The Sons of the American Legion, Bucktail Post 138 is sponsoring
a motorcycle Ride of Pride that will escort the Vietnam Veterans
Moving Wall exhibition vehicle from the McKean County line into
Smethport when it arrives today.
The event is part of the Moving Wall Arrival Ceremony, which
also includes the March of Honor once the escort arrives in
Smethport.
The escort will form on the Byromtown Road that connects with
Pennsylvania Route 66, 5.5 miles north of Marienville and south of
the Tennessee Gas Pump Station at Pigeon. According to Gerry Ford,
organizer of the escort and SAL Post 138 commander, bikers are
asked to line up no more than two abreast on the road between 9:30
and 11:15 a.m. The escort will leave for Smethport at 11:45 a.m.
immediately following the blessing of the Ride of Pride by the
Christian Riders Twin Tier Chapter at 11:30 a.m. Ford suggests that
riders bring food and drink for themselves while awaiting the
departure of the escort.
At departure, the column will proceed north on Route 66 to Kane,
then turn east onto U.S. Route 6. The escort will then travel the
27 miles to Smethport at an average speed of 25 mph. The
Pennsylvania State Police and U.S. Army National Guard will lead
the Moving Wall exhibition vehicle.
The Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle/Legacy Veterans Motorcycle Club,
Chapter E NY, will lead all the motorcycle groups in the escort.
According to Gary Briggs, president of the Veterans Motorcycle
Club, the group will not lead the Moving Wall vehicle, but will
follow as the first escort group behind the truck as a way of
showing “respect for our fallen heroes.”
Briggs, who is a Vietnam veteran from Andover, N.Y., has been
involved in past motorcycle escorts for the Moving Wall in the
Upstate New York area, where thousands of bikes participated. He
will be a featured speaker at the Remember Our Veteran Father’s
Ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Other groups that will be represented in the Ride of Pride
include God’s Country ABATE (Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward
Education) of Pennsylvania and other New York and Pennsylvania
ABATE chapters; American Eagles Motorcycle Club, Wanderers
Motorcycle Club, the Legion Riders and the Christian Riders.
Motorcycle groups from North Carolina, Kentucky and the Buffalo,
N.Y., area have notified the SAL group that they will be
participating in the ride.
All motorcycle groups, associations and individuals are invited
to participate.
Observers along the escort route are encouraged to bring
patriotic signs, ribbons and tributes to veterans or loved ones
that served or were lost in Vietnam.
The second part of the arrival ceremony will begin when the
escort reaches Smethport and merges with the March of Honor. The
march will be composed of the Smethport Area High School Band,
members of the U.S. Army National Guard, community leaders,
veterans and military vehicles from the Allegheny Arms and Armor
Museum.
The March of Honor will form on West Main Street in Smethport,
then travel east on Main Street once the escort arrives. The march
will pause at the courthouse for a short ceremony, then continue
down Main Street, turn south on Mechanic Street and pause two
blocks later at the Veterans Memorial Bridge for a second
ceremony.
The procession will then turn west on Willow Street and proceed
to the south entrance of Hamlin Lake Park, where the display will
be assembled by volunteers.
The Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall will be on the island in Hamlin
Lake Park in Smethport from June 1 through 5. The Smethport
American Legion Post 138 and the Smethport Veterans of Foreign Wars
2497 are hosting the display.
