Live to Ride - Ride for Heroes

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday!

What is a SEAL? He is a common man with uncommon desire to succeed. A SEAL’s unflinching commitment to accomplish his mission is something that cannot be taught. Beyond his rigorous physical training, mental discipline and technological resources, it is his extraordinary, innate force of will that ensures a SEAL’s place amongst the pinnacle of elite warriors.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

I am the proud uncle of two Navy SEALs, one of whom is out of the Navy, but still doing "the work" on occasion.  The other is currently deployed and still doing "the work".

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

I spent 21 years in the nuclear navy, mostly on submarines and submarine tenders. While serving, I experienced a few accidents that resulted in serious injury or death, and saw the impact it had on those sailors' friends and the devastation it caused to the families.  Luckily, the closest I got to any action was following around a Russian submarine for a couple of months.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

I am riding my motorcycle on a trip across the US to raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation.  I left Kennewick, WA on the afternoon of 09/26 for Half Moon Bay, CA to volunteer at the Navy SEAL Tribute Celebration on 09/27-28, and am now in Oceanside CA visiting my brother, Father Mike, a Franciscan friar of the T.O.R., who is on sabbatical at the Old Mission San Luis Rey.  On 10/02, Mike and I went to San Diego for dinner with Liz, the wife of my nephew, Matthew, who is deployed with his Team.  She and her mom, Jackie cooked a great meal - we had a great time. On 10/04 I flew from San Diego to Florida to visit a friend I knew in the Navy and returned on 10/07.  On 10/09, I left Santa Monica Pier on Rte 66 to Chicago, but took a detour from St. Louis to Detroit on 10/15 to avoid the rain that started in Amarillo TX and followed me to MO. I am taking a day of R&R and then head east to be in Framingham, MA on 10/19 for my 45th H.S. reunion, and then off to Portland, ME to see my Brother Pete, a man with more computer certs than you can shake a stick at, and then to Boothbay, ME to see my brother Don, formerly an expert painter at Bath Iron Works. 

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

A few weeks ago, I went to the funeral of Robbie Ellis, a young soldier from Kennewick.  Robbie was the nephew of a friend of mine at work.  And during the funeral and internment, I witnessed the grief and pain of his family and friends, and I thought of my two nephews who have wives or significant others, and at least one child they will admit to.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

Who takes care of the wives and kids of SEALs and other Special Forces guys when they are "away", or worse yet, "gone"?

The Navy SEAL Foundation stands behind all U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, Naval Special Warfare support personnel, and their spouses and children. The Foundation coordinates closely with NSW commands to support critical needs of active-duty operators while also providing resources for NSW veterans. The Foundation's work is focused on three key areas: family services and command support, educational programs, and legacy activities.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

I am raising money for the Navy SEAL Foundation so that caring people can do necessary things to help the families of the heroes who are not here at home, or are not here at all. 

Established to serve U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) support personnel, and their families, the Navy SEAL Foundation offers critical support to Naval Special Warfare commands, active-duty personnel, their families and veterans of NSW. As the duration and frequency of training and operational deployments continue, and the stress on the families and operators grows, this important community requires support today more than ever.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

I will tweet, Facebook, LinkedIn, and blog my way across the US to see if I can convince others to beat the modest goal of $100,000.  $10.00 is the minimum contribution - the price of 2 Starbucks coffees.  Come on, you can afford at least a 10-spot.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

On behalf of all the people you will be helping, I thank you.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday!