Ride Report posted for Budman
The day started out with some fog as we met at Naples H.D. around 0800. There were member’s from various group’s there, Rolling Thunder, Freedom Eagles, PGR, ABATE of Florida Gator Alley Chapter, Paradise Coast Chapter HOG, Defender’s MC, CMA and independant riders all coming together to Honor the Men and Women who have paid the ultimate price for the Freedom we have this day.
Following a Ride Briefing by the Freedom Riders we headed out of Naples H.D at 0900, and made a right turn on Pine Ridge Road. 100 bikes, some doubled up on forming two long line’s as we headed west to Livingston Ave where we turned right and rode north to Immokalee Rd. Turning left we took Immokalee Road, to Naples Memorial Gardens Cemetery for the 0930 landing and the start of the Memorial Day Ceremony presented by the Collier County Veterans Council.

This year the Council was Remembering & Honoring Those who served during Vietnam 1958-1975

The Ceremony was very touching but for me the most touching was at the end when this little boy named Joey walked over to me and asked me if I was a veteran. I said yes and Joey looking up at me handed me a card made on the computer and Joey said Thank You and walked away back to his mother before I could say a thing to to him. I looked at the card the size of a standard business card and it read

“Dear Veteran, Thank You for all you have done to make our country safe. We salute you. God Bless American!!!”