“I’m on a Mission” – Pauline & Bob Brown

Hi John – the memorial field sounds awesome! I would definitely love to be a part of it – if I know in advance I can stay longer so let’s start planning. We had a field right here in Greeley last year. They were only regular flags not flag of honor flags but the names of all who died were distributed equally amongst the grade schools and children wrote notes to the individual families which were attached to the flags. It was quite the heart jerker when you read the notes. I should send you a picture, it was awesome!

John – I will definitely get the flags – was I right about 25 in a case? I want 2 cases. So, after reading your email and realizing that I might need some more approval, I thought I’d better tell you what I am really doing with the flags. I actually wanted it to be a surprise for you as well. When I was in New York, one of the biggest comments (I mean NUMEROUS times) that I received was that they were glad to see someone as far West as Colorado still remember 9-11. It seems the perception from the locals is that the rest of the country has forgotten or on their way to forgetting. So, what I am doing is using my friends for contacts and I am donating one of your flags to one person in each state – in return all I ask is that they send me a 4 x 6 picture with a 3 x 5 note card (I am providing for them to make a comment if they want and write the state the flag is hung.) I plan on putting them all on a collage with a message to New York that we have not forgotten. I’ll probably put Bob and my story on the collage as well. Anyway, as you can imagine it will be rather large so I will probably need approval to hang it somewhere – I’d like to present to the city somehow, but I doubt that is possible so just having it at ground zero for people to see would be fine. What do you think? Also, there could be more pictures for your website if you want. It is amazing – I just sent out the email to my friends last night and I already have 15 states with people wanting to be part of the process.

Talk to you soon!
Pauline
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Pauline,

What an incredible idea. I’d love to put your progress on the website. I know that you could display it at the Family events next September. They would appreciate the effort very much.

I’ll send out the Flags.

John

Above: Easy Rider Show – San Diego 10/29/2005 – 3rd Place V-Twin category and “Best Display”

Above: Easy Rider Show 1.14 & 15.2006, Sacramento, California – 2nd Place, “Best of Show”

Above: “John,

Just thought you’d get a kick out of this.
We have personalized plates on 3 of our vehicles that reflect 9.11.01.

1st car: 9 B (for Bob) 11 P (for Pauline) 01
Motorcycle: NVRFGT – Never Forget
2nd car: B (for Bob) 9 11 01 P (for Pauline)
What you can’t read are the licence frames. They both say – Bob and Pauline We’ll Never Forget

Pauline”

“Our Story: We Will Never Forget”

Written by Bob Brown

September 11, 2001…..That date conjures up incredible emotions ranging from sadness and loss to anger. Everyone remembers where and what they were doing on that day. Such is certainly the case for us. As President of Harsh International, Inc. (A manufacturer located in the small town of Eaton, Colorado), I was concluding some business with a customer in Japan. Pauline Picardi, District manager for a restaurant chain in California, had decided to treat her mother Myke to a trip to Japan to visit Pauline’s eldest daughter Danielle who was stationed in Misawa at the US. Air Force base. The reason for this particular time to visit was that Danielle had just given birth to Pauline’s new grandson.
Call it fate, Karma or just plain luck, but we agree that it was the best thing to ever happen to us. Stranded in the Narita, Japan airport hoping for any flight heading towards the States, Pauline and I met and spent what would become the first day of a lifetime together. After a couple of years and many thousands of frequent flyer miles between Colorado and California, Pauline’s youngest daughter Kellie graduated from high school and began her college career at SDSU and Pauline was able to finally move home to Colorado with me. We were married January 17th, 2004.
Never wanting to forget the events that led to our meeting, and being avid motorcyclists, we decided to have our 2002 Harley Davidson V Rod custom painted as a tribute to 9/11. It was to be our wedding gift to each other. We commissioned Marshall Canafax of Loveland, Colorado, a renowned airbrush and motorcycle artist, to create our “dream bike.” Again, Karma enters; After several weeks of superb artistry, the bike was ready to come home. On a whim, Marshall asked if he could show the bike in a local bike show and deliver the bike afterward. Incredibly, the bike took “1st Place in the Paint Category”, and “3rd Place Overall” against some beautiful custom machines. That was the first of what could be many shows for our 9/11 Tribute Bike. But, don’t be surprised if the first time you see it, it’s on the open road. We’re not talking about a “trailer princess” here. Pauline and I feel that the best way to show our bike is to ride it…….with PRIDE!