By GARY GLENNON
of The Gazette
Imagine a ribbon of motorcycles over two miles long...riders, two abreast, more than 350 of them...on a journey...
It is Memorial Day, year 2000. Blue knights WI XV, an international organization of law enforcement officers motorcycle clubs is the sponsoring organization of what has come to be an annual Memorial Day event, "Run to the High Ground." Riders from all over central Wisconsin have gathered for an annual ride to pay homage to those who have made our freedoms possible. The freedom to enjoy liberties no other country in the world offers.
The ride begins at a rendezvous point just west of Stevens Point, a bar/grill named Club 10 West. The bikes begin to filter in quite early, with pleasant weather in the forcast, for the 11:30 a.m. departure. By 11:00 a.m., parking areas are crammed full, but more and more motorcycles continue to arrive, most of them Harley Davidson models - from early 1960's panheads to this year's blockhead models. I arrived with a group fo eight bikes, all Harley-Davidson models, including Gary Rogstad, Bob Schmidt, Nancy Schmidt, four of Gary's friends from the Wisconsin Rapids/Adams area, and State Sen. Kevin Shibilski (riding one of Gary's Harleys).
On most motorcycle rides, it is the journey that matters. The destination is just an excuse to get out and feel the breeze. To ride twisting roads by motorcycle is thrilling and refreshing. It empties one's mind, yet, fills it with fresh thought and emotion. Motorcycling is an empowerment of sorts. It is a release from who you are, leaving the rest of the world behind. The ride comes with obvious risks, but those risks are part of what attracts the motorcyclist to this mode of transportation.
However, this trip is not about motorcycles, this is about remembrance. The motorcycles serve only as a method of gathering together a brotherhood of bikers who wish to say thanks to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. The journey takes us through central Wisconsin, traveling west through Marshfield, through the small towns of Chili and Christie, then on to Neillsville and continuing west on Highway 10. All main intersections were blocked by police officers to assure the safety of the riders. Ride organizers did a fantastic job of providing us with an efficient non-stop passage to our destination...a destination that instills commemoration of more than 1 million men and women who have given their lives while fighting battles in defense of our freedoms...a destination that tugs at one's soul. A site that, once there, forces you to realize what sacrifice really means. The destination, The High Ground, the veterans memorial west of Neillsville.
Riders parked their motorcycles, filling the parking areas at the High Ground, then gathered at the monument overlooking the scenic, picturesque valleys of eastern Clark County. Portage County Sheriff's Department Capt. Evan Hansen, Shibilski, State Rep. Julie Lassa, and Lt. Col. Thomas Gray, chairman of the Military Science Department at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, spoke, mostly of the sacrifices depicted at the High Ground, but also of the need to carry on with the defense of our freedoms. Freedoms many of us have come to take for granted. It was a quaint ceremony. Words were well chosen, spoken, and well received. The national anthem was sung by R. Thomas Barton.
All were invited to a popular watering hole just east of Neillsville called the Hilltop. A barbecue was served, John Copps entertained as DJ, and conversations amongst old friends and new carried on through mid afternoon. It was announced that more than 350 participants had registered for today's ride, donating a over $4100 to the High Ground and the Veterans Home at King for their activity fund. Quite a worthwhile event, and well worth the price of admission. I made a few new friends and had chance to meet with quite a few old ones. What better way to spend a holiday, especially this one.
Then, it was on home to return to reality. Yes, to return to reality. But not to forget. From this Memorial Day forward, I will recall those freedoms and those who have helped protect those freedoms each time I saddle up my Harley.