Black. White. Gray. Green. Red. On Saturday, Jeeps of all colors and their owners rolled down the streets of Southern Maryland to show the police that they have people who appreciate their efforts and choose to “Back the Blue.”
According to an article by TheBayNet.com, that number turned out to be more than originally expected. Patriotic Jeeps, a nonprofit group, initially thought about 50 to 60 Jeeps would show up for the parade. The final count was 127 vehicles.
Many of them and their drivers were members of Southern Maryland Jeepers, an organization that’s roughly 2,000 members strong. They often take part in patriotic events like “Back the Blue,” as well as parades in honor of the Fourth of July and Veterans Day.
In turn, Maryland State Police supported the “Back the Blue” drivers by keeping an intersection clear so that the US-flag-waving Jeep lovers could get to their final destination: a BBQ joint.
Jeep owners showing up in great numbers to an event is nothing new (there are so many of you out there), but it’s wonderful to see people on both sides of the Thin Blue Line coming together — and Jeeps helping that peaceful union happen.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
