Dear Jordan - 2022 RTTF

 

Dear Jordan,

You were prepared to pay the ultimate price in the service of your country - our country. I admire you for that. In many respects, the price you’ve paid, and continue to pay on a daily basis, is steeper still than you were prepared for. Every day you put down a deposit that most of us will never consider making.

However, judging from what I’ve read about you so far and heard you speak of in the Ride to the Flags (RTTF) video, you are squeezing every benefit you can manage from surviving a horrendous Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the loss of a leg, and the loss of much of the use of your right arm: you have a wife and two kids who are amazing in and of themselves and more so with you at their side; you are waging a continued fight for your wounded comrades and speaking on their behalf; you are a better father, husband, and friend (your words).

It’s funny though – from the perspective on old unpaid writer, your benefits look like a lot of work. I admire you for that.

It will be my honor to ride for you on 9/11 in the RTTF. I’ve been stirred by the 9/11 commemoration at Naval Base Ventura County - Pt. Mugu in the past and getting to know you through the various media sources will make it that much more poignant for me. Thank you.

Speaking of ‘thank you’, I don’t think I can find sufficient ways to say it for the amount of sacrifice you are making. I guess I will just need to keep trying, keep praying, and keep looking – looking for the opportunity to thank you and your comrades.

Keep the iron side up.

Respectfully submitted,

Jerry ‘Shakespeare’ White

Iron Side Up Riders fundraising page: 

https://ridetotheflags.funraise.org/team/iron-side-up-riders

EOD2 Jordan Stevenson video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7DWSo3_1Es

Every Dog has a Calling – 2018 Ride for the Guides

Lorri Berson with Carter (her guide dog) calling out the raffle winners

Every dog has a calling. However, every dog does not have the opportunity to live their calling out. All you need to do is watch daytime or late night TV once in a while and you’ll see poor abused beasts being paraded across your screen as the SPCA guilts us into donations or adoptions. The dogs that puppy farms churn out have a calling beyond the profit these factories reap. While we can point to the obvious dog careers such as K-9 Police Units, bomb, drug-sniffing dogs, and guard dogs there are callings so mundane as to escape notice but as important to their hooman friends as the search and rescue dogs. I’ve seen the working-dogs at their trade and they are amazing to watch.

I’ve seen family pets work their magic on little kids, lonely shut-ins, and folks with broken hearts. While I can’t tell you what each dog is called to, I can tell you dogs are never called to the pits or viciousness. Sub-humans train them that way. I’ll tell you this – our little labradoodle fills a part of his promise with each costume placed on him and during every mile he walks with us. He’s our friend and a noble one at that.

We are like dogs in this, every one of us has a calling. Maybe more than one and often times we are called from purpose to purpose. I pray that each of us finds our calling and have the great blessing to pursue it, or them.

This past Sunday our group of Victory riders, listed below, and over 400 of our closest riding buddies got together for a Poker Run to raise cash for some of the most noble of dogs – Guide Dogs for the blind. The poker run started out at an amazing facility in Sylmar, California, Guide Dogs of America (GDA). We were greeted by dogs ready for partners, or dogs in training, and a volunteer staff eager for us to experience a touch of these dogs’ calling.

After picking up our first card we set out for stop #1 at a service station on Angeles Crest Highway just off of the 210 Freeway. Yes, there were more dogs there and at each stop on the run. And yes, we overran the station and the folks just trying to gas up for a Sunday. On a normal Sunday afternoon the station is the meet point for hundreds of bikes and groups heading up into the Angeles National Forest for a Sunday putt or in the case of the vast number of sport bikers, to challenge the hell out of the twisties (every weekend one or two are carted down in ambulances or medevacked out to area hospitals). We added an extra 440 registered riders over about a two hour period of time to flow of the station and it was a bit chaotic.

Singles and groups of between two and twenty wove their way over the Angeles Crest Highway to head down the Angeles Forest Highway to the next stop in the run at the 49er Saloon in Acton where were we picked up our third card and overran the restrooms of the very cool bar. I’ll head back for lunch sometime. Oh, with my third card I was effectively out of the running for best hand (5 Jacks with 3^rd best) even though I later chipped in for two draw cards for an unsalvageable hand. Hey! It’s for the dogs.

We were then off to the VFW Post in Canyon Country for my favorite adventure of the day, parking on a dirt lot. It makes me shiver just to think of the notion of me on my Cross Country dirt riding. It was there we took our group photo. We were able to get most of the core group in but missed Greg Brown as he was busing doing what Greg does when around canines; speaking their language and giving them love and respect. Notable occurrences of the day included Jeanie’s first group ride on her new Can-am and Larry Novak joining the usual suspects for the day. Cheers!

One of our favorites of the day - photo by Greg Brown, a lover of dogs and other humans

The poker run ended where it began at the GDA facility where we had burgers and hotdogs and plunked down some cash for raffle prizes. Tim and Bev had tickets pulled twice, it was their day. Lorri Berson, the event planner, told us a bit of her own story and how her canine guide changed her life. Her mom accented the talk with effusive praise and thanks to GDA. These two rocked the house of hardened bikers and riders of every description. Lorri is an amazing woman with a self-effacing sense of humor guaranteed to put any sighted person at ease.

I’ll end on this note, thank you to Tim and Bev for organizing our day of fun and of riding for a meaningful cause. Thanks Jed for taking the lead. Thank you to Lorrie for her great planning and welcoming demeanor as hostess while sharing with us how she sees things. And, special thanks for the dozens of volunteers for the event and their continued support for this vital service to the blind.

Y’all keep the iron side up and ride with cause.

Jerry ‘Shakespeare’ White

The parking lot at GDA a beautiful facility

Cast of Characters for the ride:

Tim Robertson on the Enterprise with a new seat, resplendent

Bev Hope on her Vegas

Kevin Shaw – Vision

Jeanie Fimbres on her new Can-am

Karen Drake on her Can-am

Keith Drake on his Harley

Gregg Brown on his Cross Country

Aaron Falls and Lupe Delgado Falls and their Vision

Jed Bourquin on his Vision

Sue Bourquin on her Cross Country

Larry Novak on his Vision – thanks for joining us Larry, your riding fit right in

Todd Skaggs on his Vision

Me on my Cross Country

Our group sans Greg, photo by a strange on Bev's phone
From left: Karen and Keith, Bev and Tim, Larry, Jed and Sue, Jerry, Jeanie and Kevin

The Third Wheel to El Rio

The Third Wheel to El Rio

Man, it's a scene at El Rio

No, I didn’t ride a trike, a Can-Am, a Slingshot, nor even a bike with a sidecar to the 2017 El Rio Toy Run. Yes, I know it’s 2018. More on that later. I do confess to thinking about slapping a sidecar on my Victory in the event I need to take Oliver with me in order to get rides in.

One of the many colorful definitions for ‘Third Wheel’ found in the Urban Dictionary is: “One who deters the socialization of a couple, perhaps when being invited out of pitty [sic] or through a feeling of duty.”

Tim Robertson and Bev Hope, the couple, and I met up at our frequently used meet-spot for rides in Northern L.A. County and on northwards. Now, Tim and Bev are not usually given to pity for Shakespeare and none was required for this event. The three of us were moved by compassion for an all but forgotten segment of the American landscape, the children of migrant farm workers. Yes, we get to feel good about ourselves for having brought a bit of hope and happiness to children with the simple gift of a toy. We can allow ourselves to let go and feel, shed a tear or choke them back all while we look over 500 or so kids as we wonder how we can make more of a difference for them.

Our brief run from Thousand Oaks to the El Rio Plaza Elementary School, home of the Chargers, gave me an ideal opportunity to observe the riding style of Tim and Bev. There were no other riders for me to consider while they rode in a harmonious stagger formation in front of me. Their movements were perfectly syncopated while they anticipated each other’s actions in traffic. A Dancing with the Stars tandem couldn’t have looked better. I can imagine other couples I know that each ride doing so with equal grace. While we don’t all have spouses or significant others that ride by our side, I’m willing to bet that nearly every rider-reader has at least one person they ride with that they feel that sense of ease and comfort, a unity of movement on two machines where you feel like they might be one. Mine is my friend Jim. Today I slipped in and out of the feeling riding behind Tim and Bev.

Who is your riding compadre?

The 2017 El Rio Toy ride was originally scheduled for December 9, 2017 and would have included close to 200 bikes had it not been postponed due to the Thomas Fire and the horrific effects it had on the area. Bikers for Christ (BFC) host the event and did not let the fires burn out their desire to bless the children of migrant farm workers in the Oxnard/Ventura area and we had Christmas in February. Nearly 80 bikes met at the school campus, did a little circle and came around to the playground to pass by 500 or so elementary school kids and their teachers.

We delivered our toys, at least two per rider, to the cafeteria/auditorium where BFC reps and Girl Scout troop 60408 received the toys and made some order of the chaos. Maggie Taylor led the charge; cheerleader, organizer, and roustabout, gloriously resplendent in her purple Santa Hat. As the bikes cooled in the playground the kids cheered the riders while the riders waved and greeted the kids. It was difficult to tell who was happier to see the other. Once the bikes cooled the kids were ushered through the rows and returned to classrooms. Mostly.

The children were then brought over to the gift collection a classroom at a time in descending order of grade level. The three of us joined other riders in the seats arranged for us to view the distribution of toys. Small groups of each class where let in and guided through the toy selection. I think it was two per child but as I watched I heard various kids ask, “Can I get one for my little sister”, “my cousin”, or “my friend at Catechism”? There didn’t appear to be greed here, only wonder at getting their first doll, toy truck, or a new soccer ball. Santa awaited them at the end of the toy selection for sweet treats and a photo op.

It was a miracle of the Loaves and Fishes all over again. The piles atop the tables never seemed to diminish. I asked Maggie what would happen with the left over toys and she told me the games will stay with the school for teachers and programs, teachers will have their pick of items for classrooms or children they know who weren’t there, and then the rest will be given to other toy collections for the needy. Nothing will be wasted; no toy, no heartfelt offering.

I moved over to follow the kids with their toys and met two of the outstanding Girl Scouts from Troop 60408, Strummer and Ellen. They were handing out a toothbrush for each child. A local dental group had donated boxes of them, enough for all the kids. Strummer, Ellen, and the troop were indefatigable and never let their smiles drop. These are the faces of a caring generation that doggedly pursue compassion over isolationism.

I found Robert Guynn, Principal of El Rio Plaza, directing the classes via hand-held radio. Robert rode in with us on his hog, a beautiful Harley. As the kids existed the room he greeted them and shared in their joy at the toys and great day they were having. At times there’d be four or five kids all opening their bags of goodies, eager to share with this rock star of a Principal. The deep care he has for the students was evident in his face as he oversaw the whole operation looking here and there to make sure everything was running smoothly with the various classes. The heart of a good shepherd guided his every action.

Robert told us a little of the plight of these children and their families and how many were housed two or three families in a two-car garage with primitive toilet and water availability at best, a hot plate for cooking for so many. I was reminded of the shoe story where two brothers were never at school on the same day because they shared a pair of shoes until the issue was discovered and shoes were made available.

I looked out beyond the bikes and playground equipment to the grass field beyond and saw some small groups sitting and sharing their newfound bounty. A soccer scrimmage had broken out with a new ball.

This is why we rode on February 3, 2018.

Ride well, keep the iron side up, and ride with compassion.

Jerry ‘Shakespeare’ White

Could be an artist, a Nobelist, a pro soccer player in the mix. Without a doubt, big hearts.

Dear LCpl Getscher

Dear LCpl Getscher (Caleb),

This coming September 11, 2016 I will be riding in the Ride to the Flags from Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) to the 'Waves of Flags' at Pepperdine University. I’ll be riding along with a few friends of mine from the Southern California Victory Riders’ group and in the midst of 500 or so bikers.

I have been reading your story and the bits and pieces of it that I can find on the internet because I’ve wanted to write something for my friends, my family, and the greater riding community so that they will know why we ride the RTTF and to help myself to have a deeper understanding of the event and the man we are riding for, you. We ride, we give, because you count and because your sacrifice has incurred a debt that cannot be fully repaid. I give to help you establish yourself as a new man with new capabilities. I'll ride to show I care, I’m giving to help even just a little.

I confess that I have not served our country in the military and though from time to time I’ve regretted that, or at least considered what it would have been like, I am just as glad that Uncle Sam did not invite me to Southeast Asia. This is probably a part of why I am having such a hard time understanding the depth of your sacrifice, both on the field of battle, and now at home as you continue to work through your loss. You are an incredible man. Thank you for your service – I am sorry that it requires such a drastic sacrifice.

Though my reading about how you were injured and what you’ve gone through in your recovery has been sobering to me, I have come across some things that give me hope. Hope for you, hope for our future. I believe that beyond the persons counted as casualties it is the mothers and spouses of those men and women that feel it most keenly and I’ve seen that your mother and wife are exceptional women who, while they’ve suffered that loss alongside of you, they have also had your back all the way. I thank your mother and your wife for all they’ve suffered and for all they do with you and for you.

The Getschers at home

There is one picture that has stood out for me that gives me hope for you, rather several pictures. They all have two things in common, you and your daughter on your lap. Invariably, she can be seen with the most genuine of smiles and completely at ease with you. You, the man you are right now, is the dad she knows and loves and it is obvious to me that she thinks the world of you. I loved reading how the two of you sprawl out on the floor and play together – it speaks volumes about who you are to each other. Knowing that you have the space to do that and that your home is set up in a way so that you can move about is a comfort to me. It seems that it’s the least we could have done for you. I am thankful for your daughter and what she means to you and your family.

I hope that you find a way to define your new normal and that it gives you a sense of worth and fulfillment. I pray that your new normal gives plenty of room for the extraordinary and that the extraordinary becomes the baseline for your new normal.

Thank you for being a man of honor and sacrifice, a man of dedication and determination and a man who cares for his friends, family, and country. I appreciate you for being a person who takes a stand for the oppressed.

God bless you.

jerry white

This is the link to the Southern California Victory Riders’ donation page for those who want to participate with us in spirit as we ride or who want to join the team for the day of the event: 

Southern California Victory Riders' Donation Page