Two Coasties Head West: Bobby Van De Pol (middle) Coast Guard BROTHER # 2

Monday, June 22, 2009

Bobby Van De Pol (middle) Coast Guard BROTHER # 2

WE ARE IN...??

Escondido, CA!!

Only 157 miles today. The windy condition experienced yesterday, was nothing compared with a 20 mile stretch of road through Palm Springs, CA, on Interstate I-10, today. With out exaggeration we got pounded with 50-60 mph cross winds. Had to pull off the highway at one point as things got that hairy!!

We stopped in Moreno Valley to visit with our second Coast Guard mate and BROTHER Bobby Van De Pol. Bobby is 6'4" and back in the good old days, he was just a skinny runt that we nicknamed "THE STORK"!! Went to lunch with him and had a great time catching up as well as discussing old memories.

We then headed south on highway 215 & 15 to Escondido to visit with Louie's 1st cousin Joe and wife Mary Kay.

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Blood Brothers - Trip Video

Blood Brothers - hosted at Vimeo.

This video is a summary of the trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific. All videos on this blog are hosted by Vimeo, and can be downloaded for personal viewing on your computer, cell phone or other hand-held device. To download for viewing on other devices, use the link that follows each video - this link takes you to the host page on Vimeo. Once there, navigate to the lower right corner of the page and follow instructions for downloading to your computer. Once on your computer, you can then upload to other devices. Enjoy...

About This Blog

Hi everyone. As you know, we're fulfilling a lifelong dream to travel across the United States by motorcycle. Our main objective is to visit with four other Coast Guard Shipmates, a.k.a. BROTHERS (see more below) now living in various states along the way.

We hope to use this blog to document our progress along this journey. Thanks to everyone for their support, and their prayers.

Please bear with us as we figure out the blogosphere. And please leave comments - we really appreciate them!

~Chan
~Louie

Coast Guard Brothers

Six of us old shipmates were stationed together 40 years ago on the Coast Guard Icebreaker Staten Island (WAGB 278).

Louie Carrillo (a.k.a. LOUIE)
Bobby Chandler (a.k.a. CHAN)
George Kelly(a.k.a. KELLY)
Bobby Van De Pol (a.k.a. STORK)
Ray Weber (a.k.a. WEBER)
Walter Kline (a.k.a. SPUD)

If you are wondering what the term BROTHER is all about, well, it was 40 years ago that this ship, along with these shipmates, departed Pier 91 in Seattle Washington on a six month journey over the top of the world - the Northwest Passage - with the super tanker and ice breaker USS Manhattan. During that trip, we circumnavigated the North American continent, while spending 123 continuous days in the polar ice cap, away from civilization.

After the first month in the ice, mail calls are a thing of the past -- as well as supplies of bread, milk and other perishables.

After two months in the ice, meals are prepared strictly by cans and you find that you have seen every movie onboard at least 3 times.

After 3 months in the ice, attitudes and patience dwindle big time!

And after 4 months in the ice, if someone says good morning and you don't punch them right on the mouth, you get to call that shipmate BROTHER!

After 40 years, these old shipmates have come back in contact with one another, and so that is what this trip is actually all about.

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~Chan
~Louie

Two Coasties Head West