On August 4 we had a great Welcome Home ride for Jon “Doc” Kromer, combat medic back from Iraq. Now we were seeing him off again, already, in a bittersweet sendoff ride. We all met at Engine 69 and, with the help of the Airport Police, the Firefighters of Engine 69, and our WWR members in Air Traffic Control, we gave Doc a hero’s escort to his flight on Friday evening, August 29.

Jon’s family, his mom and dad in particular, were so gracious and good to us “bikers” during his welcome home ride back in the beginning of August that we all quickly became fast friends.

In fact, in that four-week period, Doc himself underwent an amazing transformation. In four weeks, he went from this

to this.

Doc was home for four weeks upon his return from Iraq. Now he is returning to his unit in Germany, and we who were there to bring him home were also there to see him off.

Of his time at home, Doc’s mother wrote:

“We know he became one of your own and I knew ahead that that was the type of thing he would take pride in doing.”

Jon is indeed “one of us,” and our thoughts and prayers will stay with him as he returns to the business of protecting, at risk of his own life, our freedoms.

Thanks brother, for inviting us along on the ride. CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!

(Photos by Sean Carpenter. Go to our photos page for more.)