Our Neighborhood Veterans
by Jim Houck, Jr.
Born on August 31, 1958, to Edward and Shirley Ridenour, at Annie M. Warner Hospital in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was a daughter they named Tina Marie. They brought their daughter back to their home on Kelbaugh Road, between Emmitsburg and Thurmont. Tina has two brothers, Tim and Eddie Jr., as well as two sisters, Valerie and Monica. Her first job was with Catoctin Mountain Orchard, owned and operated by the Black family, who Tina remembers were not only her employers but also felt like family. Tina attended Catoctin High school for two years, from 1972-1974; then she attended Francis Scott Key High School, where she graduated from in 1976. While in school, she played volleyball and helped coach the basketball team. Tina was on the honor roll all four years, and she really liked home economics class and typing.
Tina joined the Marine Corps in July 1976, when she was only seventeen years old (her parents had to sign for her). When she finished boot camp, she went to work for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Inspectors at Parris Island, South Carolina. Her job was checking on drill instructors and making sure the trainees were not being mistreated. Tina met her husband of thirty-nine years, Keith, at Paris Island, while walking with a friend. Two marines were walking behind her and her friend, and starting talking to them. Tina said Keith asked her out, but she was cautious because of the warnings females were given during training classes. Tina remembers that he asked to kiss her on their first date, but she said no; he asked her out again, and they hit it off. She figured he was meant to be the one for her. They got married January 4, 1977, and two days later, she had to be back on base. Keith was stationed in Hawaii with the air station as an air traffic controller. It was a whole year before they saw each other again. They lived in South Carolina, where Tina became chief of staff in recruiting for the rest of her tour. She left the Marine Corps in 1979; she also had her daughter, Kimberly, on November 27, 1979. They left South Carolina and moved to Amarillo, Texas, for a short time—that is where Keith is from. Keith got on with the Federal Aviation Administration and moved to Texarkana, Arkansas, for a while. From there, they went to Albuquerque, New Mexico. They were in Albuquerque from 1980 until 1990. In 1990, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, for Keith’s job; they lived there for eight years. They then moved back to Albuquerque and have lived there up until the present time and consider that their home.
Tina was a legal assistant for seventeen years, working her way up from a clerk typist to running the law offices for several different law firms. While they were in Albuquerque, Tina, Keith, and Kimberly, got involved in hot air ballooning as a family activity to do together. Tina worked her way up to be vice president of National Federation of Balloon Flyers of America. She said that being a female she had to prove herself; aviation was considered a man’s world, as well as being vice president of this organization, and she wasn’t a pilot, but she got really involved in it and proved herself, working her way up the ladder. Tina also started a ballooning youth program that is still going on today, and from that, a balloon academy for kids was started to keep kids involved. Tina is part of that legacy and is very proud of it. She started it because her daughter and other kids were bored, and she thought that would give the kids something to do. She went to the national organization; it took them two years before they said yes, and that was in 1990. They flew their balloon for twenty-two years; they still have it, but don’t fly it as much because they got into riding motorcycles. Keith was stationed in Hawaii and Tina was stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, and while in Hawaii, it was cheaper to ride a motorcycle, so Keith rode one. When he came back to the states and they had their daughter, Keith got out of riding motorcycles, until their daughter left home and got married. Then Keith got his motorcycle, and Tina rode on the back for about a year and a half. Then Tina and her daughter took riding classes and got their licenses together. The following month, Tina got her own motorcycle; they have been riding ever since. Tina sold Harleys for a couple of years and also sold racing bikes, and like aviation, she had to prove herself at that job.
Tina became president of several Harley Davidson bike clubs. She started a women’s riding group, American Women Riders, and it is still going today. Tina rides with the Patriot’s Guard Riders when they have missions, for instance, to escort homeless Veterans who need to be buried to honor them, and she likes doing that. She is Regional Commander for Nation of Patriots. There is one flag flown from motorcycle to motorcycle that hits forty-eight states in one hundred days. It starts in Milwaukee Memorial Weekend and ends up in Milwaukee on Labor Day Weekend. Tina is the only female Regional Commander to have done that from New Mexico to Arizona. Tina just finished the ride, and out of all the states, hers is the longest ride, and she has been doing it for seven years now (385 miles from Albuquerque to Flagstaff).
Tina had started a new job at Indian Motorcycle a week before doing the Nation of Patriots ride and will be returning to work there. When they hired her, she told them she needed three weeks off to do the ride and they said no problem. She will be doing marketing work for their new Indian motorcycle, but will still ride her Harleys, but if they give her an Indian, she will ride it, also. Albuquerque is their home since they have lived there for so long. Tina said that Thurmont and Emmitsburg are home, also, but her life is now in New Mexico. She said she still gets homesick and still wants to see her family, but she has been away from home since 1976. While here, Tina and Keith rode through the Gettysburg Battlefield, which was on her bucket list.
Tina said that people ask her why she joined the Marine Corps, and she tells them that she wanted to make her mom and dad proud, and she thought the Marine Corps was the best way to do that. Folks, I think she has accomplished what she set out to do. I knew and worked with her dad, and I know that he was very proud of her. I know her sister, Val, and I know she is proud of her, also. Val tends bar at Francis X. Elder American Legion Post 121 in Emmitsburg and also AMVETS Post 7 in Thurmont, and she does a fine job at both places. I hope some day all of you get to meet Tina Marie Reeves, because she is friendly, outgoing, intelligent, and most of all, loves her country and is a Marine Veteran. I am very proud and honored to have been able to meet and talk with her.
God Bless the United States of America, God Bless the American Veteran, and God Bless You.
Tina Marie Reeves E-3 United States Marine Corps
Born on August 31, 1958, to Edward and Shirley Ridenour, at Annie M. Warner Hospital in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was a daughter they named Tina Marie. They brought their daughter back to their home on Kelbaugh Road, between Emmitsburg and Thurmont. Tina has two brothers, Tim and Eddie Jr., as well as two sisters, Valerie and Monica. Her first job was with Catoctin Mountain Orchard, owned and operated by the Black family, who Tina remembers were not only her employers but also felt like family. Tina attended Catoctin High school for two years, from 1972-1974; then she attended Francis Scott Key High School, where she graduated from in 1976. While in school, she played volleyball and helped coach the basketball team. Tina was on the honor roll all four years, and she really liked home economics class and typing.
Tina joined the Marine Corps in July 1976, when she was only seventeen years old (her parents had to sign for her). When she finished boot camp, she went to work for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Inspectors at Parris Island, South Carolina. Her job was checking on drill instructors and making sure the trainees were not being mistreated. Tina met her husband of thirty-nine years, Keith, at Paris Island, while walking with a friend. Two marines were walking behind her and her friend, and starting talking to them. Tina said Keith asked her out, but she was cautious because of the warnings females were given during training classes. Tina remembers that he asked to kiss her on their first date, but she said no; he asked her out again, and they hit it off. She figured he was meant to be the one for her. They got married January 4, 1977, and two days later, she had to be back on base. Keith was stationed in Hawaii with the air station as an air traffic controller. It was a whole year before they saw each other again. They lived in South Carolina, where Tina became chief of staff in recruiting for the rest of her tour. She left the Marine Corps in 1979; she also had her daughter, Kimberly, on November 27, 1979. They left South Carolina and moved to Amarillo, Texas, for a short time—that is where Keith is from. Keith got on with the Federal Aviation Administration and moved to Texarkana, Arkansas, for a while. From there, they went to Albuquerque, New Mexico. They were in Albuquerque from 1980 until 1990. In 1990, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, for Keith’s job; they lived there for eight years. They then moved back to Albuquerque and have lived there up until the present time and consider that their home.
Tina was a legal assistant for seventeen years, working her way up from a clerk typist to running the law offices for several different law firms. While they were in Albuquerque, Tina, Keith, and Kimberly, got involved in hot air ballooning as a family activity to do together. Tina worked her way up to be vice president of National Federation of Balloon Flyers of America. She said that being a female she had to prove herself; aviation was considered a man’s world, as well as being vice president of this organization, and she wasn’t a pilot, but she got really involved in it and proved herself, working her way up the ladder. Tina also started a ballooning youth program that is still going on today, and from that, a balloon academy for kids was started to keep kids involved. Tina is part of that legacy and is very proud of it. She started it because her daughter and other kids were bored, and she thought that would give the kids something to do. She went to the national organization; it took them two years before they said yes, and that was in 1990. They flew their balloon for twenty-two years; they still have it, but don’t fly it as much because they got into riding motorcycles. Keith was stationed in Hawaii and Tina was stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, and while in Hawaii, it was cheaper to ride a motorcycle, so Keith rode one. When he came back to the states and they had their daughter, Keith got out of riding motorcycles, until their daughter left home and got married. Then Keith got his motorcycle, and Tina rode on the back for about a year and a half. Then Tina and her daughter took riding classes and got their licenses together. The following month, Tina got her own motorcycle; they have been riding ever since. Tina sold Harleys for a couple of years and also sold racing bikes, and like aviation, she had to prove herself at that job.
Tina became president of several Harley Davidson bike clubs. She started a women’s riding group, American Women Riders, and it is still going today. Tina rides with the Patriot’s Guard Riders when they have missions, for instance, to escort homeless Veterans who need to be buried to honor them, and she likes doing that. She is Regional Commander for Nation of Patriots. There is one flag flown from motorcycle to motorcycle that hits forty-eight states in one hundred days. It starts in Milwaukee Memorial Weekend and ends up in Milwaukee on Labor Day Weekend. Tina is the only female Regional Commander to have done that from New Mexico to Arizona. Tina just finished the ride, and out of all the states, hers is the longest ride, and she has been doing it for seven years now (385 miles from Albuquerque to Flagstaff).
Tina had started a new job at Indian Motorcycle a week before doing the Nation of Patriots ride and will be returning to work there. When they hired her, she told them she needed three weeks off to do the ride and they said no problem. She will be doing marketing work for their new Indian motorcycle, but will still ride her Harleys, but if they give her an Indian, she will ride it, also. Albuquerque is their home since they have lived there for so long. Tina said that Thurmont and Emmitsburg are home, also, but her life is now in New Mexico. She said she still gets homesick and still wants to see her family, but she has been away from home since 1976. While here, Tina and Keith rode through the Gettysburg Battlefield, which was on her bucket list.
Tina said that people ask her why she joined the Marine Corps, and she tells them that she wanted to make her mom and dad proud, and she thought the Marine Corps was the best way to do that. Folks, I think she has accomplished what she set out to do. I knew and worked with her dad, and I know that he was very proud of her. I know her sister, Val, and I know she is proud of her, also. Val tends bar at Francis X. Elder American Legion Post 121 in Emmitsburg and also AMVETS Post 7 in Thurmont, and she does a fine job at both places. I hope some day all of you get to meet Tina Marie Reeves, because she is friendly, outgoing, intelligent, and most of all, loves her country and is a Marine Veteran. I am very proud and honored to have been able to meet and talk with her.
God Bless the United States of America, God Bless the American Veteran, and God Bless You.