Here's a pic of one of the tracks I was on yesterday. Just before I took this picture, several pheasants spooked right in front of me. I'm not sure who was more scared. When the heart rate settled, I saw the light was perfect for a good pic;

Here's a beautiful Hampshire sunset on that green lane I mentioned yesterday. (Yes, I know my low fuel light is on, I got back to civilisation and a petrol station soon thereafter)

I am a fortysomething guy who loves military history and riding motorcycles. Its that simple. I combine the two loves into this site to help provide information and inspiration to others who may share my tastes.

I was originally inspired by a motorcycle trip to the D-Day beaches a few years ago. Like so many others, I was awestruck by the solemnity of the sites, but I also realised that riding my motorcycle gave me some unique advantages to understanding the sites. Experiences like exposure to the elements, having to pay attention to road and path conditions, map reading whilst on the move and walking around with a lot of protective kit on vaguely simulates some of the challenges faced by the historic players. Not to mention the more mundane advantages of easy parking and avoiding long traffic tailbacks around popular sites.

I am a veteran of the Persian Gulf War (December 1990- April 1991) and the Cold War (June 1988 - October 1990). I served for seven years in total and I am the son of a veteran of both world War II and Viet Nam. Although I claim little special insight into the historic combat I write about on this site, I do feel I have a special connection to my brothers in arms, regardless of nationality. Whether 1644 or 2007, warriors have always been willing to put their beliefs to the ultimate test. That's why I ride to remember.

I hope you enjoy the site and, more importantly, I hope you are inspired to use some of the information found here to do your own rides.

Ride To Remember

Battlefield Biker

This sad story about an Iraq War veteran having his mototrcycle stolen shows how much the freedom of the road and two wheels plays on the imagination of soldiers in particular.
SGT Peter Hopson had saved his combat pay to buy the bike as a reward for surviving the war. He lost two buddies before he got back. I hope SGT Hopson gets a new bike soon and is able to resume the dream.

I'm also looking forward to riding with all my Iraq veteran buddies in Iraq some day in the future, when that country decides riding motorcycles is more fun than killing each other. It may be some time before that notion comes to them, though.

Because I spend so much time in relatively rural roads and tracks whilst riding around historical battlefields, this post from Ride it Like you Stole It hit home. (pardon the pun)

This article in the Wall Street Journal is exactly why even the best newspapers are having such a hard time adapting to the new content culture. Joseph Rago obviously believes what he says, but with people as myopic as him in editorial positions at newspapers, how can they change? Below is my letter to the Editor about his article.

Dear Sir,
It is hard to know where to begin. The WSJ just dropped in my estimation with this article. Surely, there was no editorial review of this piece. From the punctuation mistake, to the oblivious recursiveness of his opinion on opinion, to the extreme myopia of speaking as if blogs that mirror newspapers or magazines are all that exist.
There are literally millions of blogs and other websites (let's drop the pretence that there is any real difference) whose produce of original, informative and timely material dwarfs the .....what can I call it without offending Mr Rago?.... traditional media?
Yes, if I want a review of what was said at Davos (sorry, bad example, the MSM covered for one of there own there until a blogger exposed Eason Jordon), I need to read the WSJ, NYT, LAT or The Times, but if I want to know how last night's local school board vote went and I don't want to wait for the once a week local paper to print it, I will seek a blog of someone who attended the meeting. Is this information so much better for having passed through the local paper's editorial desk for a week before being committed to the sacred process of printing ink on newspaper? Please.
One wonders if Mr Rago would have any time for yesteryear's bloggers, the pamphleteers? Would Mr Rago have called Thomas Paine a fool and his readers imbeciles?
The more I think about this article and re-read it, the shallower it seems. Rago must have dashed this off as his opinion, right then. Was this meant to be a joke...or irony that Mr Rago thinks is missing from blogs?
I am really disappointed in the WSJ.