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From the Gazeebo...  

Spreading the Word and Changing the Culture

Those who know me know that I am very big on education, public relations, and publicity. Among lesser good reasons for this is one big one: Our Vision Statement says, in part, "THE WARRIORS’ WATCH RIDERS ENVISION A DAY WHEN EVERY MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, AT HOME AND ABROAD, AND THEIR FAMILIES, FEEL APPRECIATED, HONORED, RESPECTED AND LOVED BY THE CITIZENS THEY RISK THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT."

We are attempting (and succeeding) to do nothing less than change the culture in this nation from one that swoons over singers and movie stars and sports heroes to one that recognizes that the real celebrities are those fine young men and women who volunteer to go off and fight for freedom.

In order to do this we need to show the nation what we are doing. When we do a welcome home escort for one American Soldier, we can multiply the effect of that mission 100-fold through positive publicity. With the blessing of the family, every mission we do should be covered by news channels and papers.

And the media are catching on - they see us in the airports and on the streets and during our escorts and is is dawning on them that something extraordinary is going on here, and they are covering it.

Remember this, Warriors' Watch Riders: THE MEDIA ARE NOT YOUR ENEMIES. They are your friends, and like any other human being, if you treat them well they will treat you well.

Yesterday, July 26, here in Philadelphia Channel 6 Action News did a story on Warriors' Watch and A Hero's Welcome. The interviews were extensive, and the story was heavily peppered with file footage of us doing our missions, of which they had plenty. In addtion to the commentary and the interviews with Maria Heyland and yours truly, the video showed no less than 7 different welcome home missions that we had done in PA and NJ over the past several months.

It was good coverage, but more than that it was hard evidence that our mission is succeeding and our vision is coming to pass.

Please take a moment to watch the video clip on Channel 6 news, here:

(If video doesn't play, click here)

We have a new item in the WWR store that I had made specificallly for us. Like some of you, I am a Cold War veteran. While I joined the Army during the Vietnam Era, the bulk of my service was spent in Europe, waiting for the balloon to go up. I did one three year tour with the 3RD Infantry Divison, defending the Fulda Gap. Later I did another three year tour on an Air Force Base, a site in the nuclear crosshairs of the Soviet war machine. In those days, the late 70s and early 80s, it wasn't a question of IF, only if When. One of the most chilling moments of my life came when I, searching for a particular hill with a map and compass on which I was to establish a radio relay station, emerged from a line of trees in a Jeep and found myself starting at the 1K zone, with a watch tower on the other side, a young Soviet soldier staring back at me across no man's land. The reality of the Cold War enveloped me like the gray mist of the cold German countryside.

COLD WAR POW/MIA: There are 123 MIAs from the Cold War. Shot down, disappeared, captured on covert operations and abandoned, there are real and credible reports of Americans being held in the Gulags, never to be heard from again. 123 unaccounted for is a huge number by today's standards. We dare never forget them.

There are lots of patches to identify various eras of military service. Vietnam Vet patches, Korean War patches, Iraqi Freedom and Gulf War Vet patches, but there is precious little for the Cold War Veteran. The Cold War only ended as it did becuase of the service of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers defending Western Europe. Without us, the entire continent would have been swallowed and absorbed, and to this day the world would be, at best, starkly divided between Communisim and Freedom.

So I have had a Cold War Veteran Patch made just for us, through the WWR Store. This patch is unique - no one has ever worn it before because I designed it. The patch is IN PRODUCTION now and you can pre-order yours now. It will be ready in about 7 days from now.

If you served in any branch of the Armed Forces from 1946 to 1989, YOU ARE A COLD WARRIOR. Reserve your patches now:

MISSION PLANNING - WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 30 THROUGH WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5

***

CONFIRMED MISISONS

SNJ: Aug 2 "Escort" Walt Holland Dis/VietNam Vet

SEPA 7/30 WELCOME HOME WOUNDED WARRIOR ESCORT

SNJ 08/01 Welcome Home Paul Kern

WI & N.IL-WH Nat'l Guard-Woodstock-7/30

N.IL-WH Spc. Sean Heraty-7/30

N. IL-WH Army NG Spc. Kevin Guyot-8/1

WI  08/02 WH Escort Sgt Jacob Dutton

GA W.H. CPL Matthew Mattocks 8/2

N.IL-W H- P.O.1 Tim Jacob-8/1

NJ/DE/SEPA 8/4 PHILA. AIRPORT PD GRATITUDE RIDE

All of the above threads can be viewed even if you are not registered on the fourms. However, if you have NOT YET REGISTERED ON THE FORUMS, PLEASE DO SO NOW to ensure that you do not miss any of the excitement, planning and discussion of this upcoming activity! Click on this link and register on the forums now!

Until then: MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THIS, STILL THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH, AND ALL OF THOSE WHO DO, HAVE, OR WILL DEFEND HER, AT HOME AND ABROAD.

- Wayne Lutz

*This newsletter is named "The Weekly Ride" or "The Ride", for short, in memory of and to honor Sgt. Jennifer Hartman, U.S. Army. Sgt. Hartman was killed in Iraq by America's enemies. She died in defense of our freedom at the age of 20. This quote from Jennifer was read at her graveside:

"It's not about what happened in the past. It's not about what might happen in the future. It's about the ride, for Christ's sake."

Click here for a Tribute to Sgt. Jennifer Hartman: "The Ride"