RFTW Day 6 Monroe LA - Meridian MS 208 miles

Check out rftw.org Southern Route......lotsa pics and stories. The fuel crew isn't in many of the pictures because we are gone. THere are so many stories on this ride. Yesterday, Jim H., born in Rapids graduated Hibbing HS, 101st Airborne Vietnam, was at a ceremony in Monroe LA talking to another guy from MN and a guy comes up to him and says, Jim H.? and Jim asked him how he knew his name and the guy said 101st Airborne Vietnam and Jim said, Barney? Sure enough 40 years had separated them and despite the extra pounds and gray hair they recognized one another. Barney asked Jim if he remembered who carried his rucksack and gun off the mountain in the Ashau Valley(a very bad place)? Barney had been so thirsty that despite warnings he drank some questionable water and got amoebic dysentery. Jim carried the rucksack and someone else carried his rifle. They also remembered the time going down another mountain in the Ashau and hearing the NVA coming up the mountain. They hit the ground and Jim pulled out a grenade and threw it down the slope and his buddy pulled a grenade and lobbed it and THUNK! it hit a tree and bounced back towards them........the slope was at such an angle that they just got a dust bath. Jim is in another place today after meeting Barney after all these years. At the Mississippi River we were greeted by a Vietnam era Cobra gunship and a Huey slick circling overhead. Over the next miles to Jackson people were on the overpasses and waving flags and holding banners reading THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM, THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM OF RELIGION....Our noon stop was at H-D of Jackson MS. They had a Chinook sitting out front which eventually fired up and corkscrewed up to a 1000 ft and flew off. Eventually it returned and skydivers leaped out the back. A jet fighter flew over at what might be considered too low. H-D of Jackson MS fueled all the bikes for free and provided a BBQ chicken lunch. There were also three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients (you do not win the MOH, it is awarded), POW's from WWII-Vietnam, a Navy band performed and also many people in character for The Trail of Honor. There were 21 stations with people in character and costume depicting the wars the U.S. has been a part of starting with French and Indian War through Vietnam. Many organizations worked together to make all this happen. We also visited a VA hospital in Jackson to talk with the residents. We went inside in case there were people who couldn't go outside. It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be outside talking. The Fuel Team also got to escort the Traveling Wall to the next city. I was part of a missing man formation that lead The Wall on it's journey. What an honor. Our stop for the evening was Meridian MS. We were at the Meridian Ag Pavilion waiting for the main group to arrive. There was a fire dept ladder truck flying a giant American flag over the road and the main group was met at the MS state border by what appeared to be every motorcycle officer in MS and escorted to Meridian. It was pretty impressive to see 30-40 motorcycle officers with blue lights flashing and sirens wailing leading 400 motorcycles. People parked their bikes and were taking off gear and talking when right on the deck a jet fighter goes over and pulls up into a vertical climb and flies off. Everyone was going cool man and then three jets come flying over and doing some fancy maneuvers and fly off and by now everyone is pumped and then a single jet flew over and dropped its landing gear and zooms off and flys back over us wagging its wings. The people of Meridian are fantastic. We had the best catfish, fries, hush puppies and slaw meal ever and all you could eat. Sorry Monroe LA, but you had the best desserts and second greatest catfish meal. Then they said if anyone has dirty laundry someone will take it home and wash and fold it and return it by 10:00pm that night. They even gave you a laundry bag to keep. After the speeches and awards the speaker asked if any Meridian police officers were present. Up walked what looked to be the Chief of Police and there is a little off mike conversation and the speaker says, There will be no arrests in Meridian tonight.........this is your hometown tonight people thank youa for your service to our country. The crowd roared with approval. Safe pledge to make with this group of veterans....after they take their meds and shower they are in the racks by 10pm sawing logs. Had a great conversation with a local historian. He told how Sherman or Grant had burned Meridian to the ground and ripped up the rr tracks and twisted the rails and three weeks later the rr was back in operation. We also talked about the Battle of Vicksburg..........Vicksburg surrendered on the 4th of July and every year since on the 4th of July the flag is flown at half staff at the capital in Vicksburg.