Page 161 - Mercian Eagle 2013

Maj Chris
Howse
MBE
The Worcestershire Regiment: 1969–1970
The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment: 1970-2007 The Mercian Regiment: 2007-2013
Chris Howse was the last officer to be commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment in 1969. He soon proved to be an excellent shot and was a member of the 1 WFR team which won the Major units Championship at Bisley in 1971 and 1976, and captained the winning team in BAOR in 1983. He was the Cyprus Man at Arms champion in 1983. He went on to captain the Army V111 from 1990-96 and led it successfully
in five International matches, and was twice captain of the GB Service Rifle team. More recently Chris has been instrumental in supporting Officer Recruiting for The Mercian Regiment, where his advice and expertise has been of tremendous benefit to the Regiment. He retired from the Army in July 2013 and we wish him well in his retirement.
Maj Slaney, Pte Luke Cole MC and Pte Josh Jones on the Santa Monica Boardwalk which was to be start of the Route 66 trail
Bikes parked up, room keys allocated it was a race to the pool. Once again and in true American style the soldiers did not go short of a beer courtesy of other residents; but what will always remain with me is the sight of 20 or so prosthetic legs stacked neatly on a sun lounger. Soldiers, they never lose the basics of military discipline!
Back onto the interstate and crossing the California border we continued to
ride across the Arizona desert. It was at this point it was announced it would not
be possible to visit the Grand Canyon or Petrified Forest as the Government had shut down and therefore the National Parks were closed. Like all good soldiers a plan B was put into effect. The
Riders and Pillion passengers of Tour 4 2013 Bike Tours for the Wounded
having a few problems, the wind blowing their legs off the foot plate in a flapping motion; imagine that sight to a passing motorist!
Having paused at Winslow and “Standing on the Corner” like mentioned in the Eagles song we reached Phoenix, Arizona and it was time to bid our Legion Riders farewell as we turned for the 900 mile run to San Diego. Leaving Route 66 meant the majority of the ride was now along the interstate
and with 18 wheeler trucks under and overtaking at speeds of 80 mph plus, we had no time to enjoy the sights but the Harley took it all in its stride eating up the miles.
American Legion Riders is an organisation much like our own Royal British Legion and its members are in the main War Veterans. Having stopped for fuel it was a sight to see
The American Legion Riders is an organisation much like our own Royal British Legion and its members in the main War Veterans.
San Diego was
hot, located on the Californian West Coast and with every turn
of the wheel we were dropping from a cool 24 degrees at 5000 ft to a scorching 45 degrees. Having pulled into our hotel for what would be our final night we were met by the motorcycle hire company and
so many bikes, trikes
and various modes
of transport that had
ridden 3 hours to meet
us in order that they could ride with us. A poignant moment was when they swapped their American Stars and Stripes flags replacing them with Union Flags that now flew from their aerials or flag poles attached to the bikes.
handing back my Harley felt similar to that when you come home from Ops having handed in your rifle which you have by your side for the 6 month tour; something was missing. Once again the hotel pool beckoned and how good was that ice cold beer. Morale was high amongst the group, and the normal squaddie banter was at
an all time high, soldiers wheelchair racing around the pool concluded with wheelchair diving, you just had to be there to see it.
Arriving back in the UK the weather was cold and you guessed it, wet. In the car returning to Wolverhampton, Luke and
I reflected on the tour, would we do this again, yes, definitely! Did the tour help with the rehabilitation of those wounded on operations? Absolutely. This was a fantastic trip that four members of The Mercian Regiment have benefited from and I am confident they did have a trip of a lifetime, they were: Sgt Mark Sheridan, Pte Josh Jones, Pte Jim Walmseley and of course Pte Luke Cole MC. If readers are aware of any serving or retired soldiers who would benefit from going to experience Route 66. I am happy to pass on my experiences so please get in touch.
With over 90 motorcycles the group continued to head East, the first stop being at the Hoover Dam. Constructed during the depression of 1930s some 5500 men dug the 4 tunnels that would divert the water from Lake Mead before work could start on the dam itself, which remarkably in the main was done by hand. The dam was eventually finished in 1936.
Our next stop was at the famous Meteor Crater where by now we were exposed to the heat of the Arizona desert and without warning battered by strong winds. Up
until now the steady pace of 60 mph was comfortable for both riders and passengers that sang along to the tunes blasting out
of the CD player; however strong side winds did catch us out with both Luke and
I adopting a dying fly position whilst trying
to keep the Harley in a straight line, I must say even after my many years of riding I was caught out so goodness knows how Luke must have felt. The amputees were also
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