PGR - BBQ Picnic in Celebration of Lt Kenneth Ballard

Pics are from top to bottom, click on a pic for a larger pic, text for a pic is under the pic.

Gold Star Dad Tom Ballard had his annual celebration for son Lt Kenneth Ballard on the 4th of July. Ken passed in 2004.

He invited PGR to attend and a few of us were there. PGR had many mission requests in the last few days and riders were having to choose how to support all of them.

Tom told me that next year, plan on it! So we will have ample notice! He put on a great party, his friend from the Midwest came out to do the smoking of the meat, and it was absolutely fantastic! It was a great party and many friends attended.

Among them were three Gold Star families. God Bless you and may the Good Lord hold you ever so close in His Heart!

Curt and wife, I wish I could remember names, I know it... it's just rattling around somewhere, sigh... Met me at the staging place, I had my "sign" flying high.


As we arrive at Tom's specially reserved parking spot for the scoots, Curt's bike, Goldie and one of the Gold Star Dad's bike flying three 3x5's and it looked real fine!


The gent in the middle, back to us, with the vest is the Gold Star Dad on the scoot.


And this gent was talking to him and he's in the American Legion and ALR in our area.


OK, we have to do name tags, I put on Bill, I got tired of explaining to folks that Cranky was for cranking a bike... my bike odometer is now over 72K...




This is an interesting pic, see the flag pics? They did that on the hill side just east of the house and very visible! I guess it lasted a couple months.


Another story board with much history to it.


Tom making a short speech.


Tom having a chat with someone...



The Balsley's arrived also, I apologized for not making their celebration last weekend, but we had an American Legion / ALR event at Reid Hillview Airport, and the heat was terrible and I had enough of it. I asked Debbi to give my apologies to them.

Thank you for the invite and and you did Kenneth proud! Curt, wife and I gave Tom a Mission Accomplished pin, I told Tom, that Ken would want him to have it and he asked me to pin it on... I think he was waiting to be "pinned", but .... no way, I did it the best I could, and it was an honor to be there and do it!