By Will Ravenstein
Special Contributor
Motorcycles roared into Junction City Sunday evening as the 36th Annual Run For The Wall closed out their fifth day of a 10-day cross-country trip to Washington, D.C. The annual adventure is one of healing and remembrance for veterans and other supporters.
“What you’re doing is more than a ride,” said Col. Gerald “Jerry” Nunziato, Fort Riley Garrison Commander. “It’s a commitment, a commitment to remember those names who are etched on the Vietnam War Memorial. A commitment to stand for those who never made it home. A commitment to ensure that those who did not come home are never forgotten.”
Nunziato, who served as the guest speaker for the ceremony in Heritage Park, told those in attendance that he had a personal connection with this mission.
“… it’s more personal, not because I’m currently serving, but because of my family,” he said. “I grew up hearing stories of Vietnam from my family. Two of my uncles served, both of them wounded in combat – one of them losing both legs on his second tour. Those stories stayed with me. They shaped how I understand service, sacrifice, and what it truly means to carry the weight of a mission long after the fight is over.”
Junction City Mayor Terry Butler also greeted the riders and community members in attendance. She spoke of her connection to the military and told a story about her husband deploying to the Middle East in December of 1990. A military action that would be called Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
This year’s Run For The Wall also commemorates the memories of those deployed in 1990-91 and marks the 35th Anniversary of the end of hostilities.
Following the ceremony, the riders had dinner provided by Fraternal Order of The Eagles Aerie 830. They will gather again for breakfast provided by the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter KS 21-1, before departing on the rest of their journey Monday.
For more information about Run For The Wall visit www.rftw.us . Riders visiting Junction City are apart of the Central Route, also know as the Mother Route as it was the first of three cross-country routes. The Sandbox Route was added later as a ride from Washington, D.C. to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois.
*More photos are below - Photos courtesy of Will Ravenstein
