After Action Report

Still Kickin

Haven’t written anything in a while, so we figured we’d better throw something out there to keep the website refreshed.

Got a few pics here from the St Patrick’s Day fundraiser. Hickory’s no photographer, but there are a couple of decent ones in there. Some folks just look good enough to overcome the lack of skill on the photographer’s part, I suppose.

On April 12 2008, Hickory, Mule, and Fish – along with Hickory’s eldest boy and Fish’s neighbor – ran in a 5k Race/Fun Run to benefit the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Not sure about Mule and Fish, but Hickory was definitely concentrating on the “Fun Run” side of the event…’nuff said

The race was held at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, and was sponsored by the Marine Aviation Detachment. Not sure what they ended up collecting at the race itself, but overall the Detachment has raised over $13,000 for the Semper Fi Fund…Outstanding work, Marines!!!

As this is being drafted, we have a detachment rolling to Colonial Beach, VA to support a benefit for EOD technicians who have been wounded in combat. The IED threat in Iraq largely defines the conflict against terrorist/insurgent elements which, we fear, will be fought by our own kids before it is won. As such, this was a benefit we had all wanted to attend. Unfortunately, work precluded many of us from doing so – just the way things play out from time to time. At any rate, hopefully our Brothers will get a pic or two we can paste up here on the site.

Although it’s a little late, we should mention another event this weekend (17 May 2008). The VFW post in Indian Head, MD is in danger of having to shut its doors. A couple of the local MCs are putting something together to assist the post – starting at noon on Sunday, 18 May. This post is very good about hosting events for the local clubs – they’ve been good to the MC community, and we need to try to give something back. If anyone feels compelled to assist, contact us through the link at the bottom of the page and we will put you in contact with the right folks.

We’re gearing up for Rolling Thunder and Memorial Day next weekend. We hope everyone will take some time to remember those to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for preserving the freedoms we enjoy today. Do not let their memory fade.

It’s gonna be a busy Summer. Ride safe and give us a yell if you’re in the area.

PROUD FEW MC

St. Patrick’s Day Fundraiser 2008

The Proud Few MC hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party/fundraiser on 15 March 2008 – and the turnout was phenomenal! This was the first event we have hosted as a club and although we had not specifically planned it to be so, it turned out to be the season opener for several some of the local clubs as well as a good number of independent riders. There were several area clubs in attendance, some of which were so esteemed as to have a police escort right to the parking lot... Snakebite took the stage at 8:00 PM and was incredibly good. There was plenty of food and lots of beer – everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

In recent months, we had discussed what charity the PFMC would be supporting on a regular basis. We had settled upon the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, which provides financial assistance to wounded Marines, Sailors, or other service members who served with Marine units at the time of their injury (for information visit http://www.semperfifund.org). As it turned out, we decided to shift our focus closer to home this time and raise money to assist Wendy Cooper (yes, our Brother Coop’s OL) with their expenses as she continues to recuperate from her accident last September. Thanks to the generosity of those that donated, we were able to raise over $2400 for them, which will go far in making ends meet until Wendy can return to her professional livelihood.

It was a great effort by all involved. We want to extend our sincere thanks for all who came out to support us. We also want to thank those businesses and individuals who made donations of their time or offered discounted prices for goods and services to assist our cause.

We’ll post pictures as soon as we can.

PROUD FEW MC

After Action Report: Marine Corps Birthday & Veterans Day Chesty Run 2007

On 10 Nov 2007, a detachment of the Proud Few rolled out from MD to visit Mainshaft in Stafford Co., VA for a Marine Corps Birthday celebration. It had been looking like it was going to be a nasty ride, as it had been raining the night before, and the sky was threatening more of the same all day. Mule and Blaster showed up at Hickory’s place around 1500 – thankfully, the skies had clear somewhat and the rain appeared to have left the area.

The plan was to roll south on Rt 301 and come up through Frednecksburg – we figured I-95 would be jacked up, with it being the Marine Corps Birthday and the first anniversary of the Marine Corps Museum. It as apparently a good call, as we made it in to Mainshaft’s without incident. There was a bit of a chill in the air, though. We figured the following day would be a run to remember.

We pulled into Mainshaft’s garage where he and a neighbor – Earl – had been waiting. Earl’s a retired Marine as well and, though not a Patch Holder, has been to a couple of functions with us and is always a welcome addition. Anyway, Mainshaft and Earl quickly produced some beers to warm us up after our ride. We stood around and commiserated for a while, watching someone get the whip cracked by his Ol’ Lady because he hadn’t started the grill yet. We won’t say who it was.

Once he got the grill started, Mainshaft took us on a tour of his shed, which was just out of yelling distance to his house. Good construction – would make a great clubhouse. When we got back to the top of the hill, someone’s OL had already started grilling. Observing the Code of Modern Chivalry, we cracked another beer.

After dinner, we reconvened in the garage. At an appropriate time, we held a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 232nd Anniversary of our Corps, complete with a reading of the Commandants’ messages and presentation of the cake to the oldest (Earl) and youngest (Mule) Marines present. At some point, our Brother Rover called and we shared a telephonic toast to the Corps. We also called Bro Coop and checked on Wendy’s progress (she’s at home and doing great – thank God).

We rolled out early the next day en route to visit Chesty Puller’s grave in Saluda, VA. We were supposed to meet up with another Marine Corps club, The Corps, in Spotsylvania but we were running late and by the time we got there, they had already left. We made our way down Rt.17 – the sun was bright, but it was about 35 degrees out. By the time we got to Port Royal, we figured a cup of coffee would be in order. We ended up staying for breakfast at Horne’s (great diner, by the way) and continued our journey south. The sky was clear and the leaves were just right – fantastic ride.

We made it to Chesty’s resting place – and managed to link up with The Corps after all. Saluda is a great little town. This being our first time there, we had to ask directions to the chapel and grave site. The locals were eager to help a Traveler and pointed us in the right direction. We spent a while at the site, reflecting on the stories of Chesty Puller that each Marine knows so well; and perhaps on our own contributions to the history and legacy of our Corps, for all they are worth. It was fitting that we were still shivering from the ride as we stood there at Chesty’s stone – and we dared not complain in front of he who led the 1st MarDiv at the frozen Chosin Reservoir a little more than half a century ago.

Our original plan was to roll into Haymarket, VA for a Fisher House benefit – hosted by the Desert Knights MC – as we headed back north. We opted out of that due to the long day in the saddle and the inevitable drop in temps after the sun went down. We would each have had another couple of hours ride to get home after Haymarket, and the potential for hypothermia would have increased (especially if we had partaken of any alcohol) – so we decided returning to base would be the wise choice this time around. We rolled back in to the Charles Co. Clubhouse (Hickory’s) that evening and had ourselves a celebratory beer.

Outstanding run. May have to do that one again next year.

S/F
Hickory

CONGRATULATIONS MULE AND PX!!!

It is with great pleasure we announce that two Brothers were patched in on 29 September 2007. Brothers “Mule” and “PX” were issued their Proud Few Colors at a function hosted by Mule at his house, with family and friends present.

Mule had invited us over for beer and the occasional bite to eat in celebration of his birthday. If we didn’t know better, we would think he was trying to set the stage for us to take a vote…but we had already balloted and both he and PX were easily voted in several weeks prior – we just needed to get everyone (or as many as we could) in one place at the same time.

It was a great party. Several friends and colleagues from work showed up – as well as Mule’s folks, who flew in from down south. We also had a guest from one of the local MCs – Strength & Honor – who served in the Marine Corps with Mule and Hickory. None of them were expecting a patch-in, but hey, gives ‘em something to talk about later, I suppose. Tonto, our trusty Close Air Support, made sure we all had a dose of his anti-bacterial, mason-jarred medicinal water. Some of us who spent some time in nasty places like Iraq and Afghanistan required an extra dose, just to make sure the microbes were dead.

Quite uncharacteristically, we took advantage of the opportunity to screw with Mule – he had offered to take care of any patch sewing we needed a couple of weeks prior, so we all hit him up about hemming trousers, sewing Girl Scout patches, and the like – and finally asked him if he would mind sewing his and PXs patches on if he got a chance (they were done in minutes, oddly enough).

We almost had to postpone PX’s patch-in due to an encounter with the local constabulary. He eventually made it to the party with no cuff marks, but we did contemplate changing his road name to Lockdown.

The most pleasant surprise of the evening was when Coop showed up. With Wendy still in the hospital, we figured he would be (rightfully) preoccupied. Still, we were overjoyed to see him walk through the door, as he was in need of a break from the hours and days in the hospital with her. We still pray for her full recovery every day, and will be with them both every step of the way while she recovers.

During the Patch In, Hickory read a letter received that very day from Sgt. Eddie Ryan, the Marine for whom the Poker Run had been the previous weekend in New Jersey (see below). The letter was in two parts: the first by his Mother; the second written by Sgt. Ryan himself, using his left hand, thanking the Proud Few MC for supporting him and giving him the motivation to recover.

There really were no other words than Sgt Ryan’s letter to better underscore the purpose for which we all wear the patch of the Proud Few MC, and for that reason we will end this AAR here with a heartfelt congratulations to our two new Brothers. May you both ride safe and wear the Colors proudly.

S/F
Hickory

After Action: Sgt Eddie Ryan Poker Run

On 22 Sep 07 a detachment of the Proud Few MC rolled north on I-95 to participate in a poker run to benefit Sgt Eddie Ryan. Sgt Ryan was severely wounded in Al Khaim, Iraq in 2005, suffering two gunshot wounds to the head. He has since begun his recovery and has improved beyond all expectations. Sadly, the Veterans Administration has seen fit to reduce his benefits, and his family is paying from their own pockets to supplement his physical and occupational therapy.

It was an honor for the Proud Few MC to take part in this event. We were met with hospitality that would rival that of a Southern town, and were treated as VIPs during the event – a privilege we will not soon forget.

Tarr, Hickory, and Prospect Mule, with Naval Gunfire Support by Norm, the Token Sailor, rolled out in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The first thing we noticed was the rain…yup, it was raining outside, despite the “80 degrees and sunny” forecast we had just seen the day before. Surely, we figured, it would burn off by mid-morning, as the forecast was still for partly cloudy skies and no rain…wrong! As we rolled north toward Mule’s place, it misted on us intermittently, with the ever-present road spray. Mule had coffee ready (good Prospect, that one) so we warmed up a bit before rolling out.

The weather cooperated with us most of the way…except for the last 30 miles on the NJ Turnpike, when we got pelted with a sizeable rainsquall. You know, I had wondered why those chicks were smiling at us about five miles back…they musta had the weather report going about the time they passed us. Anyway, we got nailed just about all the way in to the start point.

By the time we got there it was late in the run. We paid up our entry fees (with a couple of extra for our Brothers who couldn’t make it) and tried in vain to dry out before proceeding. While we waited, the Thunder MC, Central Chapter rolled in. Seizing an opportunity, we asked if we could follow them (they being locals and therefore familiar with the terrain) on the ride to the end point (it was too late to do the whole run by the time we got there). They graciously agreed and we followed them through the boroughs to the VFW at Carteret, NJ.

What a ride that turned out to be. While making a left turn, Thunder put out a road guard and some jackass in a cage, talking on a cell phone, decided to go around him and get in the middle of the stack. At some point, the realization that he had screwed up seemed to dawn on him, as he desperately tried to dial 911 with handful of patched bikers swarming around him like hornets.

A couple of miles later, as we got near our destination, they let the cager go with a wave and a wish for a safe and happy journey.

The event itself was pretty impressive, even though the numbers were down from the weather (RUBs). It was, nonetheless, well organized and had a great spread by a local barbecue place. A couple of vendors were present, but it was not overdone. Entertainment was provided and everyone seemed to be having an enjoyable time, although anxious for the guest of honor to arrive.

As we were waiting we were greeted by Jeri Kopin, the event’s main organizer. We had met Jeri on the return trip from Laconia, right there on the NJ Turnpike, and she had informed us at that time that this event was scheduled. Jeri gave us the royal treatment, sitting us in the VIP area of the event and making sure we were on the program as presenters.

Eddie arrived and the main event started – renditions of the Star Spangled Banner (to include a piper – way cool), music written for and about Eddie, color guard, and several presentations made. This Marine’s tenacity is absolutely impressive. It’s not surprising that the community has rallied behind him, given the circumstances of his sacrifice and his unexpectedly successful recovery. When our turn came, the three of us gathered on the stage and presented Eddie with Proud Few soft colors and declared him an Honorary Member of the club.

We rolled out that evening and turned in relatively early – except for a short spell in the hotel bar with Jeri and her family. A great end to a great day, to be sure. We jumped up in the morning and rolled south…much dryer than the day before. We were honored to have been able to participate in the run – we’ll be back next year, for sure.

S/F
Hickory

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After Action: July & August Rides

The Proud Few participated in two Veteran-related rides in the months of July and August 2007. The first was the “Fallen Heroes Memorial Poker Run;” the second was the “Charlotte Hall Veterans’ Home Poker Run.” Both are great causes which merit the attention of all who value the sacrifices made by those in uniform.

The Fallen Heroes Memorial Poker Run was a run organized by Mrs. Debbie Higgins whose son, Lance Corporal James Higgins, was killed in action in Iraq during the Summer of 2006. LCpl Higgins’ last wish, as expressed to his Mother, was that Veterans of our country’s recent conflicts would not have to wait 50+ years for a memorial to be erected to remember their sacrifices.

The run started in Frederick, MD, extended up into Southern Pennsylvania, and ended at Hagerstown. Great run! Great weather! Blaster and Hickory represented the Proud Few MC, with an additional rider from Hickory’s neighborhood riding support. We had the opportunity to meet members of other clubs – always a pleasure – and to share in an honorable, common goal with them and the hundreds of independents who participated in the run.

The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home Poker Run is an annual event sponsored by the U.S. Military Veterans Motorcycle Club, Southern MD Chapter (http://www.usmvmcsmd.org/). What a great cause this club has adopted – well organized, too! Coop and Hickory were in attendance at this one, with Close Air Support by an Air Force Reserve Officer who came out to ride with us. Coop’s wife, Wendy rode her scoot as well. We had a great time and, except for a wrong turn that delayed us for a couple of minutes – not to mention a pothole that nearly swallowed two of our scoots – it was a highly enjoyable run.

We’re looking forward to supporting both of these events again next year.

S/F
Hickory

Laconia Bike Week 2007

Hickory, Blaster, and Mainshaft rolled out to Laconia on 13 June 07. It was a good run, though it started out a little rough. Seems we hit Harrisburg, PA about the same time a nasty thunderstorm did. A couple of heavy cross-winds nearly took us all off the road - at least into the adjacent lanes, so we huddled up under an overpass for about 45 minutes to let the worst of it pass.

We rolled on for another six hours or so and stopped for the night just over the Connecticut line. Good thing - the temperature was dropping and, although we were prepared for weather, we had already had enough by that time. We got up bright and early the next morning and rolled in to the Worcester, MA area where Mainshaft's brother lives. A couple of beers later we were ready to move on up to Laconia with "Pocahontas" as our guide.

When we got to Laconia the skies cleared and we put the leathers away for pretty much the rest of the trip. We took a long ride around the Kancamagus Highway to North Conway. It being late in the day, we took the liberty of purchasing food and beer from a nearby grocery store, and celebrated our arrival.

The next morning, we rolled into Meredith, NH and visited the HD store there. As luck would have it, they had beer tent. We spent the rest of the day there, celebrating our arrival at Meredith. We were joined in our revelry by Bryan, a Marine from the Road Dawgs MC out of MA, and a few of his brothers. Had a great time listening to the band - never caught their name, but they rocked almost non-stop every set. The Road Dawgs invited us to Weirs Beach that night for more partying, but we had to decline, given our impending departure the next day.

We did manage to make Weirs Beach on Saturday. Thankfully, we had packed a few celebratory beers for just such an occasion. We downed a couple and strolled through the vendor camp, walked the boardwalk, had another beer to celebrate the end of our Laconia visit, and mounted out. As we rolled back south, we happened upon another thunderstorm - this time in the Worcester, MA area where, you'll remember, Pocahontas lives. So… we stopped in and celebrated our successful storm dodging by drinking his beer.

The intent had been to put a couple of more hours on the road behind us. We opted not to, based on the continuing precipitation and the number of beers we consumed. We got up early on Sunday and started for home. Much to our chagrin, there was not an ounce of sunblock to be found on I-95, so we roasted the whole way home. Between that and rolling at 80+ mph, we were pretty wiped out by the time we got home.

Great run though - we'll be back next year.

S/F
Hickory

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A Veteran’s View…

Here is a link to a letter by Red Burdett, also known as the Highway Poet, which was posted to another web forum by a good friend. The letter addresses a veterans monument being built in Deltona, FL, but we thought it was as clear a representation as one can get, in writing, to the feeling each and every Veteran carries with him when he stands before a monument to our War Dead.

The Proud Few requested Red’s permission to post the letter’s URL here. We also encourage you to visit Red’s own webpage.

Semper Fi
Proud Few MC

Membership Inquiries

We are a small club of Marine bikers. We met under the colors of another organization and, feeling there were endemic flaws which threatened the cohesion - or brotherhood - of the same, formed the Proud Few MC.

In order to join this club, you have to ride with us; be nominated; and survive two membership votes. We are indeed a small club, and are currently located in the Maryland/Northern Virginia areas only. We have had a couple of inquiries from former Marines in various regions, looking for information on how to join, and we had to politely turn them away.

This isn't an Internet club. That is, we will never take an application via email and simply mail a set of colors to the interested individual. That's not what this lifestyle, or this club, is all about. If you want to roll with us, you have to be known to us - we have to be comfortable that you are as family to each and every Brother that wears the patch.

That's not to say that if you like what you see in these pages, that you won't be welcome to introduce yourself and get to know us - quite the contrary, actually. You can still contact us through the link at the bottom of each page. We'll still be glad to meet you and maybe share a round of beer. But do not expect to be invited to join through this medium. That's not the way the Proud Few rolls.

Semper Fi,

PROUD FEW MC

Welcome to the After Action Report – our own weblog of Proud Few MC events. We’ll be making entries periodically, just to give visitors a feel for what we’re all about and to relate some of our observations as we take part in rallies, runs, and other events.

You may not like or agree with everything we put out here, and that’s okay. All we ask is that if you find something that you disagree with or that offends you, you go somewhere else on the web. I promise you we won’t follow and you’ll never have to read our entries or look at our photos again.

On the other hand, if you like what you see we encourage you to sign the guestbook or send us an email and let us know you stopped by - we like hearing from other clubs, organizations, or individuals.

See ya on the road!

S/F
Hickory

After Action Report:
Gathering of Eagles
17 March 2007

On 17 March 2007 the Proud Few MC rallied to support the Gathering of Eagles in Washington, DC. The GoE was a hastily-formed movement of Veterans and veteran organizations who traveled to DC from all over the country in response to a planned demonstration by the ANSWER coalition. The primary mission of the GoE was to ensure the integrity of the Nation’s war monuments – it would become a full-blown counter-demonstration in the bitter cold of St. Patrick’s Day.

We met in the early morning – well before sunup – at a pre-designated rally point in Upper Marlboro, MD. We had debated up until the previous day as to whether we would be able to take the scoots – but a wave of sleet and snow moved through the area on Friday and pretty much made the decision for us. As I stepped out of my front door on the morning of the 17th I looked up and saw stars. For a brief moment I thought about cranking up the Dirty Dyna – that is, until I slipped on the ice that covered the porch and nearly busted my ass. So…discretion being the better part of valor, I cranked up the truck as planned, drove around the corner to Tonto’s house, and off we went.

We got to a parking area just as the sun was coming up. Damn, it was cold. As we walked over to the memorials area, we could see the GoE folks gathering. There were already a lot of people there. We were certainly proud to see the Marine Corps Battle Flag flying across the frozen field. I took a picture of that one – but it turned out to be only the beginning of the Marine Corps flags we would see that day.

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We walked down to the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial after grabbing a round of GoE Arm Bands and getting our zone assignment. There was already a ton of Vets – independent and club-affiliated – lined up outside the Wall.

The first thing we noticed when we looked at the Sheehanistas gathered was that they had almost no American flags flying. A couple eventually came out – small ones – as well as some flown upside down. By far, the largest and most prominent flags displayed were Lebanese, Palestinian, and Iraqi. The music selection was decidedly…offshore, as well. The average age of the Sheehanistas appeared to be low- to mid twenties (if not younger) – a bunch of kids with no real idea why they were there, and probably no idea who the image of Che Guevara was emblazoned on the front of their tee shirts, nor what he stood for.

A couple of aspiring Al Jazeera junior correspondents attempted to interview Tarr and Fish – something to do with the 1967 march…Tarr and Fish swore they had nothing to do with it – hell, just look at the date patch on their colors. Another sneaky Persian-looking chick asked for a picture of several PF Brothers…that’ll probably end up as the photo to accompany AJ’s article about how Tarr and Fish single-handedly instigated the 1967 march.

There were several motorcycle clubs present; Rolling Thunder, Inc was there as well. Between these, the non-motorized Veterans groups, and the individual Vets who came on their own, we packed the grounds and denied the protestors any real estate near the monuments. Some tried to pass through the lines at various times and were met by walls of crusty bikers and Vets. A few were shown the error of their ways and put back on the path of righteousness by the law-abiding veterans; others, well, we had to do the right thing and assist the Park Police in removing them. One lady called us a bunch of “hoodlums” as she was being escorted away – we all got a kick out of that.

As the Sheehanistas started marching, we lined the sidewalk between them and the Lincoln Memorial. The expected counter-battery of taunts and jeers ensued – but more than a few of the Sheehanistas were visibly taken aback by our numbers, and by the number of National Ensigns, Marine Corps Colors, and POW/MIA flags flying. Some of them even broke ranks and crossed over to our side, and stood in the middle of a group of Vietnam Vets MC shouting back at the people they just left…I don’t know if they had an epiphany or were just out there because it seemed to be the cool thing to do, without thought for where they really stood on the issue.

Sadly, I have to report there was a Marine – or someone dressed like one - in the other ranks…he didn’t say much as he marched by, but rest assured he was properly greeted by the real Marines filling our ranks.

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We rolled out from DC later that afternoon and stopped in at Duffy’s for the first of many a beer. It was St. Paddy’s Day, after all…and there’s a wee bit of Celtic blood in the club. We ended up at Rule’s place – thanks for hosting, Brother!

Many thanks to Tonto for accompanying us during this event – being an Air Force veteran, we’ll consider you “Close Air Support.” That means you’re always welcome.

That’s all for now. Ride Safe.
S/F
Hickory