This is the second installment of a multi-part series of “The Ride Home” 2009 by my dad, Gy. Sgt. John Ferguson (Ret) USMC. Photos are compliments of John Incata of Rolling Thunder NC 5 as well as Rolling Thunder NC 7 and Rolling Thunder South Carolina 2. Send-off video is compliments of Jacksonville Daily News reporter Aneisa Holmes. “The Missing Man Table” video is courtesy of the Illinois Women Veterans and the “Taps” video was created by Kerry Atkins.

September 18, 2009

Up at 4:00 a.m., breakfast in the dining hall at 5:00 a.m., buffet style.  Rolling Thunder Chapter NC 5 then staged the motorcycles in the motel parking lot.  DJ gave a blessing

Yep, that’s right. My dad is a Rolling Thunder. He is also a retired gunnery sergeant who escaped death when blown out of a Jeep in Vietnam. Faithful to the Corps, he devotes much of his time to causes that benefit our military men and women. He recently participated in The Ride Home with Rolling Thunder NC Chapter 5. Rolling Thunder is the Veterans’ voice of concern for American soldiers listed as Prisoners of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). “The Ride Home” is an annual pilgrimage that recognizes and honors our nation’s POWs and MIAs. This year it was held in Andersonville and Americus, Georgia on Sept. 19-22.

The following is the first part of my dad’s account of The Ride Home. A special thank you goes to John Incata who graciously permitted us to use his photos and Aneisa Holmes, from the Jacksonville Daily News, who videotaped the send off.

That’s what Freddie Marsh (1900-2003) would tell people who inquired about his secret to longevity. A legendary hill climb, motocross and flat-track racer, Freddie Marsh was a longtime Indian-then-Moto Guzzi dealer here in Connecticut. Local lore has it he carried the largest inventory of Indian motorcycle parts in America at one point. A fierce competitor known as “Demon,” Freddie never got accustomed to personal praise. In fact, he would have been the first to tell you that dumb luck had more to do with him winning the Northeast Amateur Championship in the 1920s than anything. The kill switch on his bike busted, so he had no choice but to corner the track full throttle. Those were the days when racers relied on their kill switches to slow their bikes in the corners… before throttle control and when brakes were not allowed.