Charlene and Will Wilkinson
2008 Chapter “B”ee
Couple of the Year

    First, we would like to say we’re honored to be selected as Chapter B’s Couple of the Year.  We’ll do our best to be ambassadors for the Chapter but would love some pointers on how to improve. 

    Our story began many years ago in a place called Mountain Home, Idaho.  Charlene was stationed at Mountain Home AFB and I had just been station there in August 1984.  An old friend was already there and invited me over and that is where I met Charlene.  It took a little time for us to get together but we started out our first real date on a hunting trip.  At that time, I considered myself a real outdoorsman.  I came equipped with camping gear, guns, and fishing gear.  I was really in to re-loading and cast some of my own bullets.  Charlene had some of the same items I had for the outdoors which I found impressive.  Off we went on a hunting trip with some of my other friends.  One of the fellows called every one else and informed them that I was bringing a girl, and asked if they still wanted to go.  That trip was fruitless, we were hunting elk and didn’t even see one, but we had several trips after that where a deer came home with us.  As a matter of fact, on our honeymoon I bagged a deer.  What a way to start married life, I was bringing home the groceries. 

    At the time we met, Charlene had a Honda Silver Wing 650.  I had sold my bike before I was transferred so Charlene had to ride behind me on her bike.  I don’t believe anyone in our Chapter has seen that yet.   Charlene was a member of the Idaho Motorcycle Club Mtn Home Chapter.  She did a lot of riding with them prior to my arrival. 

    We were married Oct 24, 1986 and in April of 1987 Charlene had an assignment to Spangdahlem Germany.  We managed to get in the same country but not at the same base.  We spent two years there and then to Cannon AFB, NM.  After a few years in Clovis, NM, I retired and a couple years later, Charlene retired from the US Air Force. 

    We went to Kentucky to try to do a little farming and Charlene decided to finish college.  She graduated from Western Kentucky University with a BS in Accounting in May 1999.  I had some friends in Biloxi and they invited us down to their daughter’s wedding.  We liked Biloxi for a couple reasons, opportunity for jobs and Keesler AFB where we could actually use some of our retirement benefits.  My friend called in Jan 2000 and said DuPont was hiring and I needed to get down here.  We sold everything we had in Kentucky: house, furniture, farm, cows, boat and my horse and headed south to Biloxi.  We lived in our fifth-wheel trailer until April when we purchased our home.  I got a job at the Isle of Capri in February and Charlene got a job at Park Place Entertainment in April.  We’ve changed jobs a few times since then but have settled in.

    We bought a jet ski but that didn’t do it for us, then we bought a boat and time didn’t permit us to do anything with that.  I decided that I needed a motorcycle again.  I really missed riding so I purchased a VTX 1800 and shortly thereafter Charlene got a VTX 1300.  We enjoyed riding when we could but Charlene missed group riding.  I had a short fling when I traded my VTX in on a Hayabusa and Charlene countered by trading in her VTX for a 2005 Yellow Gold Wing which she still rides today.  That ended our riding together because I wanted to go and she wanted to cruise.  It was not pretty.  She would tell me how wonderful her bike was and after hearing that over and over, I started sneaking rides on her bike when she wasn’t around.  I didn’t really sneak because I did tell her.  The bike won me over and I sold my Busa and went for a 2006 Titanium Gold Wing which I ride today. 

    So how did all this lead to Chapter B?  After an acquaintance from Charlene’s work introduced us to a few of his Wing World magazines and told us how we could get one of our own, Charlene signed up to GWRRA.  I believed I had to nudge her a bit on that. We didn’t know much about GWRRA except for the fact the magazine was awesome.

    Shortly thereafter, we received an email from the Chapter Director of MS Chapter B, Carey Battaya, telling us about the Chapter’s sponsored event called the “R’Ides of March”.  I had to work that day, but Charlene went to the event.  She said she had a wonderful time and I needed to meet this group of wonderful people.  They even moved the eating back so I would have time to change and get on my bike to ride to the restaurant.  We went to the eating and she was right, they were a great group. 

    Later Charlene became the Chapter Treasurer and I just love being a JAM (just a member).  We’ve enjoyed many rides and fellowship with the group and look forward to many, many more.  We love our Chapter and have met many GWRRA members who have welcomed us with open arms.  We hope to project this open arms kind of organization to others who have been looking for that ultimate ride with great friends.  GWRRA is the way to go and Chapter B was our start.  Chapter B took us in; gave us the memories and keeps us coming for more exciting times and that is what I’m told all the buzz is about.  Come see us down here on the coast and we’ll try to do the same.