ROAD TALES

Each year we dedicate the November Edition of our magazine to our Veterans – honoring those that have served our nation, here and abroad, as well as their families that have supported them. We do this for countless reasons, all of which can be summed up with a basic statement – “we owe it to them”. As American citizens, we owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women that serve our nation – both around the world and here within our communities. I don’t mean any disrespect to those in the armed services, but I do believe in including those serving as First Responders in this debt owed. For this discussion, though, I’m going to focus on our Armed Forces – the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and most recently the Space Force. Our Veterans have taken an oath and committed years of their lives – and some their very lives – to the defense of our nation. Regardless of politics, background, or race – they come together with brothers and sisters to stand the line against our foes. Even when faced with the most incredible challenges, unbearable conditions, or despicable foes - our Armed Forces face our enemies with the resolve of “NOT TODAY” and “NOT ON MY WATCH”. A little over a year ago, August 26, 2021; we lost 13 heroes at Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. These were U.S. Servicemembers deployed in an impossible situation, essentially at the mercy of our enemies. Despite the seeming absurdity of the assignment, they worked hard to impose order and attempted to assist as many people as possible. And when the attack came – they and their comrades fought heroically. After the bomb went off – wounded Marines, some from our own communities, dispatched attackers that sought to finish off the wounded and ambush those attempting to help the suffering. Our nation is one born from the spirit of patriots and heroes. And on that day in Kabul, our U.S. servicemen and women demonstrated the true spirit of our nation. Regardless of politics and the craziness of the day – we will stand up for those in need. We will face the aggression of our enemies united. There are countless stories from that day, but one of the most telling is of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee just 23 years old. The picture to the right is of her comforting an infant while supervising the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Just days later, she was a casualty in the bombing attack which killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. Troops. While we remember those we lost that day, we need to honor and support those that survived that day as well. Some came home with physical wounds, such as Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart – a Midwest hero from just west of Cincinnati that was left paralyzed by the explosion. We need to recognize the thousands that came home with emotional and spiritual wounds that came from serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, like Vietnam and Korea before that. Anytime we send our men and women to defend our nation, standing the line against our enemies, it exacts a toll. If not physical and emotional wounds, they are spending months and years away from friends and family – often in foreign lands for missions they may or may not understand. Regardless, they answer the call out of commitment to our nation – out of commitment to defend our communities – to defend us. And for that we need to celebrate them and the spirit they embody. We need to recognize and honor the fact that heroes remain in our society, despite what the media might seem to argue. Patriots still exist and they aren’t driven by love of one political party or leader – but for love of our country. One nation, under God. So to all that have served in the Armed Forces, and to those that continue to serve abroad and within our communities, I say THANK YOU. May God bless you and your families. Sincerely, T. Roberts

Sr. Editor Reasons To Ride

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VETERANS RESOURCES

16 MOST BELOVED VETERANS

06 FROM THE EDITOR

08 ROAD TALES

10 MOTORCYCLE MINISTRY

11 BULLETIN BOARD

20 CALENDAR FEATURE

26 IRON & INK

30 UPCOMING MOTORCYCLE EVENTS

33 EVENT BULLETIN BOARD

34 RECIPES

36 FUNNY STUFF

37 WORD SEARCH

38 RALLY SHOTS

22 VETERAN DISCOUNTS

Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, Kabul Afghanistan