Memorial ride Aug. 19 in honor of Rockford SEAL Tumilson

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

“Rumbling on the Plains,” a motorcycle and other vehicle ride and public event in memory of J.T. Tumilson, will be held Saturday, Aug. 19, beginning and ending in Rockford.

Organizers said 100% of the proceeds will go to veterans organizations.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Jon Thomas “J.T.” Tumilson of Rockford was a Navy SEAL who was among 30 American armed forces members and eight others killed Aug. 6, 2011, when their Chinook helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade en route to a combat mission in Afghanistan.

The event Aug. 19 is sponsored by the American Legion Riders Post 278, and will begin with registration from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Turnbull Transport Services in Rockford, with “kickstands up” at 9:30 a.m. to begin with a parade through the Rockford Cemetery.

Although designed as a motorcycle poker run ride, other vehicles are welcome, organizers said.

Stops along the way are:

• 10:30 to 11 a.m. – TJ’s Bar & Grill in Greene.
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Pete & Shorty’s in Clarksville for dinner.
• 1 to 1:30 p.m. – Cliff’s Place in Horton.
• 2 to 2:30 p.m. – The Hide-A-Way in Ionia.
• 3 to 3:30 p.m. – The Pub in Charles City.
• 4 p.m. – ride ends back at Turnbull Transport Services in Rockford.

A public meal will be available in Rockford beginning at 4 p.m., provided by Flyin Bull BBQ. Other attractions that evening will be a live DJ, raffles and door prizes.

For more information on the event, contact Alan Christeson at 641-420-3817 or gambler1@myomnitel.com, or Mike Ross at 641-330-5951 or merlegionrider@gmail.com.

The event is being billed as “Remembering J.T. Tumilson’s Last Ride.” Dozens of Patriot Guard Riders and American Legion Riders motorcyclists were part of the procession for Tumilson’s funeral on Aug. 19, 2011.

The downing of the Afghanistan mission in 2011, known as callsign Extortion 17, is the greatest single loss of American military personnel during the war in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, and the greatest single-incident loss in Naval Special Warfare history, according to the Navy SEAL Museum.

Casualties of the event were 17 Navy SEALs, one military working dog handler, four Naval Special Warfare support personnel, three Army Reserve personnel, two Army personnel, two Air Force pararescuemen, one Air Force combat controller and one U.S. military working dog, along with seven Afghan National Army commandos and one Afghan interpreter.