After a day of travel, we've landed at our second base in yet another undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. But instead of showing footage from Monday's trek to and from the airport, our third video showcases Sunday night's Veterans Day show at base No. 1. [Although seeing locals traveling with their pet falcons would make for a pretty entertaining two minutes.]
Sunday night marked the third time in two years that the Bikes Over Baghdad crew has performed on this base and the base commander said this was the biggest crowd yet. And not just for a BOB show. "For any show," she said.
Before emcee Darryl Nau announced the start of the show, I posted up in a 50-yard-line, front-row seat at a table with three KC-135 pilots. Each of them told me they'd never been compelled to come out to a show on base before.
"Usually, we get bands, comedians or NFL cheerleaders who come out and sign autographs," said Master Sgt. Jesse Meagher, a boom operator on the KC-135 stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft. "That's great, but a really good performance like what these guys put on, it doesn't happen. It was awesome. Every time they left the ramp, I was freaking out."
After the show, which lasted nearly two hours and was as entertaining and inspiring as any show I've seen [think: part "Nitro Circus Live," part BMX park contest, part flatland demo, and a whole lot of heart] the riders autographed posters for the nearly 1,000 troops who waited patiently in a two-hour line to shake hands with each rider on tour.
"It was incredible," Chad Kagy said afterward. "No one complained. No one got out of line. They just wanted to shake our hands and thank us for coming out here. But we're here to thank them for what they do every day."
And for the first time in many Bikes Over Baghdad shows over the past four years, the riders were able to show their thanks on a day reserved for doing exactly that.
