Do you know the purpose of those small round white metal signs you see along the roadside? They are official FDOT Memorial Markers and are meant to pay homage to someone who has died as a result of a motor vehicle accident as well as being a means of promoting highway safety to the public. 

The ritual of honoring a person where they died has been practiced for centuries in many cultures and has been adapted to our transportation-dependent society. The roadside memorials are an expression of grief and love for the deceased. They are usually created by family or friends and may include ribbons, wreaths, flowers, balloons, or other items. Many times a white cross will be placed near the accident site. While the memorials are placed with the best of intentions they can cause problems. They can distract drivers. Sun, wind, and rain eventually take their toll on anything outside. Displays may not be maintained over time and can create a traffic hazard. They might be set up on the private property. 

To help keep things under control, the Florida Department of Transportation instituted the Memorial Marker Program in 2017. The markers themselves are round 15-inch aluminum signs mounted on 5-foot posts. The sign reads “Drive Safely, In Memory” followed by the person's name. They are constructed and installed at no charge. A request must be submitted to FDOT and if done by friends it must include permission from the deceased's immediate family. They'll normally be installed for at least one year (the family can request a one-year extension) though they can be removed for reasons such as road maintenance. If there are space constraints or safety concerns, they might not be located at the exact accident location. The markers are only placed on roads that are under state control but there are some counties and cities that have their own memorial marker programs. Google it or check with your local public works department. 

FDOT has a website where you can download the form in PDF or Word Doc format. You then find the email address for the county where the marker will be located from the list and attach the completed form to your email. They say you should get a response in 5-10 business days. There's also a phone number for each county if you need more information about the program.

Hopefully, the next time you pass one of these markers you'll give some thought to riding safely.

(This article appeared in the September 2015 issue of Go For A Ride Magazine)

So you’ve spent more than eleven hours in extreme pain from the injuries caused when a land mine blew up the vehicle you were riding in. Your body is badly burned and your legs are severely injured. The only reason you’re not dead is that a maverick chopper pilot took a chance that he wouldn’t run out of fuel and made an unauthorized pickup to get you to a hospital. For most humans, that would be enough for them to question their faith and ask “Why me, God?”

Dave Barr is not like most humans. Despite having parts of both legs amputated as a result of that war incident back in 1982, he has gone on to set two Guinness World records for long-distance motorcycle riding and is a staunch supporter of causes for veterans and the disabled. He didn’t ask, “Why me, God?” but he did ask, “What now, God?”

Dave was recently in the Tampa Bay area to participate in a Poker Run and Rally that was put on by the Patriot Express to raise funds for Operation Military Embrace, a Texas-based organization whose mission is to assist America’s seriously injured and ill Warriors and their families. 

Dave explained, “We support the veteran’s families. The families send somebody off one way and they get them back another. There’s a lot of stress put on marriages, the veteran comes back and they can’t hold a job and have a disability and the families suffer as well, both financially and in other ways. The Patriot Express is a money-collecting organization, no one is paid, state captains, myself, we’re not paid. We do this out of a sense of patriotism. We’re all a part of this war effort and this is our way of being apart. We support Operation Military Embrace, they meet the physical needs of the families when they get a loved one back that is in need. Then there’s the Service for Humanity Foundation which works at keeping marriages together. They counsel the entire family - children, wife, and veteran. When there’s PTSD involved, there’s an 86% chance the marriage will end. When there’s a disability on top of the PTSD it’s pretty much over. This is why we’re having so many suicides. The families need to know that we stand with them. We won’t let happen to them what happened to us when we came home from Vietnam. We’re there to say we care and we help. We’re going to do our best with a lot of other great organizations to make sure your life is what it should be for your services.”

Dave told me his return from fighting in Viet Nam wasn’t at all what he expected. There was no hero’s welcome for the returning troops (Dave earned 57 air medals while there as a crew member on a helicopter gunship) and even his girlfriend, who he intended to marry, dumped him upon his return. “I fought the war and it was right. I got home and just got smacked around. My mother and father were only too happy to see me go back to camp at the end of my leave. I really had a hard time with the Marine Corps with everything that was going on in the early ’70s. There were a lot of racial problems. The thing is I got out bitter and angry. They took a victory and turned it into defeat. Like many, I was very bitter. I could not stand living in the U.S.”

One thing Dave did know was that he still wanted to be a soldier. His father fought in World War II in the Navy and was at Pearl Harbor, he also had uncles who had served in the military.  With them as role models and after reading the book, Battle Cry by Leon Uris, when he was about twelve years old, Dave set out on a military path that he has never regretted taking. “Life is about decisions, serving things, and being a part of things. And sometimes those decisions we make as a very young kids will see us straight through to the end of our lives. And that’s been the natural progression for me.”

After the USMC tour, that path led Dave to Israel. Though he wasn’t Jewish, he managed to become an Israeli citizen so he could join the Army. But things didn’t quite work out as planned. “I wanted to be in tanks, I like machines. And a tank is a big machine with a big gun. But I got transferred to the paratroopers; I didn’t really want to go. They took me because they said they didn’t have anyone who had been in the Marines go through their training which is absolutely the most brutal training. It goes on for 14 months. Just the selection course to get in is two weeks. It’s nothing but two weeks of being punished. No sleep. Even the SEAL selection here has five days they call Hell Week, this was two weeks. I’ve done three selections in my life. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go into tanks. But I went and actually graduated as the Honor Man for Battalion 890.” It wasn’t until 2011 when Dave returned to Israel for a television profile about his life that he divulged his illegal immigrant status. 

After Israel, Dave joined military forces in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia and then South Africa where he was involved in the land mine accident. That was when he started asking “What now”? “Because I’d been a soldier and I’ve been serving something all my life. I’d been in four Armies, and fighting communism or Islamic terrorism. My life had a purpose and a direction, Freedom. The idea of freedom, to propagate it, not only for Americans but elsewhere in the world, so people can live free of tyranny. So I acted on that. So what now? I knew, just as everything has a beginning, it has an end. I spent nine and a half months in a hospital and then I went back to finish out my time. Never took a day off for rehabilitation or anything. I trained machine gunners and my specialty was heavy machine guns and light LMG’s. I repaired machine guns, and when we were up in Angola I did on-the-spot training but I also did repairs in the field. I brought a bag of parts and I’d cannibalize parts and I’d have my tools and I’d get up there and find a broke down machine gun and instead of that gun coming out of service and that firepower being lost, I would fix it on the spot.”

After finishing his enlistment in 1982, Dave headed home again where he faced more discrimination as a disabled Vietnam veteran. But he had his 1972 Harley-Davidson Wide Glide in the garage. He and his dad put it back together and had the dealer install an electric start. Dave says the first few moments were a bit shaky but any fear was overtaken by the joy of riding and it was then that his vision of riding that bike around the world first came into view. That was when he knew, what now. “I know that there’s nothing by chance. There were other vehicles that rolled over that land mine but it was set by a ratchet number and boom. I knew why it was the left rear wheel. I knew why it was me. God said to me you’re finished with this now, I have other plans for you. Follow my will; He doesn’t care if it causes us pain to put us on the right path. What He cares about is us doing His will. He’s the Master of the Universe.”

Of course, everyone told Dave that his idea was foolish and impossible and it took him another seven years and nine months from that point to actually get on the road but once he started there was no doubt in his mind that he would finish. After all, good things come to good people.

During Dave’s first journey around the world in 1990, he started out at the southern tip of Africa and headed north crossing the Sahara Desert during winter so the temps were only about 100 degrees. During a layover in London, where he worked in a small motorcycle shop, he made the acquaintance of Lord Leonard Chesire. Lord Chesire was a British war hero who founded a charity to provide homes and assistance for disabled persons. Lord Chesire was impressed with Dave’s journey and asked him to stop in China and Russia at two homes for disabled soldiers. The friendship proved fortuitous to Dave as a year later when he was broke and broken down in Brazil he called home to let his mom know he was ok and she told him about a $5000 check that had just arrived from Lord Chesire. As Dave recalls, “The whole journey was like that and I just kept faith in it. Every time I’d be about to run out of money, it would just appear out of nowhere.” 

With all the obstacles he faced, I asked Dave if he ever considered quitting. “No, no one asked me to do it and for years people told me you’ll break yourself financially and maybe kill yourself out there. Maybe maim yourself or worse. Believe me, it almost came to pass several times. The thing is, no one asked me, but I knew that was what I was supposed to do the first time I rode the motorcycle. It took me seven years and nine months to get on the road from the time I conceived it. Once I started it I never ever thought of throwing in the towel no matter how grim, broke down in the snow, the mud, the heat, the sand, wherever it was in the world, twenty-six flat tires, I never thought about quitting. ” 

Well, Dave, did you ever think about riding something besides a Harley on this trip?

“I could have picked a better motorcycle, but it never would have drawn the attention. I was in the Amazon and people knew what a Harley Davidson was. I went into one place and the guy had a big Easy Rider poster on the wall. I was in a petrol station in Brazil and getting ready to leave when all of sudden a crowd got in front of the motorcycle. I didn’t feel any malevolence from them; they just didn’t want me to go. I said what’s the problem? Problema? No. TV. They had called a television station and they came out to do an interview. Afterward, we were all shaking hands, and off I went.” 

Though Dave gets credit for making his record-setting rides alone, he’s quick to point out that on many occasions he wouldn’t have accomplished his goals without the help of others. I’d like to believe that’s good karma coming back to Dave for all that he’s done and all he will continue to do. In his own words, “Life is not just about us. God didn’t put us here just to be comfortable and have a good time. There’s more to it than that. For me, being a Vietnam veteran, and what we came home to, guys like me will not allow our veterans to come home to that again.”

Style Matters

I recently spotted a meme with an old style motorcyclist's cap on a biker skull. It made me think about the old style riding caps worn back in the 1930's up until the 1960's and why they went out of style. 

Most young riders today don't even know about them unless it's from the movies. They were worn by Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" (the jacket & cap obviously copied by Shia LaBeouf in "Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls"). They were very common from the 1930's through the early 1960's. They have been out of style for a long time but motorcyclists are starting to wear them again. They are so much more stylish and classy looking than a common baseball cap. Just like flared thigh riding pants ("jodhpurs") and high riding boots are versus jeans & sneakers. This was from back in the day when motorcyclists dressed to ride.

Either I gravitate towards things that are old school, or I was born too late into a time that I don't really fit into. I haven't figured out which it is yet. But what I do know is that somehow, some way, "Motorcyclists" have somehow become known by modern day society as "Bikers" although that is not really the correct term. "Motorcyclist" is the correct term because the term "Biker" comes from the word bicycle.

In the early days of motorcycling, it was called "Motorcycling". Somehow that term changed to include an "R" in it. Motorcycles came into being almost at the same time the first motorized carriages appeared and those first motorcyclists wore almost the same type of clothing as the early automobile motorists. Pork pie hat, gauntlet gloves, goggles, and a long motoring coat. The women riding in the early automobiles would wrap scarves around their heads, or tie their hats tightly on with scarves under their chins.

Motorcyclists soon realized the long riding coat could get caught up in their drive chains. Many switched to waist length coats or jackets that would not entangle in the drive chain. They also switched to the type of military officer's riding breeches, which were flared at the thigh to be roomy and tight from above the knee down, coupled with high riding boots or leg wrappings known as "Puttees" (to avoid catching in the open chains of their motorcycles), They kept the goggles and also adopted leather helmets like early aviators wore. This style continued throughout the nineteen teens and into the 1940's. 

In the 1930's, leather helmets were still being worn but many riders began wearing military, or police style visor caps. Motorcyclists also started wearing high horseback riding boots instead of the puttees. The flared thigh officer's riding pants (Jodhpurs) were still worn and kidney belts were used to protect the rider's kidneys from the vibration. Gauntlet style gloves were worn to protect the hands from road stones. This was a reflection on what the motorcycle cops were wearing at that time. Their snappy uniforms had a cut and style that made sense for motorcycle riding.  

In the late 1940's and early 1950's, things began to change. Riders had for the most part abandoned the Jodhpurs and began wearing blue jeans. The civilian riding boots got shorter. They became more like the shorter jack boots that enlisted German soldiers wore in WW2. That look became known as "The Greaser" look, popularized in many movies and TV shows like Fonzie from Happy Days. Rolled up at the bottom blue jeans, black Brando style jacket (it came out long before Brando but he really popularized it), hard visor motorcyclist hats, a white T shirt and a Brylcream laden ducktail haircut. 

What happened next was a major shift in motorcycle clothing fashion. In July of 1969, the movie "Easy Rider" was released and drastically changed the clothing fashion of motorcyclists. The black leather jacket was replaced by fringed Indian style leather jackets and the blue jeans became bell bottoms. It also popularized the look of chopper style motorcycles. 

Even more than the Greaser era, the late 1960's completely destroyed the motorcycle fashion of the previous generation. Gone was the classy look of the motorcyclist with the visor cap, traditional black zippered motorcycle jacket, riding breeches, high riding boots, kidney belts, gauntlet gloves, and the neck ties worn by their parents and grandparents. It was replaced with images propagandizing the public that what was cool was to look like Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. To ride stoned, on a chopper, long hair flying, giving the finger to anyone on the road.

Along with the hippie fashion look, the outlaw motorcycle clubs were getting a lot of press. The public saw how they dressed with head wrapping scarves, denim jackets and vests adorned with pins and patches and the club's “colors” on the back. Movies and television picked up on the look which created an unfair negative stigmatizing of all motorcyclists which lasted for a long time.  

Somewhere, the term "Motorcyclist" changed to "Biker" and the term has stuck. It's universally used today by everyone, even motorcyclists. Is it because it's shorter and easier to say? To this day, the  "outlaw" motorcyclist look permeates the  motorcycle fashion scene. Go to any motorcycle meet, and you will see shirts, jackets, and vests with patches and pseudo biker gang "colors” back. 

As for myself, I love the old school 1930's through the mid to late 1950's motorcyclist fashion and employ that somewhat in how I dress to ride. I can guarantee you that if that became the fashion again, due to some movie or otherwise, more riders would be dressing that way. I hope it may be coming back full circle. We need a change from the patches covered vests, head scarves, and baseball caps that motorcyclists are now wearing. Time to bring back the old motorcyclist apparel fashion that's so old, it's new again. I'm an avid student of all kinds of history and the history of motorcycling too, and wanted to share this with those who may not be old enough to remember how motorcycle clothing fashion used to be.

How to get a DD-214

To qualify for any veteran benefits you have to be able to prove you served and that’s done with a DD Form 214. If you don’t have a copy, you can request a new one from the National Archives at  archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.

Veteran’s Designation on Driver's License 

You can have the Veteran’s designation added to your license for free making it easy for you to provide proof of your veteran status at any time. If you’re a veteran with a one-hundred percent service-connected disability, there is no fee for your driver's license or an ID card. You can also get a “DV” license plate at no charge. Visit your local driver's license service center with the necessary documentation (DD-214 and proof of disability.)

Educational Benefits 

Florida waives out-of-state tuition fees for honorably discharged veterans. You must be a current resident and attending one of the public, post-secondary institutions. There are scholarships for dependent children and spouses of veterans who died during service or are one-hundred percent disabled. Details are available at floridastudentfinancialaid.org

Honorably discharged veterans who didn’t complete high school prior to joining the military may be awarded a standard high school diploma by the Florida Department of Education. The application is online at fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/veterans-diplomas.stml

Theme Parks (and other) Discounts

Too many to list. Discounts and offers vary at different theme parks, stores, restaurants, sports events, and state parks. Check out their websites for details or give them a call.

Burial Benefits. Yep, we’re all gonna kick the bucket eventually and as a veteran you may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery, of which, there are nine in Florida. The burial benefit includes a gravesite, the opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care of the gravesite. Spouses and some other family members may also be eligible. The family may also request a military funeral honors ceremony which includes the folding and presentation of the burial flag and the playing of Taps.  va.gov/burials-memorials/

You can be pre-approved for burial in a national cemetery which will make things easier for your survivors when the time comes. The application doesn’t apply to Arlington National Cemetery or the United States Soldiers and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. It asks for your preferred cemetery but doesn’t guarantee a reservation. Space is allocated as available.  va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility.

Back roads are the best roads. I've never been a “get there as quick as you can” rider. I avoid the interstates with a preference for any two-lane that curves through the countryside. Quick enough to feel the breeze, slow enough to enjoy the scenery and way from the hustle of the ever expanding urban landscapes. 

How do you find these roads? We've got dozens of them on our website map page (see link below). The maps are from the archives of Go For A Ride magazine which featured a map as the centerfold in each issue. That idea was the result of the time I spent working for Mad Maps helping to design their Florida scenic ride maps.  

Doing research for both those projects I discovered the Florida Scenic Highway Program. It was started in 1996 and is similar to the National Scenic Byway program that the Department of Transportation operates. That program began in 1991 as a means to give recognition to some of the more scenic but less traveled roads across the country in an effort to spur tourism and economic development. This was an attempt to undo some of the effects of the national interstate highway system. Those multi-lane, high speed, no traffic signal highways allowed travelers to cover more miles in less time than ever before. That convenience came with a cost. Small towns and businesses along the old highways and state roads that were dependent on the travelers struggled to survive. Travel the famous Route 66 now and you'll find abandoned business, tourist attractions, and even a few ghost towns. The new Service Centers along the interstates offered everything a traveler needed at one location. 

For those of us who aren't in any particular hurry to get somewhere, the Florida Scenic Highways are a salvation. Presently there are 27 stretches of roadway that have been designated. Of those, six of them also carry the National Scenic Byway badge and two of them, the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway and the Florida Keys Scenic Highway, have qualified as All American Roads, which is the top scenic highway crown. This honor is reserved for roadways that are a destination unto themselves and if you've toured on either of these roads, you'll likely agree.   

 What makes a stretch of road qualify at the state level?  The Florida Scenic Highway website says it should be a “public road that has been designated through an official government agency declaration to protect and promote its special cultural, historic, archaeological,recreational, natural, and scenic resources”. While it doesn't say “guaranteed to put a smile on a motorcyclist's face”, it could. 

One very cool aspect of the program is that any person or group can nominate a road to be considered for designation. But it's not a simple nor quick process. First, there's the Eligibility Phase which includes forming a nomination committee and putting together a very detailed package that explains how this roadway meets the criteria for the program and showing that there is support for it from all of the municipalities involved. If it's approved, the process moves onto the Implementation Phase. The road signs get installed and proclamations are made. But the work doesn't end there. A Year One Work Plan must be followed and annual reports are required to ensure the roadway and its resources are properly maintained and promoted.

The state's scenic highways can be found from the Keys to the Panhandle. They include some beautiful coastal rides as well as the hidden treasures of Florida's interior. Two of them, the Bradenton Beach and J.C. Penney Memorial highways, are only 3 miles long. At 233 miles, the Indian River Lagoon is the longest. Most unusual designation goes to the Suncoast Scenic Parkway which, while scenic, is a four-lane toll road north of Tampa.