On the 4th of July I was approached outside our clubhouse by John Wordin, Executive Director of “Road 2 Recovery” www.road2recovery.us.com . John reported that there will be a Road to Recover West Coast bike ride commencing in San Francisco on Sep 28 to Los Angeles, via Highway 1, to honor our Wounded Warriors http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/. About 200 bicycle riders will be stopping in San Simeon and sending the night on September 30. Many of the riders have themselves been treated at Walter Reed Hospital. If you can watch the videos on the Road to Recover web site about their East Cost Run and not tear up then you don’t have a heart.

 

I have been told that National is behind this and Pam Geille, Executive Director of the National Auxiliary Unit will be riding with them. John has asked for our support. They have primary plans to spend the night at the Best Western in San Simeon, but are also negotiating with Hearst Castle to have them be their host. Regardless of which facility they stay, they asked us if we were capable of throwing a BBQ for the riders. If I know our SALS and Auxiliary it would be an insult to even ask them if they would help.  

 

One of the ironies is Post 432 is contemplating starting a Legion Rider’s Club, where Rob Maston would be the interim president until they hold their elections. What a great kick-off this would be for his club to be able to escort the riders into San Simeon on the 30th and take them out of town on the 1st. The Paso Robles Legion riders could pick them up in SLO and escort them south until the Lompoc Riders pick them up and take them into Lompoc where they will spend the night. The next morning they will be taking Highway 154 over the pass and down into Santa Barbara the next day. There is also a Legion Rider Club in Paso and I have a call into Ashley White to see how active they are.

 

If we, and I mean every post in District 16 and those Districts below us, don’t do everything in our power to support these guys and show our appreciation then we don’t deserve to have a charter. What an honor it would be to have our Legion Riders escort them all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles and then have our post and communities spend an evening with them in San Simeon, Lompoc and points further south.

 

I am cc this to what few contacts I have with other local Legion Posts in SLO County and a couple of e-mails that I have for our District. This is something we, from the Legion Department of California, needs to be on board with and lead us in an organized manner to accomplish the goal of showing these men and women how much we appreciate their sacrifice.

 

I am also reaching out to the Military Parents of the Central Coast, the Tribune via the Cambrian, and we need to consider touching bases with our local scouting programs, schools, and military bases. A couple of fly overs from our local Navy planes would be very impressive and a paralleling escort from a Coast Guard Cutter or airship would be nice. If we all worked together we could line the entire highway will well wishers and American flags. This is coming about a week behind AmGen and the route will be similar. Regardless, I see it being bigger than AmGen.

 

Post 432 Commander Karina Tiwana is 100% behind this but it needs to be addressed at the State level of the American Legion. Everyone who receives this e-mail needs to pass it on to their member and ask that they also e-mail California Department Commander Alan Lennox at joan@calegion.org to let him know we are looking for state wide leadership in putting this tighter. Maybe they already have but us out ‘in the bush’ haven gotten the word. If any of you plan to attend the District 16 meeting this weekend please get this on their agenda to discuss.  It is only 10 weeks away.

 

Looking forward to working with everyone on this great project.

 

Ron

 

Ron Waltman

TS2 Coordinator

(805) 927-3735

LegionPost432@Charter.Net

www.Legionpost432.com

 

Patriotic dissent is a luxury of those

protected by better men and women

than they.

John Wordin
Executive Director
Road 2 Recovery
Making a Difference in the Lives of Vets
818.888.7091x1
818.710.1453 Fax
www.road2recovery.us.com