Ride Report for Ride Captain Tim Rooney

 

Warriors’ Watch Riders received a request from proud Marine Parents Rob and Patty Hilferty to help them Welcome Home their son Marine Cpl. Andrew Hilferty from his second deployment to Afghanistan. We had the pleasure of welcoming home Andrew after his first deployment in June 2011. Andrew is also a member of Limerick Fire Department and when he is home on leave he joins them in supporting Warriors’ Watch Missions.

 

The plan was made to have his family take him to the Limerick Diner for Sunday Morning Breakfast and we would show up and surprise him. It’s pretty hard to sneak 30 bikes led by two Limerick Police cars and 2 Limerick Fire Trucks anywhere, but we managed to pull it off.

 

We rallied at a local convenience store on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. We headed over to the diner and pulled behind and around the building to a side deck entrance the staff left open for us to enter near where our Marine would be sitting with about 15 family members.

 

The family had Andrew strategically positioned and about 20 large leather clad members carrying 3×5 flags were able to sneak in before Andrew even knew we were there! We announced to the patrons what we were there to do and they joined us in cheering for our Marine.

 

After everyone got to greet Cpl Hilferty we mounted up for the short ride to his house led by the Limerick PD and FD. As we pulled onto the Hiferty’s street we were greeted by a number of friends and neighbors there awaiting our return, and the Limerick Fire Department’s ladder truck flew a large U.S. Flag proudly extended above the family home.

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Rooney

Asst. National Coordinator

Warriors’ Watch Riders