HOG Tracks Newsletter Sept / Oct 2016

Transcription

1 HOG Tracks Newsletter Sept / Oct 2016 Here are a few pics from our last two months rides. Want to see more visit our website at

2 The days are beginning to grow shorter, as we all know what that means, fall isn t far behind and cooler weather will make for cooler rides. We are still doing a little dance with Mother Nature on the monsoon, but it won t take long and that to will be a thing of the past. As you recall, I mentioned in the last News Letter to please welcome anyone who may have the look of a new member. It holds for this letter also, for we have actually reached a membership of 128 so far. This is great. With 4 months left in the year, we are on our way to a record membership. We still have some exciting rides coming up so check the ride schedule and make your plans. Also want to remind everyone that the Christmas Party is not that far off so keep in mind that we will be getting things going very soon. I believe once you see what the Ladies of Harley have planned, we ll have a record attendance for this event also. More info to come I want to THANK YOU for making this Chapter the BEST!!!!! DON T FORGET TO CHECK FOR YOUR HOG NUMBER, CAN T WIN IF YOU DON T. RIDE SAFE (IT S NOT THE DESTINATION, IT S THE RIDE) Dan Weaver Safety while on the road We just got back from Sturgis 2016, and we had a wonderful time. Sadly, we did see a bike or two go down. So it brought to mind some basic rules. 1) Ride to your skill level- We all have been riding different amounts of time and on different terrains. Some riders don t not have a lot of experience in curvy roads, which we witnessed when a fella passed someone in our group on a well-marked 50 mph curve going about 65 mph. He failed to make that curve, went off the road and to the hospital. 2) Read the signs- There were so many curvy roads in Sturgis (we saw anywhere from 5 mph to 50 mph signs) The signs are there for a reason to warn you of the hazard ahead, please take a moment to read those signs and believe the warnings. They have been placed there because someone has failed to make that curve in the past. Obey all stop signs, no rolling stops. We learned the hard way that Sturgis city but stop signs during the rally on EVERY corner of the rally sight. Lesson learned that the stops may be changed for a big event. Pay attention to parking signs. We parked in a spot one day on Main St Sturgis, that the next day had been changed to a fire lane. 3)Listen to your bike- While on our trip we had a few problems with bikes. We were lucky enough that we were on our way or close to dealership but we could have easily had major problems getting help in the middle of nowhere. Make sure your road side assistance is up to date and you understand how to use the service. Make sure your tire air levels are good, fluid levels, etc. 4) Use the tools- We noticed a lot of drivers not using the tools at hand to drive safely. Don t trust that you can see everything in your mirrors, ALWAYS also double check with a look over the shoulder. Don t trust that a car driver can see you, always assume they don t. It may take a minute extra but it is worth it. 5) Play nice if you get pulled over- Yes we did have one member of our group get pulled over (they only got a nice warning) but he handled it perfect! He notified the officer that he had a load handgun in his saddlebag, he had his concealed permit with him, he was polite and worked to resolve the issue at hand. It ended well. 6) NEVER DRIVE DRUNK- Just don t trust that your cool, nothing is cool about drinking a riding. Remember Safety first Have a great ride. 2

3 WIN - A $25 gift card to Mother Road if you can find YOUR National HOG number some were hidden in this newsletter. ( Here is a sample number this is what it will look like ) Contact Sean Martin at silverstreak5426@yahoo.com with your name and national HOG number for verification. There was NO winner for the last newsletter. Hello and Happy Summer! It is currently a sweltering 122 degrees in Lake Havasu and I am so looking forward to the second annual kayak and picnic which is scheduled for October 9 th at Rotary Park, Bullhead City. We will launch at Davis Dam and mozzy down the cool Colorado River to Rotary Park for a picnic. Bring a dish to share, chairs, and games if you like water balloons come to mind. Family members are invited and you don t have to kayak, just come and enjoy the day. If you want to kayak, both single and double kayaks are available. LOH will have more information as we get closer to the date. Please remember this is not a LOH ride where you get credit for the ride. If anyone is interested the Good Girls Ride Too patches are available for $6.00 per patch. The patch is black with pink lettering. This is not a Chapter patch, just something I did on my own. Have a fun and safe summer! Sherrie Schoepke, LOH 3

4 VETERANS CORNER & HISTORY ARTICLE THE BLACK HILLS---CUSTER THE VETERAN---STURGIS The Then & Now of our lives seems to be forever intertwined. Sturgis, the town, is named after Samual D. Sturgis, a Union Civil War General. The original town s name was Scooptown, because many of the residents scooped up their pay from nearby Fort Meade. After looking at the history of the Black Hills I see some irony. Ironic because the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, first held in August of 1938, by the Jackpine Gypsies MC and its founder Clarence Poppy Hoel, who owned the local Indian Motorcycle dealership, settled in a place that was so sacred to the Northern Plains Indians, and brought the area such notoriety. With the close of the 2016 Sturgis Rally a few weeks ago the Black Hills will be out of our minds for about a year. I was hoping to attend this year s rally, but other commitments did not allow me to do so. But the research that I did for the ride did not go for naught. I decided to incorporate the two articles that I write for the newsletter into this one article. The Sturgis Rally and George Armstrong Custer are linked by geography, the Black Hills. George Armstrong Custer, the name evokes instant recognition in almost every American. No figure in the history of the American West has more powerfully moved the human imagination. Custer first burst onto the scene as the Boy General of Civil War fame. Despite his youth he proved a superior combat leader; from Gettysburg to Appomattox his handling of cavalry brigade and division was nearly flawless. His immortality, however, rests almost entirely on his frontier exploits. As premier Indian fighter, hunter, skilled plainsman, dashing cavalier, and celebrated author, he ranked as a durable hero for over a decade. The climax came at the Little Big Horn-Custer s Last Stand. Usually the last stand is viewed as a reckless sacrifice of troops in Custer s quest for glory, but perhaps another look is warranted. Most people do not know just how important Custer was in the preservation of the Union. By the age of twenty-five Custer had a record of military exploits that few soldiers could accumulate in a lifetime. General Philip Sheridan did recognize these achievements. Sheridan witnessed the signing of the South s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Afterward he purchased the desk that was used for the signing and presented it to Mrs. Custer. He sent a note to Libbie Custer; I respectfully present to you the small writing table on which the conditions for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia were written by Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant-and permit me to say, Madam, that there is scarcely an individual in our service who has contributed more to bring about this desirable result than your gallant husband. Custer was not the type of officer who led his men from the rear. He fought with a fury and tenacity that astonished all who witnessed his feats of daring. That he emerged from the Civil War with so few scars was attributed to Custer s Luck. Contrary to the 1941 film, They Died With Their Boots On, Custer was not promoted to Brigadier General by mistake. Custer and two other Captains enjoyed the patronage of Major General Alfred Pleasanton. All three were promoted to Brigadier General at the same time because according to Pleasanton, They are fighters. Less than a week after Custer s promotion he led a cavalry brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg and defeated Confederate General Jeb Stuart, perhaps the South s greatest horse soldier. Custer s Civil War victories are too numerous to mention here, but it is without a doubt that Custer was a major reason that the Union achieved victory. Most of the misunderstandings related to the Battle of the Little Big Horn revolve around the belief that Custer was out for glory, to be a springboard for presidential politics. You will often see statements from military historians that Custer s actions were ill advised and rash. That he disobeyed orders by attacking the Sioux encampment, but from the inception of the 1876 Black Hills campaign its overall commander, General Terry, had designated Custer to be governed by circumstance. Custer s written orders laid out his mission in discretionary terms. Terry s orders were understood to be suggestions, to be followed unless Custer s judgment dictated another course. 4

5 By 25 June 1876, the day of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull s warriors numbered close to 2,000 strong. This was twice the size that any of the U.S. leadership thought possible. The Indians were made up of a coalition of Northern Plains and Black Hills tribes eager to protect their territory. What is known is that Custer divided his command, one of the major criticisms of his actions. Also, that he rushed into battle before all of his supporting elements were in place. What is presumed is that he disobeyed Terry s order of taking a circuitous route, but that he took a direct route to the Indian encampment. That he attacked a day early, with an exhausted command and without adequate reconnaissance. If you consider what Custer knew at the time of the little Big Horn battle-not what is known in retrospect-than most of the criticisms against Custer collapse. He did not disobey Terry s orders; they were entirely discretionary and because of the uncertain location of the Indians they could not have been otherwise. Custer did not precipitate battle a day before Terry intended, for Terry did not and could not fix any day for the attack; Custer s mission was to attack the Indians whenever and wherever he found them. Custer did not take an exhausted regiment into battle; the men were tired, as soldiers in the field usually are, but no more so than normal for being on a campaign. That Terry intended Custer to use his own judgment in finding and attacking the Indians is made abundantly clear by the written orders, by evidence of what occurred in the command conference of early June, and by the simple logic of what was and what was not known to the command officers on 21 June According to all of the written evidence the greatest fear was that the hostiles would slip the noose, escape the trap being laid by General Terry. And of course the actions of Major Marcus A. Reno and Captain Frederick W. Benteen, have been drawn into question over the years. Both of these subordinates performed at a low level of professionalism and a reluctance to enter the fray. There is much more in the way of questions and answers as they relate to Custer and the Little Big Horn, but not enough space here to do them justice. But one conclusion seems plain to me. George Armstrong Custer does not deserve the criticisms that history has imposed on him for his actions at the Little Big Horn. Given what he knew at every decision point, and that he had every expectation that his subordinates would carry out their assignments as ordered, one is hard pressed to say what he ought to have done differently. Despite the Indian victory at the Little Big Horn the Black Hills would soon be taken over by the whites. In September of 1876, less than three months after the Little Big Horn battle, the Northern Plains and Black Hills tribes signed over their territory to a Congressional Commission. Sitting Bull had won the battle, but the war was lost. For a more complete account of George Armstrong Custer s military life see, Cavalier In Buckskin; George Armstrong Custer and the Western Military Frontier, by Robert M. Utley. And the next time you are cruising around Sturgis head south to highway 79 and visit Custer State Park. It s about a 70-mile ride. What also may be of interest is The Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, about 60 miles east of Billings, Montana. Hope to see you all there, On the Road. Next newsletter the veteran on center stage will be Old Blood & Guts, General George S. Patton 5

6 Dan Weaver Director & Road Captain Dale Webb Asst. Director / Road Captain flhr2014@suddenlink.net Patrick Lilly Head Road Captain hhvvyfuel40@yahoo.com Pam Kelly Secretary tkelly754@frontiernet.net Terry Kelly Treasurer / Webmaster tkelly754@frontiernet.net Scott Sims Safety Officer scottjanell4@hotmail.com Janell Sims Photographer scottjanell4@hotmail.com Sean Martin Editor silverstreak5426@yahoo.com Sherrie Schoepke Ladies of Harley sherschoepke@gmail.com Frank Musumeci Historian fmoose@citlink.net Bunnie Weaver Membership slik5632@yahoo.com Regina Webb Activities Director flhr2014@suddenlink.net 6

7 Kingman Name Home Cell Patrick Lilly Dale Webb Dan Weaver Kenny Imthurn Chuck Leslie Mike Celsi Wesley Hawkins Lake Havasu Karl Horst Bullhead City / Laughlin Joe Melichar Terry Kelly Pam Kelly Bob Goble Rick Colosimo

8 Sept 2016 SU N MO N TUE W ED THU FRI S AT Salsas Salsa Brava, Flagstaff Hog meeting 11 AM at MRHD Bonnie & Clyde Ride & Shoot Arfenage Ride Oatman for Breakfast Oct 2016 SU N M T W THU FRI S AT 2 New Member get together and ride to Pirates Den, Parker Hog meeting 11 AM at MRHD 1 9 kayak and picnic at Rotary Park, Bullhead City. 16 Arizona HOG Rally Whisky Row Run Prescott Loop Arizona HOG Rally 14 Arizona HOG Rally Arizona HOG Rally Lips in the Loo Topock Marina