The apple doesn’t fall far…

Years ago I wrote a book about police and military motorcycles, and while I was writing it, good buddy Mike found a photograph in the New Brunswick Police Department archives of Ralph Dowgin, a New Jersey State Trooper.  The photo is awesome, and Paladin Press (my publisher) instantly knew it would be the cover:

The Trooper on the cover of my book was Ralph Dowgin, who later rose to high rank in the New Jersey State Police.  Coincidentally, the Dowgin family lived one town over from us in New Jersey when I was a kid.   My Dad knew Ralph Dowgin and spoke of him in reverential tones, so when Mike found the Dowgin photo it was extra special to me.

Yesterday, while on Facebook, another photo popped up that had my immediate and complete attention.  Check this out, and then let me tell you the story behind it:

You might be thinking:  Okay, it’s a picture of a guy on a vintage Honda Scrambler, but what’s your point?

Let me tell you:  The man on that Honda Scrambler is Gerry Dowgin.  The photo on the top of this blog has Ralph Dowgin on the cover of my book, and the photo below it has Gerry Dowgin on the cover of Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine.   Gerry is Ralph Dowgin’s son!

Gerry is about four years older than me, so we didn’t know each other growing up, but he knew my cousin Sandy and we knew a lot of the same people in central Jersey.  I just wrapped up a nice telephone conversation with Gerry.  He invited me to ride with him when I’m back in New Jersey, and I invited him to ride with me when he’s out in California.  What a small world we live in!

Good times, folks, and I’m really looking forward to meeting Gerry in person!