PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Vietnam Wall Escort - April 15 and other dates

[Mission Information For North Texas PGR]

FINAL ITINERARY

 

Vietnam Wall Escort Mission

 

Mission Date; April 15, 2009

 

Ride Captain:

 

Ron "Roadrash" Mitchell, 817-300-7464 (c);  <mailto:windindaface at yahoo.com>
windindaface at yahoo.com

 

 

The Patriot Guard has been invited to lead the events surrounding the
arrival of the Vietnam traveling wall into the Duncanville, Lancaster, Cedar
Hill, Desoto area and to participate in other activities associated with the
events occurring while the wall is in the area.  This is a large event that
has been organized by fellow PGR member Jerry Hall and all PGR riders are
encouraged to participate to the fullest extent possible.

 

 

Part 1 - Wall Escort:  Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 10:00 AM; Armstrong Park

 

Staging - 9:00 AM; KSU - 10:15 AM

 

Armstrong Park

Main Street and James Collins Boulevard

Duncanville, TX

 

Map - http://tinyurl.com/ctmk6w 

 

There will be snacks for breakfast provided by a couple of vendors.  We are
expecting several visitors from each of the four cities represented along
with "Mama" Nocker, the mother of a Navy helicopter gunner shot down and
killed in 1969 in Cambodia.  Mama Nocker has requested to ride with one of
our bikers maybe a trike if possible (she is 82 and has done this before).  

 

The City of Duncanville/Chamber of Commerce will have the first event at the
park at 10 am to celebrate and thank the veterans and those currently
serving in our military.  We will need to be lined up and ready to depart
before the event.  

 

We will depart the park at approximately 10:15 am.  Please consult the route
and schedule sent earlier in the week for details of the ride if necessary.

 

 

Part 2 - Additional Rider Events:  Wednesday, April 16, 2009 & Sunday, April
19, 2009

 

1.	Our own Jerry Hall, primary organizer for this event, would also
like to have about 10-15 MC's for the escort of the POW Michael Gesino and
Gold Star Mom Dorothy Shafernocker (Mama Nocker) who will be placing the
wreaths at the Wall on Thursday the 16th at 12 pm at the opening ceremonies.
Jerry will lead this event and the DeSoto police will assist us in that
also.  Jerry wants to stage at the Lowe's Center at I-20 and Hampton in
Dallas.  It is about a 2-3 mile escort to the event site.  Please contact
Jerry directly at  <mailto:jmhall at virtualcenter.com>
jmhall at virtualcenter.com for additional information and to sign up for
participation in this part of the opening ceremonies.  Below is a bio. of
Mr. Gesino, a WWII POW of the Germans.

 

A True American Hero

A member of the greatest generation!

Staff Sergeant Michael G. Gesino - World War II POW

423rd Bomb Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force

 

 

This week I had the opportunity to get, the rest of the story, from a man
that served his country faithfully during WWII.  My wife and I have known
his son, Tony, a former soccer coach at DeSoto High School for many years
and had heard about his dad and that he had been a POW during World War II.
With the event planned for the Best Southwest Chambers involving the Vietnam
Wall and the need for a POW to do the honors of placing the POW wreath I
thought of Mr. Gesino.  I thought he would be perfect and since my wife and
I have been trying to find a way to honor him for his service this seemed to
be made for that purpose.  I might add Mr. Gesino has passed down more of
his patriotism through his sons.  He and his wife Phyllis (deceased) were
blessed with six sons and of those six sons four served their country as did
their dad.  One is a Vietnam Veteran; one was injured in an accident with a
plane crash while on the Kitty Hawk.  In all there were three Army and one
Navy.

 

Mr. Gesino says, "I was sitting by the radio with my dad when they announced
that attack on Pearl Harbor.  I felt that I had to go in from the very
beginning.  It was my privilege to go in and to serve my country".   Mr.
Gesino was only 19 years old when enlisting and began his training.  He and
his wife were married on September 7th of 1942 soon after entering the
service.  Mr. Gesino was on reserve until being called up in February of
1943.  After many training missions Mr. Gesino was on his way overseas with
his crew on a brand new B-17 which was promptly taken away from their crew
shortly after arrival so the aircraft could have much of the armor removed
to increase the bomb load.  The crew were assigned to the 306th Bomb Group
in Thurleigh England and arrived in early June of 1944 not long after D-Day.
Mr. Gesino and his crew flew seven bombing missions and three sorties over
Germany with targets such as bridges, fuel depots and such.  Mr. Gesino
responsibility was in the Belly of the plane as a turret gunner.  He was
number three in line to fly the airplane if the pilot or co-pilot were out
of commission.  He was qualified to fly the B-17 back to camp if necessary.
He normally would not go into the ball turret until they were over enemy
territory and then the cramped space was his home for the duration of the
bombing run and his job was to look out for targets and protect the aircraft
and crew.  His job also was to watch the bombs as they left the plane and
try to visually detect if they hit the target.  Before the mission began he
was responsible for checking that the aircraft had the right number and type
of bombs loaded and that they were safely attached to the aircraft.  He made
his first mission with his crew in June 1944 and the last mission was July
20 1944.  On the last mission he related that he saw the artillery shell
coming in as they prepared for their bombing run and the first two missed
but the last one hit his turret.  Because of the other aircraft nearby they
could not try to avert the artillery.  With 2+ inches of armored plate glass
between him and the shell it was no match and the glass was shattered by the
explosion hitting him in the face and hands.  Fortunately he made his way
inside the aircraft which had lost one of its wings and helped to get the
door open for the crew to evacuate the aircraft.  All he had for a parachute
was his belly pack and it really was made for no more than 150 pounds and he
weighed 178.  No time for worry and out the door he went.  After hitting the
ground hard and injuring his legs and arms he was captured by the Germans.
There is so much to say about his capture and his time as a POW I will
condense it to some of the high points.  Not much medical attention was
available to the POW's and certainly not much humane treatment was offered.
He did spend some time in various German hospitals and one in particular
where a German eye doctor attempted to save his eye to no avail.  He did get
a glass eye made for him and had it for many years until one day it fell to
the floor and was broken.  Mr. Gesino had an opportunity to be repatriated
but a Swiss doctor came out and apologized.  He said "I'm sorry, but your
government won't trade.  You need to go home, but they want seven Germans
for you.  They've been recapturing Germans who have been repatriated, and
they won't trade."  Mr. Gesino spent over ten months in either the German
hospitals or prison camps.  He says "only ten months" as if only those that
spent more time had an issue.  Mr. Gesino was true to the Military Code of
Conduct when interrogated he gave only his name, rank and his serial number.
This caused him many times to have to spend three to six days in solitary
confinement.  Much of the time in captivity Mr. Gesino was in and out of
consciousness and does not remember all that went on.  Maybe it was a
blessing that he did not have to endure some of the pain of captivity.

 

Mr. Gesino attributes his ability to survive the horrible ordeal to his
wife's faith and prayer as she had garnered many of her friends and
neighbors to pray for him.  After being hit by the artillery the planes
escorting the bombers were unable to see the crew leave the plane and when
it blew up and fell to the earth it was assumed all of the crew were lost.
Phyllis believed he was missing in action for the first three months of his
capture.  She did hold out hope and eventually got her soldier back.  Mr.
Gesino was reunited with the United States by the Russians on May 25 of 1945
and flown to France on a B-17.  After being freed and sent to France the
ex-POW's were threatened by some "gung-ho" officers to send them to military
courtesy classes because they weren't saluting properly.  The word got to
General Eisenhower and he flew in special.  He was close to Mr. Gesino as he
had all of the officer's line up and he really let them have it.  He said to
the former POW's, "You gentlemen as of now are no longer military until
after you've had your leave.  If anybody tries to put any more of these
stupid rules on you, let me know, and I'll be right back."  General
Eisenhower also told them that if they wanted to do some traveling before
they went home they were free to go to England, France or Italy.  Mr. Gesino
declined the travel and waited for General Eisenhower to make a way for his
departure back home.  He kept that promise and Mr. Gesino arrived back in
New York Harbor by the Statue of Liberty to a terrific welcome with tugboats
shooting water and horns blaring.  Mr. Gesino remembers everybody ran to one
side of the ship.  He said the captain screamed bloody murder.  He said,
"You people get back away from that rail!  You're going to tip this thing
over!"  This was a welcome home for our nation's heroes.  He was soon in
Minnesota and reunited with his wife after a most honorable tour of duty
serving his country.  Staff Sergeant Gesino is truly an American Hero and is
worthy of honor and praise for his service.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Gesino were married for 61 years which he describes as the most
wonderful times of his life.  He truly worshiped his wife and I believe it
was reciprocated. They have many grandchildren and great grandchildren of
whom he adores.  Mrs. Gesino was buried at the DFW National Cemetery in 2003
and waits the eventual reuniting with her husband.  Mr. Gesino worked for
Braniff after coming to Dallas until they shut down the first time.  He
eventually went back to Braniff for a year and a half before leaving again.

 

Mr. Gesino or Staff Sergeant Michael G. Gesino was awarded two Purple Hearts
and two Air Medals for missions flown.  He was to have been awarded the next
rank after being captured but due to loss of some of his records was unable
to receive his promotion.  Vice President Walter Mondale from Gesino's home
state of Minnesota tried to get his promotion accomplished but the military
decided they would not make the corrections.  He finally gave up and
accepted that he would not receive that promotion.

 

His story here is incomplete due to space, but he says that he firmly
believes that his wife's faith and his faith helped.  He says "The fact that
I had a wife and family at home gave me hope.  Even though there was so many
times that I wasn't aware of what I was doing, I was aware of the fact that
I had a family that loved me.  Knowing that I wanted to get back to them is
what kept me going.  Looking back, I also say that I wouldn't trade that
experience for anything in the world.  I wouldn't want to go through it
again, but it taught me that I can survive mostly on faith."

Mr. Gesino weighted about 178 when he went into the military and weighted
about 131 when he got home.

 

I look forward to honoring Mr. Gesino, An American Hero, on Thursday April
16th at the event in Centre Park with the laying of the POW wreath.

 

 

2.	On Sunday all motorcycle riders are invited to the event site for
the Ride of Honor.  Meet at the site at 1 pm.  There will be a church
service that morning also.  At the time of this posting, the honor ride is
scheduled to go something like this:  When the riders have arrived at the
entrance to the wall area each rider will ride alone to about the center of
the wall and stop, salute/place hand over the heart and proceed to the end
to park and stand as all MC riders make the Honor Ride.

 

 

Weather:  Forecast for Wednesday is for an isolated thunderstorm with a high
of 81 degrees.  

 

The flag/water truck will not be present.

 

This sounds like a great effort on behalf of several cities to host a first
class event, with our own Jerry Hall in the lead.  I hope to see as many of
you there as possible as the PGR leads the way to make this a great event.
Flag bikes will certainly be a plus for these events and I know that all the
riders will be made welcome and feel right at home.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Ron "Roadrash" Mitchell

North Texas Senior Ride Captain

 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://txpgr.org/pipermail/mission_txpgr.org/attachments/20090411/53cf409a/attachment-0001.html>