Soap Box

On Saturday, May 22, mom and I made a road trip up to Clarksville, TN to be part of a post motorcycle ride ceremony put on by some retired military friends of ours.

To be honest, I wasn’t really clear on what was supposed to happen, and I found out that was partially on purpose, but I’ll get to that later.

We arrived in Clarksville, and then drove to the “Safehouse” of Special Forces Association Chapter 38. We met dad’s manager, David Corlew, then, our good friend Joel Pruitt filled us in on what was happening. Riders from the Special Forces Brotherhood Motorcycle Club were rolling to honor those who had fallen in combat by carrying dog tags from each soldier through the ride route.

While we waited for the bikes, Joel showed us around the grounds and your eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to their flagpole which was surrounded by a shield-shaped concrete slab painted in green and outlined with a very bright red which also went through the middle where the flagpole resided. The colors are the official colors of the Special Forces Association.

Joel then showed us why we were there, but I’ll get to that later.

Soon, the unmistakable rumble of 80 plus bikes making their way to the site became noticeable in the warm Clarksville afternoon.

After the bikes were parked, everyone gathered in the vicinity of the flagpole. Nearby to the right of the flag was a wreath with two shepherd's hooks on either side. Terry, the chapter president, then read the names of those who had fallen in combat, and the rider who had been carrying the dog tags with their name on it and hung it on one of the shepherd’s hooks. 

If I remember correctly, there were over one hundred and seventy-five names called, from the earliest days of the Special Forces to the most recent fallen in battle from 5th Special Forces Group.

Then Terry mentioned the granite marker stones which were placed around the flagpole area. The markers were in honor of members of the SFA Chapter 38 who passed away in the last year.

The most recent additions were read, and those that knew the men best got up to speak about them.

Then Terry said that this year three honorary members which were having stones placed around the flag as well, Ross Perot, and Kenneth S. “Bud” Adams, one of the founders of the American Football League and owner of the Houston Oilers – one of the original AFL teams – which later became the Tennessee Titans many decades after the AFL and NFL merged were both included among the heroes, and one more stone was also placed.

It said:

“IN MEMORY OF

CHARLIE DANIELS

FRIEND AND PATRIOT

NEVER LOOK AT THE EMPTY SEATS”

For those that don’t know the significance, “Never Look at the Empty Seats” is the name of dad’s autobiography which came from the idea of accentuating the positive, and eliminating the negative for those starting out in music. If you have a small crowd, give them the same show you would if was a full house. Don’t play to the empty seats, play to the ones who came to see you.

Joel got up and spoke from the heart about dad, so did David Corlew. I got up and spoke as well, not being much of a public speaker, I just told dad’s basic philosophy about our military.

Dad said that my grandparents took him to church one morning to pray for our troops, but it wasn’t a Sunday morning, it was a Tuesday.

Tuesday, June 6, 1944. D-Day.

He said it was then that he knew only two things protected America, “The grace of Almighty God, and the United States Military.”

It was an emotional day, especially since I didn’t expect that dad was going to be honored among true heroes, but mom and I were both glad that we went.

Thank you, Joel, Terry and everyone in the SFA Chapter 38, the Special Forces Brotherhood Motorcycle Club, and to those who are still serving and fighting to protect our nation.

A wise man used to say that we owe our military an unpayable debt of gratitude. And dad was indeed a very wise man.

Let’s all make the day count!

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police, our nation and for the peace of Jerusalem

God Bless America!

#BenghaziAintGoingAway #End22

—  Charlie Daniels, Jr.