WELCOME HOME ESCORT AND CELEBRATION
189TH TRANSPORTATION UNIT
NORFOLK NEBRASKA
OCTOBER 28TH 10:00 A.M.

We will meet at Dillon Bros Harley Davidson (174th and Maple St.) Omaha at 0645 on Sat, Oct 28th, short ride meeting, and clutches out by 0700. It will be dark and cold, so dress warm. The weather forecast is for a low of 37-40 degrees, with a high of 57. We will have a “cage” or two in front and back to thwart off any Deer that might want to see what we are doing.
We will go out Hwy 64(maple St), to Hwy 275 North to Fremont, connect with Hwy 30 going west to Columbus Ne. We will meet up at the Cubby’s Inc located on 4812 Howard Blvd, take a break for coffee doughnuts etc, and meet up with surrounding area riders and then proceed to Hwy 81 North to Norfolk. We will meet at the Ta Ha Zooka park just outside Norfolk, and meet up with area riders from there. Les Coughtry of Norfolk will be setting up at the park for our arrival at the park around 9:15 to 9:30 A.M. If anyone wants to meet with him, please contact him at 1-402-379-8567, or at coughtry@cableone.net. He is trying to get some people to bring out coffee and hot chocolate.
We will be in contact with the 189th via telephone, to make sure we are coordinated on times of arrival. Time will be of the essence so that we don’t miss them coming up from Kansas. They will not stop for us!!!!!!!!( I wouldn’t either).
We will pick up a Norfolk Police escort, to take us to the Northeast Community College, where family members will be awaiting their return. We will have all of our flags on display courtesy of Herb, who will be taking them down on Friday.
Herb from Lincoln will meet with the Columbus riders at Cubby’s, and will be the Ride Captain for all the “cages “ that might be there.
When we form up at the park in Norfolk, we will form up with 12 bikes up front (SC, RC, rest from Norfolk and surrounding area riders) with large flags, rest of riders behind the busses, with the remainder of large flag bikes to the rear. Our escort will take us through downtown Norfolk, and the town is decorating the streets and businesses
There will be a Welcome Home ceremony at the college, which all the riders are invited to attend.
This will be a terrific Homecoming for the 189th. I am sure that you all agree that they have suffered great losses in their tour of duty. They deserve the best, so “Bring Em Home with Respect”. Remember, they have invited us, so it’s quite an Honor when they want us there by request.
Please remember that things can change at the last minute, so be sure to monitor this site for any changes.

Thanks for doing the “Right Thing”
Cliff
October 25, 2006---9:45 P.M.
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  WELCOME HOME

FOR

189th TRANSPORTATION UNIT

NORFOLK NEBRASKA

     As you are all aware, the 189^th Transportation Unit is the unit that Josh Ford was in when he was KIA this summer. They are finally coming home, and the PGR has been invited to participate in their Welcome Home escort and ceremony.

    According to Capt Behn they are planning on it being on the 26^th of October. This is a tentative date, as they don’t know exactly when they will be state side. There is no time set up, as they are trying to fly them into Norfolk airport, but if that doesn’t work,they will be on buses

     The Welcome Home will be held at the Northeast Technical Community College in Norfolk. The unit has requested a PGR escort to the college. I don’t know what the weather is going to be like, and cannot assure them that we will be riding. It is about a 2-hour drive from Omaha. If there are riders from the Pender, West Point, Norfolk, and Wayne area that can ride, this will make it good for those of us who cannot. If you can ride from those areas, please E-mail me so I can set up riders with flags, lead riders and temporary ride captains to run the escort. If the weather is bad, we can all muster at the college or the airport to hold flags. All 350 flags will be there that day. We remember what that looked like coming into Lincoln.

     I believe that will be special honors given to Joshua Ford at the homecoming, and his father will be there to welcome them also. There should be another special guest there, and that is Ben Marksmeier who was in that unit, and was severely wounded, but is home on leave for the birth of their first child.

     I am hoping that we can count on a large turn out for this Welcome Home. We don’t get a chance to do these very often, so please try to attend if at all possible. Maybe we could do some car-pooling if weather does not permit, and time is late for arrival.

    I will up-date you on all the specifics as soon as they are sent to me, but please put this date aside if you can.

Thanks for all you do,

Cliff Leach