ALRA Direct-ions

It seems that every year we reach the point where we look back and cannot believe that summer is coming to a close, for those of us who enjoy feeling the wind rolling over our windscreens we ask the question “how can the riding season be ending already”! I suppose that the fact that I spent 6 weeks down south in our motorhome having too much fun is a reason I missed most of the riding season. But regardless I am bummed that I will soon be putting the ride up for the next few months.

If you have not heard or read about it yet the ALR Alaska donated more than $9000.00 to the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund, while nationwide $1,256,930.34 was raised to further the education of dependents of veterans killed or disabled since the attach on 9/11. As I stated in the last newsletter and will say at the Fall Conference being held at Post 35 on the 20^th of October is that the Legacy Scholarship Fund is not an American Legion Riders only fund but an American Legion Scholarship Fund and everyone and every Post should seek to donate toward the future of the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. So I would challenge not just the Post with Rider Chapters but each Post in the Department of Alaska to donate $100.00 to the fund. I have been lead to believe that if we were to get 100% of the Post to donate our department will be the first to have achieved 100% participation. I think that is a nice goal to set.

On 16 September the riders of the ALRA escorted the remains of veteran Louis Strutz a Veteran and American Legion member, from Homer to Anchorage for internment at the National Cemetery on JBER. Dan Cole from Chapter 16 did an excellent job of coordinating the ride and had riders joining all along the route. We started off with just 6 riders and ended up with nearly 30 bikes rolling into Anchorage, it was awesome. The Legion Riders in Anchorage are seemingly performing these escort duties on a weekly basis. It is a pause for thought that so many of our veterans from WW2 and Korean Conflict are passing on and taking with them so much of our nation’s history. Such missions are always a somber occasion and yet it is a great honor to participate paying respect to those who have given the last full measure or passed on to Post Everlasting.

I hope the upcoming winter season finds everyone involved on the maintenance projects they need to get done on their bikes making them dependable and safe for next summer. Now is the time to get those brakes done, tires changed, throw in that new set of plugs, clutch and brake cables get lubed and leaks fixed. Include all the other things that bugged you about your bike’s ride and performance last summer. If you are like me you are already talking about what cool items for the bikes we are buying ourselves for Christmas! Get it done so when spring does get here we can Get On Our Bikes and Ride!