Sunday, June 21, 2009

Ok Ok, I know my helmet doesn't fit!

So, once again it's been a while and time has gotten away from me a bit. In the past three weeks due to crappy weather, I've been focused mainly on working indoors. Tedious tasks such as transcribing microfilm copies of Morning Reports and After Action Reports have taken a lot of time. While these can be hard to finish, they do get me closer to the men in the company. The same names are repeated over and over again as SWA (serious wound in action) or SK (sick) or worse, KIA. I feel like I get to know these guys a little bit, and it's sad when people die.

In other new however: I've finalized my travel plans, bought my tickets to go, and got a day by day trip itinerary together! I'll be flying to London on Sept. 1rst, staying a friend and setting out for Portsmouth and later Cherbourg via the ferry. From there I'll be riding to northeast along the invasion beaches all the way to Holland!

My real huge news in Holland is that, thanks to the 7th Armored Division association, I'll be meeting with a gentleman in Ospel, Holland, Nick Hendrix, who is involved in assisting folks like me in visiting the battlefields. Check out his town here:WWW.OSPEL-ACTUEEL.NL

This is REALLY COOL! He will be showing me around the area that was simply described in the After Action reports as "necessary to destroy." Nick will also be introducing me to his friend Luke who runs a tour company. We will be riding the battlefield in a period Willys Jeep! Hope we don't hit any real big bumps, I think those things tend to top over.

After this, I'll be winding south into the Ardennes region of Belgium and camping around St. Vith and Veisalm for a few days. I'll visit the town of Poteau, a key battle area during the first few days of the Battle of the Bulge. It was here that my Grandfather and his men helped to slow the German advance enough to stop them from going all the way to the Meuse River.

More on the trip in the next post, but I am very excited and happy to be involved in this process. I've been writing a lot and doing some magazine work. It's been great, and I'll post a link to my latest article to be published in Freehub Magazine when it's ready!

Until then, happy riding and thanks for all the support as usual!