Page 160 - Mercian Eagle 2013

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ROUTE 66
The Wounded Eagle Challenge
Biking is truly in the blood, otherwise why would we battle the elements on a cold Monday morning trying to get back to barracks in some relative military order before the CSM calls the roll? Why, when commuting in a car can a journey take 20 minutes while riding a motorcycle the same journey can take
Derby and therefore The Mercian Regiment were their local infantry regiment.
My first task was to find a wounded soldier to carry; unfortunately The Mercian Regiment had its fair share. Looking closer to home and hanging in the reception at Wolseley House, the Bn HQ of 4 MERCIAN,
London as the security staff insisted he put his prosthetic leg through the scanner.
On arrival at the hotel the passengers very quickly made use of the pool and the 38 degrees heat whilst the riders were introduced to their iron horses, I could not wait to get out on my cherry red Harley Davidson Electra Glide.
Next day was a bikers dream, firing up the Harleys big 1584cc V Twin lump of an engine. Turning up ‘Bat out of hell’ on the CD player we headed our motorcycles down the West coast of California with Union Flags flying proudly from the bike aerials to the Santa Monica Pier parking
on the famous boardwalk, again complete strangers coming up and shaking our hands in recognition of serving in the military.
Whilst an idyllic place I wanted to press on and pick up the Route 66 trail and after a short but eye opening experience of crossing 6 lanes of the busy interstate, with a rather by now nervous passenger, 11 Harley Davidson motorcycles exited East and eventually onto the mother road, the trip had now begun.
In 7 days and no matter how hard we rode we would never cover the 2447 miles of Route 66 that would eventually finish in Chicago, the plan was to ride East for about
an hour? If I had to explain, then clearly you have never ridden a motorcycle.
Route 66, the mother road is often talked about but very rarely ridden.
was the battle scarred rifle belonging to Pte Luke Cole MC, a reserve soldier who was wounded whilst serving with A Coy
2 MERCIAN on
Op HERRICK 6. I first met Luke when he was
Route 66, the mother
road is often talked
about but very rarely
ridden. So you can
imagine why my interest levels rose when I saw a Triumph Rocket 111 motorcycle, painted in colours depicting scenes from Iraq, Afghanistan and N Ireland with a sign advertising for ‘Riders to carry wounded soldiers along Route 66 on a Harley Davidson motorcycle’.
recovered to the Role 3 Hospital in Camp Bastion. I was the QM (T) and therefore commanded the Echelon and met him and all the 2 MERCIAN BG wounded and recovered to Camp Bastion. Although ventilated, I remained with Luke until he was flew back to the UK, I had found my passenger.
Terminal 5 in London Heathrow was
the RV for Luke and I to meet a further 10 injured service personnel and their able riders. Royal Marines, RAF Regiment, Sappers and Infantry made up the wounded party, including Pte Josh Jones from
Bike Tours for the wounded are a not for profit organisation dedicated to raising £250,000 for British Forces charities and purchasing a rubber wristband, I listened to the pitch. Having recently returned from HERRICK 15 I had an opportunity to give something back to those that had been injured, I was hooked, where did I sign? How surprised was I when asked at a later date if The Mercian Regiment Benevolent Fund could be one of the beneficiaries as Bike Tours for the Wounded was based in
Pte Luke Cole MC and Maj Slaney at a fundraising event in Derby with the Triumph Rocket 111 Respect Bike as the back drop.
Pte Josh Jones, Maj Slaney & Pte Luke Cole MC, one of the many stops for fuel on the historic Route 66
1 MERCIAN and Pte
Hayden Bagnall from
1 Royal Welsh; eleven
long hours later we
arrived in Los Angeles.
Having been asked to
remain on the aircraft
we let all the other
passengers disembark
only then to be met by
airport security and a
fleet of wheel chairs, fast tracked through passport control, the baggage hall and customs.
I witnessed my first experience of just how different the attitude was, towards the military, in the USA and I reflected back
to Pte Jones hopping through security in
1000 miles visiting
the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and the Meteor Crater before turning back on ourselves and heading south west back to the west coast where we would finish in San Diego.
Not to miss an opportunity, Las Vegas was 150 miles to our
North therefore we came off route and as dusk started to close in we were dropping into the oasis of the desert with the Luxor Hotel shining a very welcome beam of light lighting up the Nevada sky. Was that really our home for the night? Amazing.
Pte Luke Cole MC, Pte Josh Jones and
Maj Slaney, on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Maj Slaney and Pte Luke Cole MC at the old mining town of Oatman Arizona
In 7 days and no matter how hard we rode we would never cover the 2447 miles of Route 66...