Vietnam wall run 2002

Currently on Page 1
 ( Page 1 ) 


On Tuesday evening, 16 Jul 2002 an eclectic group of bikers gathered at the I-5 Smokey Point Rest area north of Marysville WA. We, (bikers, vets, and interested people) had been invited (by word of mouth) to escort a replica of the Vietnam Wall to Burlington about 35 miles further north on I-5. Burlington was celebrating it's 100th birthday and the wall was just one of many activities.

A conservative guess was 600 bikes and 25 cars were present at the rest area when the pack started off

Problems arose quickly, which is often the case with a large group of bikes (some with little experience in pack riding). A road captain had been drafted at the very last moment and so, with no preparations... like traffic control for the freeway on-ramp or general organization of the bike pack, the start was pretty chaotic. One of the unplanned events included the shortcut across the sidewalk from one parking area to another that placed all bikes in single file as they dashed for the freeway and left the cars scratching their heads...

I was the very last bike to leave the rest stop... My trike was blowin' oil... (the very last picture was taken after I started the bike... that haze was me...) and I waited nearly 15 minutes to navigate the sidewalk and enter the freeway and by that time the bikes were scattered across 12 miles of freeway filled with the ugly "goin' home' commute blues."

The last 5 bikes quickly hooked up and started in pursuit of the next group of 10... with maybe 5 cars and 3 blocks between us all. My memory of the catch up included goin 80 plus under an overpass, while waving at the people who were waving at me including the county sheriff. Then I hunkered down for more serious catch' up

Around 20 miles into the ride the pack was together -- at a full stop in the middle of the freeway and I was no longer the last vehicle. A huge gray pickup with its four ways on was behind me.

Burlington had some police and firefighters out at some of the intersections... and people lined the downtown section celebrating the occasion with flags, waves, and cheers.

Unfortunately, most of the Burlington intersections had no traffic control.... hazardous conditions for staying with the pack and after one very close call, the gray pickup choose to stop at the red lights even though he had the sheriff escort behind him.

We, the bikes, arrived safely at the soccer fields where the wall would be visited by large crowds. Most of the cars failed to find the soccer fields that evening.

This is the second escort duty my husband and I have done with a wall replica.

I can't describe all the feelin's that the ride and visit to the wall after it was set up involked... but I am sittin' here humming "I'm proud to be an American...."

Thumbnails of the escort are below and clickable to printable pictures... Thank you Burt. A few pictures of the Wall at Burlington WA CLICK HERE

Ride safely friends.


vietnam1.JPG (461 KB)

vietnam2.JPG (217 KB)

vietnam3.JPG (222 KB)

vietnam4.JPG (230 KB)

vietnam5.JPG (225 KB)

vietnam6.JPG (220 KB)

vietnam7.JPG (204 KB)

vietnam8.JPG (192 KB)

vietnam9.JPG (222 KB)

vietnam10.JPG (210 KB)

vietnam11.JPG (198 KB)

vietnam12.JPG (234 KB)

vietnam13.JPG (262 KB)

vietnam14.JPG (186 KB)

vietnam15.JPG (228 KB)

vietnam16.JPG (232 KB)

vietnam17.JPG (225 KB)

vietnam18.JPG (226 KB)

vietnam19.JPG (230 KB)

photos taken by Burt (who got lost trying to find the soccer field)
3 St. Book Exchange,
1615 3rd St.,
Marysville WA

dealer in used books since late 1980's

by 3rd St Books FREE Genealogy Group
placed on line 20 Jul 2002