Subj: Wreaths Across America 2009 DEC 8,9 & 10th CT portion

Good Afternoon Patriot Guard and associates;


Due to safety concerns the size of the escort through Connecticut has been capped at 30 vehicles max by the CT State Police, this includes bikes, trikes, trucks and cars but not LEO vehicles. In light of this new change we have no idea how many if any CT PGR will be able to join the escort when it hits the CT/RI border and I do not want to be put in a position to decide so we are recommending all CT PGR plan to show up at the pre-planned stops along the route to stage flag lines for the escort. We have arranged for a flag transport vehicle to travel in advance of the convoy for this purpose.


The following is a statement from the PGR National Captain via ME PGR John O’Leary:


After talking to the PGR National Ride Captain Clay Tarpley, he would like me to
send this email out to all the State Captains so you can address this with your state


PGR members. I have also included some PGR members who I know look forward to
riding the Escort to Arlington every year.


Due to the fact that the escort is in December our National PGR Ride Captain feels that we should maintain strict safety guidelines.


There will be no motorcycles allowed to travel
with the escort if there is snow, ice, freezing rain, sleet or any other inclement
weather detrimental to motorcycle riding and motorcycle safety. This rule will apply
to two and three wheel bikes. If the weather turns bad we will ask that if you’re on
a bike to wait till the weather clears and the roads are safe to travel on. As the PGR

Ride Captain for the Escort to Arlington I am responsible for everyone’s safety and

I will adhere to our National Captains request.


Please advise all members in your states of these safety guidelines. As always if there
are any questions please let me know.


John O'Leary
PGR RC Escort to Arlington




The following is from CT PGR WAA coordinator Pattie Ptak:

This year there have been many changes to the WAA escort. The route has been changed to accommodate a stop in Hartford and many different stops than in years past. This is the main reason the travel route is so different from previously. There is more highway routing than ever before. There is already an ongoing discussion with the BOD of WAA to go back to a more basic route down Rt. 1 as in previous years that will be addressed after the new year.


Because of a limit of vehicles imposed by the CTSP and CTDOT there will only be the core group of trucks and vehicles/motorcycles that are making the full escort from Harrington , ME to Arlington National Cemetery in the escort. This year we are asking the CT PGR and other supporters to go directly to the places where there will be ceremonies and have a Flag Line set up for when the convoy rolls in. This is being done for a few reasons. One, is that it is still a way (albeit differently) for the PGR to show its support of WAA and the meaning behind it. Keeping in mind that this escort is about honoring our Veterans. And two, it really does keep the morale up for everyone that is in the escort. It is a long week of driving/riding and it is a wonderful sight to pull in and see all the Flags out there waving. And I say that because, speaking for myself, you’re cold, sometimes wet and tired and you pull up and see the Flags, it really lifts your spirits and helps you to remember why you’re doing this. Quite a few of the states do it this way instead of driving/riding with the escort.


This year the Escort will begin its journey through CT starting in Putnam at 60 Providence Turnpike (Rt. 44) in the plaza with Stop n Shop and Sears. We should be arriving there about 1:30 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. After a short staging, we will continue onto I-395 and exiting to get onto Rt. 6 traveling through Putnam, Dayville, Danielson, Brooklyn, Hampton and Chaplain. Once we reach Rt. 66, we will be going through the towns of North Windham, and Willimantic Center to Rt. 31, Coventry (which is the birthplace of Nathan Hale).


We will make a stop at Patriot’s Park, 124 Lake Street , about 3:00 pm. There will be a Wreath presentation at the 612 Vietnam Memorial and a short visit at The Lodge. We will continue on to Rt. 44 through Bolton and Manchester and enter I-384 heading toward our State Capitol of Hartford. We will be having a ceremony at the State Capitol Building , 210 Capitol Ave. at 6:30 pm. We will over night with the tractor trailers in Hartford for the evening.


On Wednesday, Dec. 9, we will stage at the Holiday Inn Express, 185 Brainard Road at 6:45 am. We will leave the hotel at 7:30 am and continue on I-91 South to our first stop of the day at Southington High School , 720 Pleasant Street . We plan to arrive for 8:30 am and we will have a presentation and ceremony with the students and faculty. Upon leaving the school, we will get onto I-84 West towards Waterbury , where we will exit onto the Rt. 8 South Corridor passing through the Valley towns of Naugatuck , Beacon Falls , Seymour , Ansonia , Derby , Shelton and Trumbull .


At Exit 1 of the 8-25 Connector we will exit and arrive at Homes for the Brave, 655 Park Ave. around 10:30 am. We will present a Wreath and visit with the Veterans. We will continue on to Bridgeport Sikorsky, 1210 South Ave. arriving about 11:45 am. We will have a ceremony there and will be leaving around 1:30 pm. We will continue our journey at that point on I-95 South.


We will leave the highway at Exit 13 and enter Rt. 1 heading for the Darien VFW, Post 6933, 205 Noroton Ave. We will leave three of the tractor trailers there and take the pup truck past Spring Grove Cemetery and the First Responders Memorial on our way to the Darien Veterans Memorial Circle at Town Hall, 2 Renshaw Road for a 3:00 pm ceremony. We will stay the night locally in Norwalk .


On the morning of Thursday, Dec. 10, we will stage at the Darien VFW at 7:30 am. We will take a short trip up Noroton Ave. to Darien High School , 80 High School Lane and arrive at 8:45 am. The event will be led by a group called Support Our Soldiers (SOS), with students and faculty involved.


We will leave Darien High School approximately 9:30 am and head back to I-95 South where the journey will continue into New York and points beyond with our destination of Arlington National Cemetery just a few days away. On Dec. 12, 2009 at 12:00 pm, the nation will be laying Wreaths simultaneously at Veterans Cemeteries while the Wreaths are also being laid at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers”.




God Bless America , our Veterans and our Troops

Regards,
Bob “Airwolf” Stone
Patriot Guard Riders
Connecticut State Captain