES IN COURAGE, a series of articles profiling the courage and honor from some of the many Wounded Heroes that Road 2 Recovery has come in contact with. It is an honor and privilege to have worked with these brave men and women who have been severely wounded and had to overcame both mental and physical injuries. They have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom. 

It is a testament to their courage that each of them has not only overcome these wounds, but has gone beyond what most people thought was possible. Many of them have dedicated themselves to showing fellow wounded warriors the way as mentors, some have gone back to active duty to continue serving our country.  (more…)

The other night I did a show at the New York Friars Club. The Friars do a lot of shows for a lot of good causes: to raise school tuition for underprivileged kids in the arts, for charities that help disabled kids, for our returning heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan in the Wounded Warriors Project. I recently had the tremendous honor of performing my stand up act for United States Marines in the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Apparently my act is very motivational – one lance corporal told me afterwards that during my act several marines actually left the theater and volunteered to go back to combat.

The show we did at the club the other night was for an equally momentous, but slightly less altruistic, purpose: it was Mickey Freeman’s birthday. Mickey is an octogenarian, possibly nonagenarian, borscht belt comedian, forever beloved as Private Zimmerman on Phil Silver’s old “Sgt Bilko” show. Mickey is a delightful little guy, if he’s even five foot tall he’s a very short five foot tall, and he can still reel off the rapid-fire classic one liners like a comedy machine (“I worked one hotel that was such a dump, the beds were unmade on the postcard!”). Everybody loves Mickey, and the show was a classic Friars affair: great older comics (like Eddie Lawrence, The Ol’ Philosopher: “What’s the matter, Bunky? Life getting you down?”) mixed in with comics like Ross Bennett, Jackie the Jokeman Martling, and those like me who are, if not quite young, are at least younger. With the younger Friars, our prostates are only slightly enlarged. (more…)

Welcome to the first in a series of articles profiling courage and honor from some of the many Wounded Heroes Road 2 Recovery has come in contact with. It’s an honor and privilege to have worked with these brave men and women who have been severely wounded and who have had to overcame both mental and physical injuries. They have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom.

It’s a testament to their courage that each of them has not only overcome these wounds, but has gone beyond what most people thought possible. Many of them have dedicated themselves to showing fellow wounded warriors the way as mentors. Some have gone back to active duty to continue serving our country. (more…)