by Mike Jones

On May 11, 2012, General got aboard his 2010 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic ElectraGlide and headed west.  It was going to be another experience like no other.  Since 2008 General has ridden in the Run for the Wall (RFTW) event.  This will be his 5th Run. It was also his 2nd All The Way (ATW). All the Way means you ride to LA. and from there you ride to DC. The trip form LA. to DC. takes 10 days.

Meeting up with The Posse
Generals’ first stop was Liberal, Kansas. Very nice little town. However we saw a billboard that said it was the home of Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. That kind of made the black clouds seem a little more ominous!
The next morning we rode to Tucumcari, NM, to meet up with The Posse, three other riders from the 2008 Run. I passed out patches that said “The General’s Posse 2012” with an image of General.

On to California
Our next stop would be Phoenix. The recent fires were just getting started when we went through. General wanted to stop along the way to see the Petrified Forest and to visit General Patton.
We arrived in California Monday afternoon. It was good to be back with family.  When General was there in 2009 he only missed one item on his list of things to do. This trip he would not miss it again. He finally had his picture taken in front of the Hollywood sign.

Honor of Jr. Ambassador
The Run started on Wednesday. Our first stop was back to Phoenix. Through the desert it was 115º. I had made prior arraignments for General to ride in an air conditioned vehicle. During the heat of the year when we ride I pack him in ice packs. However this heat was not tolerable for him.
This year General was given the honor of being a Jr. Ambassador. The Ambassador Corp. has the honor of stopping at the overpasses to thank the supporters that are there every year holding American Flags and banners of encouragement. He was presented with a visor which he wore it with pride.
This year was General’s best Run so far. He will ride again in 2013. It will be another All the Way and he will be an Ambassador again. The best thing about next year is that it will be The Run for the Wall’s 25th anniversary.

Mike Jones is General’s driver. When he is not traveling around the country with General, he is a Structural Engineering Technician with Shafer, Kline & Warren in Lenexa.