This past weekend Madison's Capital City Harley-Davidson had its 10th Annual Thunder Run benefit ride for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. These types of motorcycle events are becoming more prevalent. Working three jobs, I did not have time to meet up with the group in Madison were the ride started. Heide and I did hop on the teal and cream Harley and met the convoy of bikers in Edgerton which was the designated break-time city. Heide said we should not feel bad about not paying the 20 Dollars to ride in the event because we did not join the group, we just met them for their break and besides, we bought some burgers, soda, and corn from some of the vendors - so we helped the cause as best we could. 

   Normally these charity rides will stop in a designated town and take it over for an hour or so. Civic groups will have pop, ice cream, brats, hot dogs, and burgers waiting. The bars will serve drinks. The cops will have the down town roads blocked to accommodate the event. Getting to Edgerton early and knowing a horde of hungry and thirsty bikers would soon be descending on the town, I left Heide eating an ear of corn and chatting Harley shop talk with some other early arrivals and I ran over to one of the bars to have a burger cooked up. Three or four regulars were sitting in the bar and one young blond-haired girl with her hair tied back was tending bar. She looked about 20. She halfheartedly took my order and slowly sauntered over to the grill in her flip-flops. I thought to myself, "girl, you better put some gusto in your step because you are about to get overwhelmed." I smiled to myself. 

   A few moments later the first of the motorcycles began to roar into town. There would eventually be enough to fill up the whole down town parking lot and then some. 

   The 20 year old bartender looked at me and asked me as if I had some authority on the subject, "What are all those motorcycle people going to do now?" I smiled to myself and thought, "girl didn't you get the memo?" 

   I tried using my most calming tone and I said, "Well hon, many of them are about to come in here and order beer and burgers." 

   As she brought me my burger - it was actually very good - she said with the most pained look on her pretty face, "Oh God, can't they go to another bar?" 

   As I was taking my last bite of burger and heading out the door to find my Harley savvy wife in the now crowed town square, about 25 people piled into the bar. I found my still-pontificating wife and we loaded up and headed on back to Janesville. I hope the pretty young bartender survived. If you follow my blog you know I have commented on how I am ever fascinated by people that are locked in banal norm. The young  bartender will never have to worry about me asking her to accompany me back to Iraq as a project assistant. I need to not get killed within the first five minutes of my arrival in-county. 

   This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Private First Class Ryan M. Jerabek, 18, of Hobart who was killed in Ramadi, Iraq on April 6, 2004. Jerabek was in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. He was killed in what has been described and a long firefight against insurgents. Ryan was the Fifteen Wisconsin service member to die in Iraq. He had been in Iraq less than a month. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Pfc. Jerabek enlisted in the delayed entry program for the Marine Corps in his junior year in high school. He did his boot camp in San Diego in July, 2003.  Ryan is survived by his mother and father Rita and Ken Jerabek. Dad Ken Jerabek served in the Army during Vietnam. 

   3,608 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   26,558 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   76 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   110 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.