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General Category >> rbent Lobby >> Cross-country rider encountered in Rowlett
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Message started by FlyingLaZBoy on Apr 12^th, 2011, 1:04pm

Title: Cross-country rider encountered in Rowlett
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Apr 12^th, 2011, 1:04pm

I rode the folder up to the local sandwich shop for lunch today, and found a heavily-pannier-laden bike parked in front, with a large American flag on it... and shortly met one Levi Aho, who is apparently riding across the country in an effort to raise public awareness regarding fallen service members...

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/LeviAho_RowlettTxApr12.jpg

His blog is http://leviaho.blogspot.com/

Here's his first post from the trip blog, giving the background:

I am biking across America beginning March 14th. I'm starting at Del Mar Beach and finishing at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Initially this trip was to accomplish a dream of mine but after some thought I deemed it appropriate to dedicate my ride to something larger than myself.
Being prior military, I felt that I should honor some part of what I once was, so I am dedicating my ride to all fallen service members and their families, from any conflict and any generation. The plan is to fly an American flag from the back of my bike and I encourage all veterans, family members or friends who have lost someone who served under those colors, to sign that individuals name on the flag and I will ride in that persons memory.

This isn't any ordinary flag either. This flag has some personal history to me. I purchased the flag for my deployment to Iraq in 2008 and I carried this flag with me on every mission I conducted. When I returned to Okinawa, Japan, the flag stayed with me and in 2009 I brought it back stateside to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In 2010 I was deployed again, this time to Afghanistan. This flag is my good luck charm to say the least. I carried the flag with me on every mission. Each time the flag and I left the wire, our truck went untouched. Except on July 14th, I forgot the flag in my tent. That day we hit 2 IEDs in 6 hours. Luckily we all escaped injury but that could have been alot different for me if circumstances were slightly different.

So, i'm currently in the process of getting everything I will need together for the ride. I am highly anticipating this experience and wondering what the next couple months will hold for me on my ride...

What a crazy coincidence, just running into him like that at lunch, having gone to Subway on a whim... Sadly, he took off before I thought to buy him lunch, but I think he had already eaten...

Paul

Title: Re: Cross-country rider encountered in Rowlett
Post by aikigreg on Apr 12^th, 2011, 1:11pm

Man, it's stories like that that make me want to get all political up in this piece. [smiley=censored.gif]

Title: Re: Cross-country rider encountered in Rowlett
Post by Action Lad on May 12^th, 2011, 8:17pm

Very inspiring!

Title: Re: Cross-country rider encountered in Rowlett
Post by jman on May 16^th, 2011, 3:02pm

I don't consider it political to ask for prayer for our fallen soldiers so I wanted to post this here since I received it from my aunt in Houston this morning so it is current news.

Please say a prayer for "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting it out in
Afghanistan & they have lost 12 marines in 4 days. IT WOULD BE NICE TO
SEE the message spread if more could pass it on. God Bless America and God
Bless the United States Marine Corps... Semper Fi, Often Test...

Justin Allen, 23,
Brett Linley, 29,
Matthew Weikert, 29,
Justus Bartett, 27,
Dave Santos, 21,
Chase Stanley, 21,
Jesse Reed, 26,
Matthew Johnson, 21,
Zachary Fisher, 24,
Brandon King, 23,
Christopher Goeke, 23,
Sheldon Tate, 27,
All are Marines that gave their lives for YOU this week!
Honor THEM by forwarding this. God Bless