Happy July 4th!
Yes folks, the time for my trip is getting closer! I’m slated to fly to London September 1rst, and I’ll be flying out of Hamburg on October 16th. In between I’ll be visiting three primary battlefields: The Peels Marshes in Holland, The Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, and the Battle of the Ruhr in Germany. My quest will take over 1000 miles by bike, and through countless small towns and enclaves that my Grandfather walked through during World War Two.
In New York, it’s been alternating between monsoon-like thunderstorms and hot sticky cloud cover. Not ideal conditions for training, but that hasn’t stopped me from getting my inside tasks in order. As I’ve mentioned earlier on this blog, I’ve been transcribing morning reports and after action reports from the war. These are my primary sources for locations and dates. Along the way, so far, I’ve found out a lot about where my Grandpa was and what kind of conditions he was faced with.
I’ve also just finished a great book called “The Forgotten Battle: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Peel Marshes”. It basically covers an entire section of the war in Europe that is not usually taught to kids here in the US. I’ve discovered that my Grandpa was plucked from a replacement depot in France, and dropped straight into combat in Holland helping the British stop a surprise German attack in Holland.
Usually in school, we learn about D-Day, maybe the Battle of the Bulge and finally the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In between these events are lost the stories of the thousands of men and women who sacrificed, fought and died for their country on all sides. By October 1944, most people back home thought the war pretty much over. During this time my grandfather faced some of the most horrific sights and experiences that a human being can endure. That he came home and led a “normal” life is nothing short of amazing.
I think about this when I see our vets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan today. These men and women deserved our very best. Unlike 1945, there are no parades down Broadway, no long memorial wall in Washington DC, no booming economy full of jobs and prosperity. Ultimately, this is why I’m on this journey. To remember what Grandpa went through so I don’t forget what my friends and peers are going through right now. This is hard to do when the marketing offices of Madison Avenue work 24-7 to bring us ever-rosy pictures of things we can buy, sell, or be every day to our TV’s, billboards, and computer screens.
In more upbeat news, I’ve just completed an article for Freehub Magazine! Thanks to the entire staff at Freehub for putting up with my literary whims! Also, I’ve been working on a contest piece for Opium Magazine! Please see their August issue for the winners! Special continued thanks to Sid’s Bikes NYC! The best bike shop in the 5 boroughs! Also a very heartfelt thanks to Wes and everyone at the 7th Armored Division Association this July 4th. We would not have a country if it wasn't for these guys.
Please keep reading, and writing in you comments. I’ll be training a lot and sending a lot more pictures to the blog soon! Also, as always, please feel free to donate any amount you wish to help support this cause! I can use anything from pennys to dollas yo!
Gavin
p.s. Levi is not convinced that I'll be able to raise enough to go. You wouldn't want to let him down now would you?
