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Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Operation Seas The Day Cancels Popular Biker Escort

Joe, Operation Seas The Day has been a great tradition that honors our wounded veterans here on Delmarva. Each year this worth while event provides a Motorcycle escort for buses carrying Wounded Veterans from Bethany Beach to the Freeman Stage in Selbyville.

The Veterans have really enjoyed that honor and attention they receive from all the riders and it’s a great opportunity to show then that many appreciate the sacrifices they and their families have made for our country.

This year the planning committee has canceled the escort. The parade will still happen but the bikes will not be allowed to escort. Many of these bikers are veterans and are very disappointed in this. Please read over the Facebook page and comments to see for yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/events/856573374521730/permalink/874759596036441/?notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1534817088172202

One person even wrote them a letter stating the following…

As one of the motorcycle riders over the past years along with many of our friends that are Veterans themselves that ride, I am very sorry that you chose to not have the local motorcycle groups escort OUR WARRIORS. The community is heavily involved and all appreciate the dedication in our community to the Warrior escort. We have lived on Rt 54 since 1995, not one person we know complains about stopping traffic to escort these fine Veterans and show them the respect. Our local motorcycle community members are some of the most dedicated to our community. We are all very surprised by this and it is a shame as quite a few of us have tickets to Freeman Stage for the concert with these Veterans. We are extremely disappointed in your decision personally. As the President of one of the local groups, I speak on behalf of many who are surprised by your decision as well. Jb

We want to clarify the recent post:

The Operation Seas the Day parade is not cancelled, only the motorcycle escort portion of the parade, escorting our Wounded Warriors .

The decision made by the Operation Seas the Day committee to limit the number of motorcycles to 50 bikes made it next to impossible to organize, considering the huge turnout and wonderful support the local bike groups have given the event over the years.

This decision was made in an effort to avoid the extended road closures during the parade.

Please consider standing along the route to support our Wounded Warriors and this wonderful event in Bethany Beach, Delaware.

God Bless our Troops!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keeping Israel and the US safe.
Thank you

Anonymous said...

The last thing residents who live near RT54 need is another traffic disruption. Get off your bikes and wave flags like the rest of us. We aren’t standing there to watch you ride your motorcycle.

Anonymous said...

THIS Veteran (a former biker) will not be going..

Anonymous said...

This is really a good thing to hear. Get the bikes out of dodge so that we can be more family friendly.

Anonymous said...

Is Obama running this event ?.

Anonymous said...

Ok so you ride a motorcycle, great, I also ride. Why do bikers feel the constant need to be, riding for a cause? Hundreds bunched together clogging roads and intersections like they have special access to ride on shoulders, ride 3 or 4 wide. If you say anything, we are riding for the homeless or riding for cancer. JUST FREAKING GO RIDE AND STFU.

Anonymous said...

9:47 I seriously doubt you ride. I never see any riders riding 3-4 riders wide. 90% ride they ride in a stagger formation. This is a police escorted ride so its always done with respect and safety.

This isn't about the ride its about continuing a tradition to show honor and respect for our veterans many whom are bikers themselves.

The people who attend this event sit in the hot parking lot for at least a couple of hours before hand and then run at a slow pace on air cooled bikes all to give the Vets a great showing of love and support.

Bikers can group up and ride anywhere at any time at a much more practical speed so this isn't about not getting to ride at all and if you don't see that then its clear you are not a "Rider" as you state.

Over all if you can't handle the minor disruption of a police escorted controlled parade to honor the Vets then you have to take a closer look at yourself because really you are just putting your brief inconvenience over the showing of respect that these wounded warriors have come to love, expect and deserve.

Lastly just keep in mind that there will still be a shut down of the road for a parade. So if the bikes take an extra few minutes to go by I don't think the trade off is worth reducing the size, scope and expectation of the event.

Anonymous said...

Can't we use the remainder to come to Salizibury to Seize Jake Day? Roll him in a carpet and take him some place else?

Anonymous said...

This is very disappointing to hear. The gathering of motorcycles at Sea Colony and the united show of support for our Veterans and their families has been an amazing thing to experience year after year! An unfortunate and unnecessary decision.