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Here in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area we have an annual POW/MIA awareness run called "Friends of the Forgotten" June 10, 2001 was the 12th annual "Ride for Freedom", I've personally attended about 9 of them. This run is usually the second Sunday in June each year. The run goes from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Philly Viet Nam Veterans Wall on the Delaware River in the Penn's Landing section of the city, a 26 mile ride. Most of the ride goes through some small towns where the streets are lined with flag waving supporters of our ride and our country. They look forward to the run as much as we do. It's second in participant size only to the annual "Toys for Tots" run in this area. I enjoy both runs but I have to say I like this one better. For one it's June, the toy run is in November. As I get older the weather plays a bigger part in my riding enjoyment. Another is the toy run is very short, only a few miles, mainly on the highway with very few spectators, but the happy kids at the end (Philadelphia Children's Hospital) are well worth the ride. I think the biggest reason, though, is I feel very lucky. Lucky I never had to put my life on the line for the freedom I so enjoy in this country. The things we can do in the United States, freely, are truly privileges that a lot of the world does know or enjoy and we tend to take for granted. A friend of mine who passed away recently had a favorite saying, "God, I love this country". I do too, and I am forever grateful to those men and women who put their lives on the line so that I may enjoy another day of freedom. Whenever there is a run that pays tribute to those who've provided me with the good life, I try to attend. Thank you veterans, past, present and future. Be well, Bill
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They are from the June 10, 2001 Friends of the Forgotten ride in Philadelphia, PA. Enjoy.
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