The Days Forward

West Point Class of 1969

Suzanne Rice

Pedaling Across America – 2014

Every five years, the members of the West Point Class of 1969 meet to reminisce about the years since their graduation, to greet old friends, and to remember members of the class who had passed into the unseen Long Gray Line in the preceding years. Their wives, Class widows and sometimes family members join them. Classmates arrive in New York from all parts of the world by the usual modes of transportation – bus, train, airplane, cars. However, in 2014, several grads and their wives arrived in a unique way: they pedaled across the USA on their bicycles from San Francisco to West Point. The editors of thedaysforward wanted to know more about this amazing feat, so we interviewed Rose and Tom Ramos about their incredible journey. Enjoy! Editors

  • How did the idea to bike all across the country from CA to the Class reunion come up?

Answer:  Rose had completed a cross-country bike ride with two women in 2005, that’s how I first knew about her, and I thought it would be quite an adventure to do another cross country ride, this time with classmates, to go to a class reunion. I asked Rose if she’d like to do another cross-country bike ride, and she looked at me and said, “Okay.”

  • What preparations did you have to make?

Answer: Both of us have an ethic of working out daily, so we kept to our normal workout routines. (For instance, mine was a thirteen-and-a-half-mile daily bike ride into the Altamount Hills at noon. Rose did daily workouts at a local athletic club supplemented with bike rides with other women.) One year before the start date for the reunion cross-country ride, Rose decided we needed to augment our routines, so we signed up to do five or six “century rides” around northern California. A century is an organized bike ride with about a thousand riders, they take place on weekends and provide a lunch, and they usually come in two varieties, a hundred kilometers and/or a hundred miles. Our favorite was “America’s Most Beautiful Ride,” which is a seventy-two-mile ride around Lake Tahoe, and it occurs each year on the first Sunday in June.

  • What was your favorite part of the ride?

Answer: This is rough to answer, because each part of the country had so much to offer. I like Rose’s attitude that each day is an adventure to see new things – and that’s what it was like. Scenery-wise, I loved bicycling across the Sierra Mountains. We went over Donner Pass and looked down on Lake Tahoe – and we got to rest at our cabin in the Pine forests of Truckee, California for two days. Cycling through the national parks in southern Utah was spectacular, and I remember one day leaving Capitol Reef Park and cycling along a river canyon eyeing Indian petroglyphs on cliffs along the way.

Crossing the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and the Rockies in Colorado offered more spectacular views. One day we were climbing up a mountain in eastern Utah; we were going at a steady three or four miles an hour, and I heard loud mooing coming out of a pasture. It was a cow protecting her calf from a large coyote that was snapping at the calf for a meal. Three other cows came up and chased away the coyote. As I was watching, there must have been twenty or thirty cars passing by, and I’m sure they all missed seeing this dramatic scene. That’s the difference between driving across the country in a car and cycling across. You see much more while cycling, and you get to talk to people.  In the East, we got to see in Kentucky how tobacco is grown and processed. Got to see bourbon country. Cycled the entire length of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Skyline Parkways. Some our best experiences though, were when we met and stayed with classmates and their families. We’ll talk about that in a later question.

 

  • What was the hardest part of the trip?

Answer:  For me, it was the day we had to cycle through an area where signs along the road said it was the “Desolation Wilderness.” We had left Capitol Reef Park, entered into the desert, and had to take a detour south to a bridge that crossed the Colorado River to end up for the night at Hite Ranger Station. We misjudged our water supply and I remember drinking lots of water from our water bottles, and we ran out of water with ten miles still to go. When we reached the ranger station, we were parched for water; we drank from a fountain, but the ranger told us we couldn’t take a shower. What a welcome! In Kansas, daytime temperatures reached 104 degrees, and I had to keep adjusting my rear-view mirror that was hooked to my sunglasses. The heat had melted the plastic arm holding the small mirror! And I didn’t particularly like going through Hardin County, Kentucky and into Virginia. It seemed like everyone along the road owned a dog, they let the dogs roam free, and one dog snapped at Rose’s leg. And there were Confederate battle flags hanging everywhere.

A Typical View Along the Way Across Kentucky

 

  • Was there Class participation on the trip as you traveled?

Answer:  When I asked the class if anyone was interested in joining Rose and I on the bike ride, the first response came from Paul Ireland. Paul and I spent two years plotting out the route for the ride, and Paul even did a route reconnaissance in his car across the entire country the summer before our ride. Three months before we were to depart, Paul had a heart attack and left us, devastating us. John and Nell McBeth stepped up and offered to join the ride with their home RV, with Nell and John alternating days to cycle with us. Phil Clark and Tom Smith volunteered to join the ride, and Tommy came on and off through the country, while Phil stayed with us from San Francisco to Colorado. Some of the best highlights of the trip were meeting classmates and their families along the way. In Colorado, I got an email from Tommy Venard that we had to stay at his home in Gunnison.

Dinner at the Vernards’ home in Gunnison, CO

When we arrived, Tommy greeted us with cold beers in an ice chest. Polly Venard was gorgeous – she prepared a feast for us the night we arrived and we spent a wonderful evening with the whole Venard clan. Polly suffers from MS, so Tommy refurbished their home so almost every shelf can be reached from a wheelchair. It was so obvious how much he loved her.  Johnny Peters and Mary Kay held a grand reunion for us when we reached their home in Pueblo – about five or six classmates showed up. Mary Kay set up signs on the streets of Pueblo to lead us to their home. Doug Fitzgerald joined us on his bike for a day – it was a one-hundred-mile day. Joe McCarville and Diane arranged for the local American Legion post motorcyclists to escort us into Hutchison, Kansas; people lined the streets to watch us parade into town. Joe and Larry Archer joined in the parade on their bicycles. Then, we enjoyed a dinner with a band of classmates, many of whom traveled hours to meet us. Jim Cox drove all the way from Texas to meet us in Kansas; he arrived with a bottle of Scotch and a band of cigars. Jim told us he spent a day at a shopping mall first to buy the Scotch and then to find some cigars whose flavor matched the liquor. Jim drove his Mustang along a road at five miles an hour to act as a windbreak against the wind, and that night, we sat down outside our motel and had a “mid-country” celebration as we smoked cigars and drank Scotch. In Illinois, Suzanne Rice (https://thedaysforward.com/suzanne-rice/  and her sister Stephanie traveled from Georgia to meet us in Carbondale. They presented us with a basket of fruit and goodies and we had a wonderful dinner together.

Centralia, Illinois Apples and GA Peanuts

Next, we were met by Karl Ivey (https://thedaysforward.com/karl-ivey/ ), who escorted us through Illinois and all the way to the Ohio River – and found us a wonderful rental home to stay in during a thunderstorm.

Karl Ivey joined the ride 

As we passed into Kentucky, we were joined for a day by Bill Ryneasrson and Terry Strickler. Bill cycled forty miles with us and escorted us through Bourbon country before putting us up at his daughter’s home.   While in Kentucky, Carl Oborski drove fifty miles from his home to have dinner with us.  A few days later, Beast Squad mate Bob Setzer and Gail drove from Dayton, Ohio to escort us through Kentucky for two solid days. Gail met us every ten miles or so in her car and kept us supplied with fruits and goodies. Passing into Virginia, Red Taylor and Sharon put us up for a night in their home and Red took us on a VIP tour of VMI, and we spent and evening with Casey Brower. The next night Guy Miller (https://thedaysforward.com/guy-miller/ ) and Noreen offered us their home. Then, we descended on Phil and Claudia Clark  (https://thedaysforward.com/claudia-clark/) at their home where they put us up for four days and hosted a reunion with all sorts of classmates.

On the Clarks’ Deck in VA with Friends               

What great hosts they were. Mike Allen joined us for the rest of the bike ride to West Point. In Pennsylvania, John Lagere joined us for a day of cycling, and Bobby Jannerone (https://thedaysforward.com/bob-jannarone/) and Linda arranged for their local chapter of the American Legion to host us for a wonderful dinner.

At the American Legion in PA with Bob Jannarone

Bob and Holly Kimmitt met us at the Antietam Battle Site and Holly joined us for the ride to Gettysburg.

Biking from Antietam to Gettysburg

A covey of classmates arrived, and Larry Swesey gave us all a wonderful tour of the battlefield. Joe Casillo joined the bike ride for two days through Pennsylvania. And Dave Metzler and Mary Theresa offered us their home along with Bob Jenkins and Terry, and we all met at John Leone’s home for dinner. Next stop, Mike Collacico and Gayle met us at Camp Buckner and helped us get escorted in through Washington Gate.

 

  • Set the scene with the clowns.
Rose, Nell and Holly with the clowns

Answer:  That photo with the clowns was taken at a small town outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, it was an apple festival, and the clowns were members of a local charity group who had volunteered to be escorts at the festival.

 

  • How long did it take to ride across the entire USA?

Answer:   It took us two months to cross the country. At a few points along the trip, we took one- or two-day rest breaks – we took a rest break every ten days or so. We averaged cycling 65 miles a day, each day we cycled. It was a surprise that we should keep to that pace, but I found that the morning after a 65-mile day, my body felt fine, and I looked forward to having new adventures.

American Legion Escort into Hutchison, KS
American Legion Escort into Hutchison, KS

For further information on Rose and Tom’s  amazing adventure, you can read their blog written along the way: https://gatetopoint.tumblr.com/

Space-A Travel – 2000

Our daughter, Lesley, was a Fulbright Scholar in Mainz, Germany in 2000. Our daughter, Meredith, still a student at the University of Dallas (UD), had just completed her Rome semester at the UD Rome campus. She was spending some time with Lesley in Mainz before returning to the USA. Bill and I and our son, Christopher, aged 11, decided to try a new adventure – fly Space-Available to Germany to visit them. (Retired military could fly on a regularly scheduled military flight if there were extra seats – space available.) We would meet the girls at the Frankfurt Airport, pick up a rental car and stay overnight with friends in nearby Hofheim (The daughters of both families had participated in a high school Exchange Program in 1996 and had kept in touch.) before going to visit friends in Schwarzenau where we had lived during Bill’s second assignment in Germany from 1982-86. Our plan was to drive from there to Austria to meet friends Lesley had made during some of her foreign travels. Great plan if we could get on the plane in Atlanta!

For a Space-A flight, possible passengers must arrive at the airport many hours earlier than usual passengers, sign in and wait while the ticketed military personnel and their families are checked in and processed for the flight (Most of them are not traveling for a pleasure trip like ours, but are heading to a new duty station with all the apprehensions and stresses of moving to a foreign country). For the Space-A travelers, it was a waiting game; it was only after all the active-duty soldiers and families were on the plane, did it become clear if there were any seats left over. After about five hours of waiting, we were told that we had the last three seats! We quickly went to the pay phone to place a call to Germany to say that we would be in Frankfurt the next day. Yeah! The adventure was only beginning as we grabbed our bags and rushed to the plane.

No sooner did we store our carry-on bags under our seats and buckle our seat belts than an announcement came from a stewardess who was walking up and down the aisle, “Colonel Rice, Colonel Rice” repeatedly until Bill responded. The stewardess stopped at our seats and said, “All three of you come with me and bring your bags.”  Were we being removed from the flight? Why would that be? What about Lesley and Meredith in Germany?

As we re-entered the terminal, the stewardess told us quietly that Bill was the highest-ranking officer on the plane and that is why we were escorted off the plane first. It seems everyone would be getting off the plane behind us. The plane’s radio was not working, so the plane could not fly. We were given a voucher for dinner, as was the entire passenger list. They had no idea how long the repairs would take so we were advised to have dinner and listen for announcements about the progress of the repair team. In case of a long delay, we were offered a voucher for an overnight stay at a nearby motel which we declined; we could drive home in 20 minutes, if necessary. We ate dinner and then went back to the gate for a few hours sitting on the floor as we awaited the outcome of the repair work.

Hartsfield Airport
Waiting

About six hours later, we got the word that the radio had been repaired and we could board the plane again. Because of the difference in time and the fact that Lesley lived in a dormitory where the phone was in the hallway, we had been unable to contact them about the delay and when we might arrive (they only discovered our long delay after they arrived at the Frankfurt airport – six hours too early). Later, we learned that part of the long delay was that their usual procedures for replacing the radio were unsuccessful; someone eventually thought to buy a new radio at RadioShack and install it. Only problem with that was that all the Radio Shack stores were already closed for the night. Getting a replacement meant getting a manager to open his store long after business hours.

Radio Shack Closed for The Night

When we finally got into the air, the rest of the trip was wonderful and went off as planned: visiting with old friends and making some new ones. The return Space-A was another story.  

In and Out of Germany at Rhein-Main Air Base

We returned to Rhein-Main Airport following the same instructions: be there hours early and this time even a little earlier since we had to return the rental car beforehand. Luckily, the rental car office was in the same building as the check-in counter, so it didn’t take us long to return the car. It was only then, that we realized our lovely May trip to Germany was ending on Memorial Day weekend. We didn’t think that would affect us in Germany, but it seems that the school year for Department of Defense schools had just ended and many American dependents had decided to use this weekend to take a trip back to the USA. Why not? Summer was just beginning! Who would make the cut for travel – most of us were Space-Available? At the Rhein-Main desk, we were told to sign in and see what would happen. At some point, we were told that we were on the flight list; that would get Bill back to work on the day after Memorial Day as planned. We were on our way – at least until an announcement: this airplane needed some repairs, could not fly and we should come back tomorrow when they hoped repairs would be completed. We got the rental car back and went to find the military transient billets (hotel) on Rhein Main. No luck – no rooms at the inn! That is when Bill decided to drive back to Mainz and spend the rest of the day with Lesley and Meredith – there was no answer when we called the dorm phone, so we drove the hour trip to Mainz to surprise them!

We expected them to help us find a gasthaus (bed and breakfast German-style) for the night and have dinner with them. Turns out that Lesley had a better idea: stay in the dorm with them, Bill and Christopher in her tiny room – on the floor and in the twin bed; the three Rice ladies on the couches in the dormitory common area. She fixed us a lovely German oatmeal breakfast before we headed to Frankfurt again the next morning.

Getting back to Rhein-Main, we found a different problem: the original plane was not in service, yet, but a different plane might be possible transportation if they could get special permission to carry civilian passengers – it was a C-130 cargo plane that could carry 90 passengers and crew above a large open bay below for cargo.

Air Force C-130 with the Rice Family and Dangerous Cargo

If civilians were to travel on this flight, special permission was required because of the hazardous cargo aboard that had priority over Space-A passengers. Eventually, permission was granted, and we were ready to travel. Next problem: the flight was going to Dover, Delaware instead of Atlanta, Georgia.

Back in the USA at Dover AFB, Delaware

No problem. We’d get a rental car in Dover and drive home. That turned out to be easier said than done because it was Memorial Day weekend and there were no rental cars left when we arrived in Dover. We could get an airport shuttle the next morning to Baltimore Airport (two-hour drive) where there would be more cars available. We did that and from Baltimore, we started on the additional 14-hour drive. However, the trip ended up taking a lot longer. As we entered the city of Washington, D.C. on that Sunday morning, we made our first acquaintance with Rolling Thunder. We were met with hundreds of bikers on the streets of D.C. as we tried to pass through.

Rolling Thunder in D.C.

Rolling Thunder had been coming to D.C. on Memorial Day weekend since 1987 to commemorate the lives of their fallen comrades and to keep a light shining on the POW/MIAs of foreign wars. Coming from all over the country, these veterans would spend Memorial Day together, reminiscing and honoring our fallen military heroes. To accommodate all the bikers, the roads around Washington were closed or re-routed.

Patriotic Bikers

We found ourselves going around and around in circles not knowing where we were, where we were going, or how to get out of there. The map that we purchased to get home did not reflect the temporary closings and gave us no clue how to get out of town. (This was long before GPS.) Though we thought we would never find our way out of the big city, it was an unexpected, heartwarming and patriotic end to our Space-A adventure. And Bill did get home in time to go to work on Tuesday morning, though often along the way home we doubted if we would ever get home! It was quite an adventure.

What West Point Means to Me – Jack Gafford

West Point sets a guideline for my life conduct.  West Point is not perfect but points out what can be better.  It has been forgiving when I strayed from the path of doing what is right in the name of expediency.  West Point helped me to understand perfect conduct is an impossible goal and I must sometimes take a step backward to move two steps forward.

West Point taught me to admit when I was wrong.  Admission of wrong is very powerful and allows me to walk the path in a more honorable way.

West Point also taught me the benefits of teamwork and respect for every team member.  I gained the courage to embrace interdependence, not independence.  I owe my company mates for many lessons shown to me.

West Point’s motto “Duty, Honor, Country” has become for me “Duty, Honor, Humankind.” So, today, I may think in global terms, but I try to work and accomplish goals which are local.

What West Point Means to Me – Pat Porter

For me West Point represents an ideal, a special place, a special experience, something that is a source of great pride. We not only were part of it as Cadets for four years, but we remain part of it forever, as members of The Long Gray Line.

Four years at West Point was not a typical college experience. It was extraordinarily rigorous, regimented, and demanding – academically, physically, mentally and emotionally.

There were good times – football weekends, Army-Navy games, athletic events, hops, company intramurals, Buckner summer (even though very physically demanding, I enjoyed it), First Class trip, classmate camaraderie, and many others. I didn’t even mind the parades (I’m in the minority on that), and was very proud to be part of the Color Guard in the fall of First Class year. There were also the tough, grinding experiences – Beast Barracks, Plebe year, gloom period, punishment tours, reveille, inspections, regimented life and other inconvenient obligations of being a cadet. But then, they were meant to be tough – they were part of the experience, part of the character molding, part of the making of a West Pointer. Whether enjoyable or unpleasant, all of those experiences were integral in shaping me and my future in a significant and positive way.

During the earlier years after graduation I did not give much thought or reflection to my years at West Point. My focus was initially on fulfilling the demands of being an Army Officer. After my service obligation, I focused on my civilian career. It was not until my first reunion at the 15 year mark, that I began to reflect on the profound impact West Point had on shaping my life, and the extraordinary influence of that experience. That contemplation and realization has only deepened as the years roll on. The camaraderie, classmate bonds, and the unique, special, and intense experiences we all shared are things I genuinely treasure. Very few young men and women ever have the opportunity for this kind of special experience. I am thankful that I had that opportunity, and am very proud to be a member of The Long Gray Line.

What West Point Means to Me – Sallie Wallace

After several intense years of “muddy boot” soldiering, our family needed a break.  West Point needed a Director of Institutional Research.  Perfect match, though we did not know for how long.   We were waiting for the next “list” that would determine Dick’s career course. Our daughter would later reflect that “lists” often weighed heavily on our family culture. Nonetheless, off we went from Colorado to New York.

When I think back on that time, I can only say it was a gift, a revelation  and a reassurance.

The gift:  West Point brought me rest in mind and mission.  As focused and productive as the workings of the academy were, they allowed me time to savor life, sit on my front steps in Lee Area on a spring afternoon and feed nuts to the neighborhood squirrel Stubby (so named because of a tale missing some of its fullness—the story behind that is probably part of squirrel lore somewhere). There were many idyllic moments like that:  walking my son and his friends to soccer practice, their  laughter trailing behind me; seeing a baby deer bedded down while the mother foraged close by; reading the entire history of America on the tombstones in the cemetery.  I would often slip out my kitchen door just before sunset on those lingering summer evenings and walk among the heroes who slept there—such peace. Such a privilege. West Point was a journey to a higher place.

The revelation:  Committing all to the defense of this great country had a day to day “on the ground” result.  The American family.   It was all around me there.  Waving to my neighbors, walking the dog, standing in respect for retreat.

West Point was an incubator building the right leaders.  West Point was also an American small town at its best—we were all safe, thriving and moving into the future.

The reassurance: The “list” came out and we were headed back to “muddy boots” duty, where soldiers are made.  It was one of Dick’s dreams to be on that “list”. I was thrilled for him; I also knew my upcoming role as a commander’s wife would be taxing.  My time at the academy became a pat on the back for me.  West Point was affirmation that all the work would be worth it, my contribution to Duty, Honor, Country.