I am a native of New York.  My father is a retired lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department, Rescue 2. 

On 9-11-01, while driving to work, I received a phone call from Marsha telling me to turn on my radio, that the Twin Towers had just been hit by two planes.  When I got to work, my co-workers had heard the news and some suggested we say a prayer for the innocent victims of terrorism. 

When I returned home that day, I immediately turned on the news.  I could not believe my eyes.  The Twin Towers were gone, along with 3,000 Americans.  I thought of the times I had visited the Twin Towers as a kid growing up in New York.  I could not believe we had been attacked.Over the next few days I talked with my dad.  Every time we talked he would tell me of another friend in the NYFD he had lost that day.

When the war started I had a hard time watching the news. I had served in Vietnam as a combat Marine. Watching the news coverage brought back memories of my service in Vietnam. I knew firsthand what the kids going over to Afghanistan, and then Iraq, would experience. I knew how it felt to be young and going to a foreign country to fight a war. Five years later I still find it difficult to watch the television coverage of the war.

I heard about groups forming to support the troops. I felt I needed to do my part. I joined a group called Rolling Thunder. In May of 2004 I went back to the Wall (the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC) with a great group of veterans. In 2005 I joined a veterans’ motorcycle club which supported our troops and veterans. Still. I wanted to do more for our troops.

In February 2006 I formed the Blue Star Riders. In its infancy the Blue Star Riders were helping other groups who supported the troops .  It just was not enough.  I wanted to do more but could not figure out the direction I wanted to go.

Then I met Tim Jeffers.  On September 30, 2006, at a support our troops event held at the USS Hornet in Alameda, I met Tim, a young Marine who had just returned from the war. Tim is a wounded warrior.  He was accompanied by his brother, also a Marine, whose duty it was to take care of Tim while he was in the VA hospital. 

When I returned home that evening I thought about the day’s events.  The pro troops event was about the troops serving in the war and not about those heroes who had been wounded.  Even though Tim had given up three limbs, suffered a traumatic brain injury, had many months of surgeries ahead of him, he was never brought to the attention of those in attendance, nor thanked for his service to our country, or for his sacrifice.  Seeing him broke my heart.  This day brought back to me the treatment we suffered from the public when we returned from Viet Nam. 

I then knew the direction the Blue Star Riders would go.  We would visit our wounded military at the local Veterans Affairs hospitals, to thank them for their service and sacrifice and to show them that America had not forgotten them.  Later we would help the families, most of whom came from out of state, with whatever their needs might be – from a ride to the grocery or drug store to a sympathetic ear or shoulder.  

Over the past few years I have been fortunate to meet a few mothers and fathers that I became friends with; most of who are Blue Star parents. I talked to them about the mission of the Blue Star Riders and their joining my group.  One of the mothers had a son who had just returned home after doing two tours in Iraq.   This mother was seeing a side of war that most parents do not see, the war of emotions a loved one has to deal with after having fought in a war.  The common term is PTSD.  I am proud to say she joined the Blue Star Riders and is someone I consider a true friend.

I met another Blue Star family.  Their son had just returned from his tour in Iraq.  When they spoke of their son, they beamed with happiness.  They joined the Blue Star Riders.

After visiting the families at the VA hospitals and meeting and talking with Blue Star families, I realized a war was fought on two fronts – the soldier in the war zone and the family at home.  It was then I understood the families of our wounded needed our support

The Blue Star Riders began attracting more members; people who were dedicated to helping our wounded military and their families, as well as all wounded veterans.  Unfortunately, we will be around for awhile.  The war will end and our military will come home to their families.  In time the war will be a memory to them.  Our wounded will live with the war for the rest of their lives.  It is up to America to show them they will not be forgotten; that we honor them for their sacrifice, and that we will not abandon them.