Blue Hat Deplores PGR Witch Hunt

I am a PGR "Blue Hat" of 5.5 years in good standing, but that is subject to change. I am writing in regards to the unjust and Baseless attack on the character of former Ride Captain Ted "Frosty" Foster. I attend missions with the Red River Area and have since I joined the PGR. I attended some with DFW area but when I went on my first mission in Wichita Falls I met all the guys and gals up there and was welcomed to the family with open arms. Ted Foster treated me like I was one of the crowd from the very first instant that I pulled up on my bike, as he has with everyone I have seen pull up for the first time since! Male or Female!

Ted Foster, in my humble opinion, has been nothing but the epitome of what the PGR should hope all members strive to be. This man has led every mission with professionalism, compassion, and integrity. I cannot believe that this man's dedication to the PGR mission is even being called into question. Ted lives for the Honor of standing for Veterans and their Families. He has gone above and beyond what is expected of the Ride Captains as well as the PGR. I can tell you that there are hundreds of families here in North Texas that love and respect this man for the comfort and continued friendship he has given them long after the mission is over.

Ted is the face of the PGR in the Red River Area, his reputation in this community is above reproach. Just a ball park figure I would guess this man has stood for 400 missions or more. While the areas Chief RC was rubbing elbows with leadership, Ted was here doing missions, standing tall for those that stood for us, and their families. Any place you go up here with your PGR attire on someone always knows Ted and asks about him as well as talks about him and what he has done for the Veterans in this community.

I have read the trumped up charges against Ted, have not seen any proof of any of them, nor will I because it does not exist. Any collaborated statements as Mr. Mike Childree put it are just pure figment of some ones imagination. Let's stop beating around the bush and say what's really going on here. The Chief RC's wife got pissed off and quit the PGR, she did not take a leave of absence, she did not step down to a blue hat, she did not just stay away from missions and keep her RC status. She let everyone know she quit and walked away. A year later she decides she wants to come back as an RC and because her husband is the Chief RC no one should speak up. Well some did and were asked for their resignations, some threatened to step down if she was made a RC, which they did.

Ted is accused of being a misogynist, this would be funny if it wasn't so laughable, this man has gathered up riders from our area to go help Lady RCs in the Panhandle Region as well as the Southwest Oklahoma Region. Ted has the full respect of the men and the ladies. There is a lady RC that walks around with a chip on her shoulder though, right after she returned I invited a couple of my friends from another area on one of our missions, they told me they would not be back because of her attitude and the way she talked to people.

He is accused of having a problem with non Veteran Leadership, this is total BS, Ted did his Job 100 percent of the time no matter who the main RC was. He carried out every mission with the utmost respect, he gave his all at every mission. This came up when Ted was not even in the conversation, a certain RC that was going to step down and changed his mind at the last minute made a statement during a conversation after the mission that Chief RC was the head RC and pictures where posted of flags laying in the bushes by one of the Chief RC's friends. A gold star parent was called by a Veteran friend of his and told about it. The statement was made that all the Veteran Ride Captains had stepped down and if they would have been there, there would not have been any flags in the bushes. I can tell you for a fact that it would not of happened under Ted's watch, he would have been there that instant, and if the person that put that flag there needed a break, he would have relieved him. Having said that the RC that did not step down took issue with the gold star parent's statement about Veteran RCs. Ted was no where in or around the conversation.

Let me be clear, Ted is not and never has been the problem in this area, without him and the RCs that stepped down there wouldn't even be a PGR presence in this area, it is their hard work that gave the PGR the footing that it has here, it is Ted and the other RCs that stepped down whose reputations built this area. The lady that put the Honor Flight Movie Theater deal together came to Ted, I was standing there in a group talking to him when she came up and asked him if he could get some Veterans together and some flags, she said he could even put some bikes up on the side walk, he made sure she knew that he was with the American Legion Riders and not the PGR. It was a week later that the Chief RC's wife went in and solicited for the PGR to stand a flag line, problem was she did not talk to the lady that was in charge.

There are people that do the job, bust their butts to make sure things are done and done right. Then there are the ones that show up after the work is done and claim the credit, Ted and the RCs that stepped down are the ones that did the work. To treat Ted with the disrespect he has been treated with after 7 years of busting his rear for the PGR is wrong. To assault a man of his integrity without even questioning where it comes from is wrong. Everyone is watching, if a man that has given his all for 7 years with an impeccable reputation can be railroaded like this, anyone can.

Thank you for your time and consideration. In closing I will just say these charges are so far out of line it makes one question leadership and the PGR steps that have been bypassed on this witch hunt.

Michael R. Caudle
PGR Member 5.5 yrs.
USMC Vet. 76-84
Owner: M&J Transport
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