I had previously been to Michael Jackson’s house in Las Vegas and really enjoyed myself. So this time when I received another invitation, I was excited to go. However, on this visit, the focus would not be on Michael Jackson, but on a visitor that had come a very, very long way to get there.
Going inside the house, we were greeted by Jonathan Warren, the caretaker of the estate, as well as the Honorary Consulate of Monaco. Also in the house were dozens of other people, many holding offices representing either France, Monaco or other countries. It made sense because the reason we were all there was to see “Bony,” a 1918 Harley-Davidson Model J that was in the process of making a 5,600 mile journey from Mobile, AL to San Diego.
Frenchmen Christophe de Goulaine and Pierre Lauvergeat owned the motorcycle, and they brought it back to the USA after 100 years to honor the relationship between the United States and France. This bike served troops well in World War 1, and this was the first time it had been back on American soil since it left our shores. They have visited places all over the country sharing the story of this amazing machine and making new friends along the way. This was the latest stop, and we were all grateful that we were able to spend just a few hours learning the story of how this trip came about and how much the USA and France have helped each other through the years.
Although I did not grow up here, and my knowledge of American history is limited, I could appreciate the things I learned on this night and how important it is to preserve the links to our past such as this motorcycle. It is amazing how much this Harley-Davidson has been through and seen, and yet these men were able to get it up and running and actually DRIVE it across the country. Everyone whose paths they crossed are better for it and it serves as a great reminder that both France and the USA have been through so much to enjoy the freedoms we have.
It was truly a wonderful evening.
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