Maryland Motorcycle Groups to Escort Precious Cargo into Baltimore

In the early morning hours of July 23, Chuck Ritz of Parkville will ride his 2004 Suzuki Intruder to Bill Bateman’s in Rosedale to meet up with other members of the Iron Shields, a motorcycle group, comprised mainly of members of law enforcement. They'll unite with Middle River resident Vernon C. Odle, president and member of the Baltimore City Firefighters Riding Group (BCFRG). 

Their mission is a lofty one, and one Ritz is very proud to be part of.

The BCFRG is taking the lead while The Iron Shields will be second in formation on this early-morning ride. The riders are one leg of an escort team meant to bring a remnant of an infamous part of American history to rest in Baltimore.

Ritz explained that the Baltimore group is traveling to Delaware to meet a transport convoy that will carry a World Trade Center steel beam, one of the few items remaining after the 9/11 attack.

The beam is a gift from the New York City Fire Department to the Baltimore City Fire Department.

In Delaware, the Iron Shields will meet up with the official transport vehicle, as well as other cyclists taking part in the Iron and Steel Run that includes cyclists from New York to Baltimore. The Iron and Steel Run, as the July 23-24 run has been dubbed, began as a joint effort between two organizations—FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation and New York City Fire Riders MC.

Very few beams remain from the Twin Towers. Baltimore had requested (and been rejected, in the past) to obtain a beam, said Ritz, so it’s quite an honor that Baltimore is getting one of the remaining objects. Ritz says he expects the riders will hit I-95 around 1:30 p.m., actually forcing traffic to a halt for a time as the transport does its job. In other rider events, onlookers have stood in anticipation on overpasses to wave or salute as the riders pass.

Around 2 p.m., The Iron and Steel riders will deliver the beam to the Baltimore Convention Center to correspond with a Firehouse Expo being held there from July 21-23. Part of the opening ceremony will include a slide show by New York Daily News photographer David Handschuh. The photographer owes his life to the firefighters, law enforcement and EMS personnel who uncovered him from a pile of rubble and debris that had crushed his legs during the attack.

The next day the steel will be taken to the Baltimore City Fire Department Training Academy on Pulaski Highway. Ultimately, the beam will become the centerpiece of a memorial the Academy will construct in honor of the 343 New York firefighters who were killed on 9/11.