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| Standing for the National Anthem prior to the 850-mile Legacy Run. Photo courtesy of the American Legion Legacy Run Facebook Page. |
The 350 bikers that gathered in Virginia last month for an 850-mile ride to Florida may have been loud and a little rough looking, but their intentions were good as they raised over $1 million for scholarships.
I was one of
those rough-looking bikers who took part in the five-day American Legion Legacy
Run. Since 2006, we have raised more than $16 million for scholarships for
children of U.S. military personnel killed since September 11, 2001, and now for
the American Legion’s Veterans & Children Foundation. Each year the ride ends
in the host city of the National American Legion Convention.
I have participated in the ride for 12 years and it has allowed me to visit many different parts of our great country. This year I left home on Saturday, August 16 on my 2025 Harley Ultra and headed for American Legion Post 8 in South Boston, VA. I joined up with hundreds of bikers who had to register, receive their “flight assignments” and details for departure the next day. You might think motorcyclists are a freewheeling and carefree bunch, but to participate in this trip, the riders and bikes had to undergo an inspection to ensure safety and respectability. If a bike was not up to standard, the rider wasn’t permitted to participate. There were also rules about clothing with questionable sayings, obscenities, etc. For clarity, it wasn’t allowed.
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| Getting Instructions Before the Ride |
The riders were
mostly veterans, therefore the event had somewhat of a military feel. Each day
the ride was kicked off with a prayer, the National Anthem, and a safety
briefing. We were always escorted by police and safety vehicles and some riders
completed the whole journey, while others only did part. Regardless, there was comradery
among the participants, who shared stories and built friendships along the way.
The daily rides
also included several stops. This year we were able to attend a wreath laying
ceremony at the U.S.S. North Carolina in Wilmington, N.C.; we toured Fort Bragg
in Charleston, S.C.; and attended another wreath laying ceremony at the POW/MIA
Memorial Museum in Jacksonville, FL, before heading to the final stop at the National
American Legion Convention, Tampa, FL.
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| At the U.S.S. North Carolina in Wilmington, NC |
I was
appointed to the National American Legion’s Americanism Commission; therefore,
I had to attend a couple of meetings when I arrived. After that, I broke off
from the crowd and continued my motorcycle trip to Key West, Florida. It was an
absolutely a beautiful ride down Alligator Alley and across the Florida Keys.
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| At the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S. in Key West, FL |
I look
forward the Legacy ride each year, because seeing the country on the back of a
Harley motorcycle is an awakening experience that allows me to see, feel, and
even smell the environment. I have met a lot of interesting people, enjoyed
local cuisine, and experienced a different way of life on these trips. It’s
something I would love to share with my wife, Mary Jeanne, but she doesn’t
enjoy riding motorcycles the way I do. Because of that, I usually get homesick
and look forward getting back home.
This year,
when I returned home at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday August 24, which was my birthday, I
had clocked in 3,517.6 miles on this trip. I was tired and weather beaten, but
it was a great experience that gave me and the other bikers a chance to care
for our Veterans and their children.
Here's a little video clip of the ride, courtesy of the National American Legion Riders:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/169GeAhXUp/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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| Safe and Sound back in Washington County |
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