Americans still care about each other

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. James Crutchfield
  • 572nd Global Mobility Squadron commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Americans are a great and generous people. Don't let the noise from current boisterous partisan politics fool you.

Even though 24-hour cable news stations televise every crazy act they can find, the goodness of America remains.

I know this because I got to see all of America, and a bit of the world; this summer from the seat of my bicycle... in Iowa.

I took leave this summer and rode with my brothers in the 34th running of the Des Moines Register's Great Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa, also known as RAGBRAI.

This seven-day ride starts on the western border of Iowa at the Missouri River and continues through the small towns of Iowa to a city on the Eastern border of the state at the Mississippi River. The route is different each year.

The ride itself was nice. I was surprised at the varied terrain I saw crossing the state I thought of as flat, and got miffed about the hills and the knack the wind in Iowa has of only being a headwind. There was also a famous rider this year named Lance Armstrong. You may have heard of him.

However, this article isn't about the terrain or famous riders, but the ordinary people I saw.

There are 10,000 registered riders on RAGBRAI each year.

I met and chatted with all ages and shapes of people from all over the United States and some from France, Italy, Germany and Australia.

In one small town where we stopped for a sports drink and a slice of pie; we met two men from Brooklyn who paid $5 each to get their picture taken kissing a squealing piglet.
In the 25th mile of a 55-mile day, we met an elderly man [he's legendary on the ride] riding a one-speed bike with a T-shirt and sign that read "1939 Man, 1941 Schwinn" and "Gears R 4 Wimps."

We met an 8-year old from Davis, Calif. who dragged his parents through all seven days of the ride. They thought he'd only make a day or two, if that.

We met an active duty brigadier general and his civilian brothers having fun and seeing the sights just like the rest of us.

We also met up with riders from the Army, Navy and Air Force riding teams.

But most strikingly, we saw a disparate group of riders and support van drivers who came together as responsible citizens. We saw people stop and help other riders with their problems, be they mechanical, physical or due to cell phone outage. People on the ride gave others water, food, their only spare inner-tubes, and batteries for their fading GPS units (thanks again Cookie!).

People waited patiently in line for the portable potties, but when someone rolled up in real need, the needy were ushered to the head of the line. That may not sound like a big deal now, but when the need arises, 15 minutes can be a long time to wait!

If you doubt that Americans still care about each other, even strangers, you'd be wrong. In the immortal words of The Who, "the kids are alright."

One final note about the people we met. They were appreciative. I rode with my brothers, not the Air Force team; but I did wear an Air Force jersey for two of the seven days. My rider number (a license plate of sorts) also listed my name and home as Travis.

During those two days, I had many people throughout the day thank me and my family for our sacrifices. I humbly accepted their thanks on behalf of my family and all those who serve, then thanked them in return for their support.