PALADINS MC

In The Press

Reprinted with permission from Thunder Press

PALADINS MC ANNUAL PROSPECT RUN

A rite of passage

Military-based club takes a ride to Fort McHenry

By Shadow

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, SEPT. 21 – As I sped down the New Jersey Turnpike at 0545 hours this morning it felt like it was still the middle of the night – what a rude hour to be on the road. But I knew the men I was riding to meet were already well on their way to the link-up point for the 2002 Paladins MC Annual Prospect Run. I swore I was not going to take a chance on being late. From what I’d learned about the Paladins before today, that would never be tolerated by this very organized and disciplined cadre of men.

A military MC

The Paladins MC is a group of motorcycle riders who share a common background of participation in operations other than war. The club is comprised of current and former military and para-military persons or law enforcement officers who have been engaged in high-risk areas to promote the cause of the United States and its allies. Paladins are dedicated to support anti-terrorist activities as well as victims of terrorist violence. The club has three chapters, or "troops" as they are referred to in military parlance. Members hail from Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and parts unknown, e.g., those deployed to the four corners of the earth.

Many motorcycle clubs conduct prospect runs, however, there are a number of differences between the Paladins MC and other clubs. For instance, the Paladins’ Prospect Run is the most significant club event of the year. Based upon their successful completion of club membership requirements, prospects are accepted as full members during this run. Each year, a different location is selected for the run. The prospects that are to be initiated that year pick a battlefield where blood was shed on American soil, defending our freedom. Fort McHenry, the only National Monument and Historic Shrine in the U.S., was chosen for this year’s run.

According to Bob Kasper, current President of the Paladins MC, the club was formed in 1998. Founding President J. Kelly McCann and several future charter members went to that year’s Rolling Thunder Ride to the Wall. Aware that Rolling Thunder’s mission is to publicize POW/MIA issues and to help veterans from all wars, Kelly asked, "What is there for those who serve, fight, and give their lives for the low-intensity conflicts throughout the world?" As Bob describes it, a low-intensity conflict is classified as military activity where war has not actually been declared. This includes some of the most high-risk environment operations in the world in places such as the Middle East, Kosovo, Bosnia, Central and South America, Indonesia, Africa, and other hot spots of political unrest.

A retired Marine Corps Major, Kelly was a special operations officer and is a leading authority on personal protection, special operations, and high-risk environment training. His unusual set of skills has enabled him to build Crucible Security Specialists, a Falmouth, Virginia company that specializes in domestic and international security operations as well as training seminars in security, defense, and protective services.

Within days of the 9-11 attacks, Kelly appeared on national news programs to comment on terrorism, special operations conducted in the war in Afghanistan and to analyze events in the domestic war on terrorism. During the past year he's appeared on over 800 national broadcasts including "Fox News", "American Morning", "Larry King Live" and the "Today Show." The television appearances showcased his extensive security expertise and resulted in his becoming CNN's security analyst, frequently appearing on national television.

 Sending out the troops

With the background of the Paladins in mind, I was somewhat apprehensive, yet decidedly curious, about what type of men I would be spending the day with. My trepidation lessened almost immediately with the warm welcome I was given at the start of the ride, and was further eased by the joking and easy camaraderie I observed. At exactly the appointed time, Troop B saddled up and we set off for Maryland, where the link-up with Troops A and C was to take place. Some of the members noticed a Maryland State Police car had been following the caravan. At our first service area stop for refueling, Moop, one of the LEOs in the club, paid a ‘visit’ to the trooper. As the trooper explained to Moop, "I thought you guys were outlaws." Moop set him straight, explaining that the Paladins were on the right side of the law. Most of the club members thought this situation quite humorous - in their line of work, high-security clearance is necessary for most of the men and nearly impossible to obtain if there is even so much as a misdemeanor on one’s record.

Right on schedule, we arrived at the second link-up spot to rendezvous with Troops A and C for the final leg of the journey to Baltimore. Much hugging and back-slapping ensued; many of the guys hadn’t seen each other for a year or more. A number of club members are active in the armed forces or working with U.S. government agencies, and many of these men had been deployed overseas. This past year has been especially difficult for those in government service; since September 11 of last year, counter-terrorism efforts have been stepped up considerably.

As Baggr, Vice-President of the Paladins explained, ‘This has been the largest turnout on a run since 9-11 because many of us have been deployed. In fact, some couldn’t be here today because they’re overseas." However, other men who were able to ride in the run today had just returned from their overseas assignments from places such as Afghanistan and Israel. The general horseplay that took place today was much more than just "Hey, buddy, good to see ya." Unspoken were the words "Welcome home, man. Glad to see you’re safe. Thanks for serving."

Pride rose up through the ranks as we rode through the gates at Fort McHenry, the destination for the Prospect Run ceremonies. Here is where the differences between the Paladins and other MCs became apparent. The entire run, including the route, link-up points, destination, ceremonies, and lunch spot, is planned by that year’s prospects. Ratman, one of the prospects this year, had prepared a written brief and gave a short dissertation on the history of the Fort. He explained that Fort McHenry was conceived during the Revolutionary War, finally being built in 1802. It became famous when the British tried to attack Baltimore during the War of 1812. Major George Armistead, the commanding officer, decided at the time, that he wanted "to have a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance." The flag that is waving so proudly today is the same flag that was made for the garrison in 1814.

During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key was among several Americans that were on board an American ship placed behind a British ship in Baltimore Harbor. From a distance of approximately eight miles, Key and his friends watched the British bombard Fort McHenry. After a day and a night of continuous bombing, the British decided to retreat, as they could not destroy the fort. When the dawn broke, and he realized that the British had ceased fire, Key looked toward the fort to see if the flag was still there. It was still flying! He quickly penned the words to a poem he called "Defence of Fort McHenry" which was renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" by an adoring public, then put to music, creating a popular patriotic song. Not until 1931 did "The Star-Spangled Banner" become our national anthem.

After the Battlefield Lecture was completed, the Paladins were free to tour the Fort, agreeing to assemble at the specified time and place in the fort to conduct the major portion of the day’s ceremonies. During this free time, I had an opportunity to talk with some of these men, to find out who they were and what they were about.

Ernie, who is described as a ‘typical member’ of the Paladins, elaborated on his background. He had served as a cryptologist for a U.S. Marines intelligence unit as well as a communicator, with deployments to Grenada, the Persian Gulf, Central and South America, and the Far East. Ernie participated in anti-terrorist operations for the Olympics Team in Los Angeles in 1984, and has completed tours of duty with the National Security Agency. He is also a charter member of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In the 80s, at the direction of then-Commandant, General Al Gray, Ernie formed the elite Radio Reconnaissance unit of the Marine Corps. This experience led him to form his present company, Radio Reconnaissance Technologies, Inc. of which he is President, CEO, and co-owner. Radio Reconnaissance Technologies caters to the special ops community, with 95 percent of his clientele being organizations such as the Department of Defense and other U.S. intelligence agencies.

 Let the ceremony begin

The ceremonies began in the mid-day heat. Each member was presented with a shot glass inscribed with the same logo that appears on the Paladins’ colors – a horse head and sword on top of a winged wheel. Bob, the Paladins’ President, intoned the Warrior Toast. "To enjoy what we’re doing here today – being Americans and riding our motorcycles because of these men. In memory of those who shed their blood for us so we can enjoy the freedoms we have now, for those who are shedding their blood for us today, and for those who will shed their blood tomorrow. To them we toast. Strength and honor."

Following the toast was the Challenge Coin Presentation, which signifies that the prospects are now full members. Challenge coins show that the men presented with coins have passed their qualifications and are now accepted as full members into their specific unit. These coins are to be carried with them at all times so that they can be identified as being part of that unit, or in this case, a member of the Paladins MC. (See the "Coin Check" sidebar in the October issue of THUNDER PRESS.) In fact, the final qualification for prospects is the planning of each year’s Prospect Run, and this year’s ride was carefully planned and flawlessly executed. The Challenge Coin Presentation was followed by another original Paladins MC ceremony, the Coin Exchange. A Paladin carries his coin for one year, then exchanges the coin with another brother in the club so that eventually every man will have carried every other man’s coin. This way, each Paladin will carry a ‘piece’ of every other Paladin with him.

Completing the day’s pageantry was the Rag Ride, an activity I can guarantee will not be found in any other club. The Rag Ride consists of the prospects placing their newly presented rags (vests with club colors sewn on) on the ground, colors side up. Paladin members then queue up on their motorcycles and ride over the entire line of rags in single file. Bob explains, "The Rag Ride signifies Paladins and their bikes, bonding with their new brothers and the road." We all know how important their colors are to most clubs, but to the Paladins, their colors are only a symbol of whom they are. The Rag Ride also shows "The club doesn’t define the men, the men define the club."

With the conclusion of the ceremonies, we rode into the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore to a café on Mount Royal Avenue where another successful Prospect Run was celebrated with food and more toasting. As the men began to open up to this female reporter in their midst, Big G, another member, opined "Riding and camaraderie are what we’re about – real no-shit riding. A lot of people who say they’re bikers don’t really ride or work on their riding skills. We’re not outlaws, we’re not about making money – it’s all about riding, friendship, and commitment to our fellow man. The Paladins don’t recruit; we will ask. And often the right members will just appear. Another common attribute we look for is not bravado or violence, but guys who know how to take care of business if anything goes down. Everyone in the club has already proven themselves in their line of work and in their lives. They don’t need to prove themselves here – you won’t see any ego here."

Just knowing what each of the Paladins does in their respective lines of work illustrates their commitment to counter-terrorism. There is another aspect to their anti-terrorist ideals that Moop related to me. On the Sunday following September 11 of last year, the Paladins MC gathered forces to do something positive in support of the 9-11 victims. The Paladins MC troops that were closest to Washington, DC rode to the Pentagon to drop supplies off. These troops then linked up with another troop at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson in New Castle, Delaware. All troops then rode to Jersey City, New Jersey, where Jersey City police escorted them to Exchange Place. Moop recalled, "When the people in Jersey City heard the rumble of motorcycles, car alarms sounding, and glass store fronts rattling, they got really scared. Then they saw the American flags flying from our bikes, and started cheering."

The Paladins unloaded their supplies, helped others unloading supplies, then as a single unit, walked out onto a pier at Exchange Place. Looking across the river directly at downtown New York City, with the thick black smoke obscuring the sky, they paid silent tribute to those killed just a few days before.

The post-9-11 New York and DC runs still weren’t enough for these men whose lives are based on being of service to others. Once they returned to their homes, they decided as a club to pick a family who lost a police officer in the terrorist attacks, and to give that family financial support. They did some research on police officers in New Jersey, and selected the family of Robert Kaulfers, a Port Authority Police Officer. Kaulfers was off duty and in Hoboken, New Jersey at the time of the attacks. When he saw the buildings get hit just across the river, he went directly to Ground Zero and was killed during his rescue efforts there. The Paladins MC did not do a charity run; that is not their style. Instead, they took a collection among their own members and were able to send the Kaulfers family $2,500 for Christmas last year.

In the company of men

As the day drew to a close, I was starting to get a more fully balanced picture of these extremely dangerous, yet patriotic and compassionate men. They all spoke lovingly of their families, and it was clear that family comes first – even before the club.

It was also revealed to me just how committed these men are to each other. Last year, one of the members was experiencing financial difficulties and had to sell his motorcycle. According to the Paladins MC bylaws, members must be active riders, which meant that this member would have to leave the club. When his brothers in the club learned of his situation, Kelly came up with the idea for each man to chip in $100 apiece to buy him another motorcycle. They were able to find a used Sportster in excellent shape so that he could remain in the club. That club member was riding the Sportster today, and she was a beauty – spotless and running strong. That’s what it’s all about to these men – their strong love of God, their families, their country, and their brothers.

With our appetites satisfied, the day’s activities ended, and we saddled up once more to hit the road. Riding north on the Maryland interstate heading toward Delaware and New Jersey, I realized just how much we all take for granted – not only our liberty, but our very lives. It is men like these that make our freedom possible, and I felt a surge of pride and gratitude to be in the company of such men.

Note: The Paladins MC in this article are not associated with the Paladins MC from Oceanside, California.