Amador County – Nine Amador County American Legion Post 108 Riders embarked on a cross-country motorcycle mission early Monday in a tribute to the military, and especially to those killed, missing, taken prisoner or wounded in the Vietnam War.

The 23rd annual cross country trek is called a mission for the serious nature it holds, especially for veterans of that war themselves, according to Post 108 Riders President Albert “Poncho” Villa, who with two other riders last week discussed the meaning of the ride. All nine locals are going on the ride, called the “Run For The Wall,” for their first time.

Villa and Vice President Brian Dommes said they know it will be a tough ride, emotionally, but they’ve heard about the great reception in some towns where they will stop at Legion Halls along the way, in New Mexico, Kansas and West Virginia.

Villa said “this is the first time to do this for all of us.” Amador American Legion 108 Riders on the trek include Denver Strauss, Jim Mote, Sam Real, Brian Lapworth, Steve Gast, and Ed Medford. The big ceremony is on Memorial Day at the Vietnam Wall. As first-timers, they will all be allowed into the Arlington Cemetery.

They will also stop in Angel Fire, New Mexico, on the way, for a long memorial service, and where a past Amador Rider last year said the “outpouring of support and response from the public is tremendous,” and he rounded a corner and saw thousands of people with flags lining the road on either side.

They left before 8 a.m. Monday, heading to Rancho Cucamunga, from where they set out to Washington, D.C. They expected 200 riders to leave from Rancho Cucamunga, with riders from as far as Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and throughout the United States commonly making the Run For The Wall. Villa said some people ride from the East Coast to California to make the ride.

Rider Vice President Brian Dommes said he is not a combat vet like Villa and some of the other Riders on the trip, but is a Vietnam era veteran, and has talked to many guys “about some pretty bad stuff over there.” He said the Run For The Wall is part of that healing process.

Dommes said past riders say: when they set out, in their 30-bike “platoons,” they will “meet total strangers” and “by the end of the journey, they are going to be your best buddies.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.