More than a hundred motorcycles rumbled into the parking lot at the AMVETS Post 44 Saturday morning for its 16th Annual Patriot Day Observance and Remembrance Ride, an event sponsored by Ladies Auxiliary AMVETS Post 44, AMVETS Chapter 33 Riders FL and AMVETS Post 44 , Plant City, dedicated and patriotic groups of motorcycle riders with unwavering respect for the nation, flag and the military.
The large group of riders started at River’s Edge Bar & Grill in Gibsonton, meandered through the backroads of Riverview, Lithia, Boyette and Valrico and ended at the AMVETS Post 44 on State Road 60. Tickets were $15 per person and benefited James A. Haley Recreational Services, local first responders and veteran programs.
“Our mission is to bring the community together to raise money for great causes,” said Mike Graham, past Commander of Post 44 and a retired Army veteran with 20 years of service.
Eric Cobb, AMVET Post 44 Riders President, led the ride from River’s Edge on a 2014 Harley Davidson Street Glide. “It was a beautiful day for a ride, we didn’t have anybody go down, lot of red lights but it was a good ride,” he said. “We love to ride and have fun and we raised a lot of money.”
Pat Clement, whose husband, a Vietnam veteran, is president of the Plant City Punishers motorcycle club, attended the event with her husband of three years, who bought her a motorcycle endorsement as a wedding present. She rides a 2010 Can-Am Spyder. “I got my endorsement when I was 56 years old so it’s never too late and riding in this event is such a blast,” she said. “Wind therapy is exactly what it is.”
When the ride was over, the party was just getting started. Following the arrival of the procession of motorcycles, an opening ceremony was held, with the crowd of people standing for the national anthem and pledge of allegiance, with many veterans stoically saluting the flag. There was also a 21-gun salute and Taps was played. Food and refreshments were served, Double Barrel Band entertained the crowd and merchandise vendors sold their wares. More than 70 gift baskets were raffled off, thanks to the generous support of members and local businesses and a live auction was held.
Three groups received $5,000 each from the proceeds of last year’s event: Mission 22 (a nonprofit that provides support to active service members, Veterans and their families, including suicide prevention), Veterans Helping Veterans, Inc. and Plant City Police Department (PCPD). In lieu of a cash donation, AMVETS Post 44 purchased several pieces of equipment for PCPD, including scene curtains and a plotter printer for its Criminal Investigations Unit. Captain Robert McClellan accepted a symbolic check at the event.
“This is an absolutely awesome event and the police department is tremendously thankful for what they’re doing,” he said.
McClellan, like most people who were alive during the 9/11 attack, recalls where he was and what he was doing when he found out terrorists had infiltrated the United States in an attempt to destroy its democracy and citizens, an event that would forever alter the New York skyline.
“I was in Puerto Rico at a naval station, had just come off a late night shift and was in my bed when my roommate told me to turn on the tv,” he said. “The moment I turned it on I saw the second plane impact the south tower and we immediately went to work securing the base and locking it down.”
Patriot Day, observed each year on Sept. 11, is a day to commemorate the lives of those who died in the 2011 terrorist attacks on the Wold Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia and those who perished on the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. For Graham, while 9/11 impacted the lives of those who lived through it, the day should recognize all generations of veterans who’ve sacrificed for others. “September 11 was impactful in our lifetime but I think back to our Vietnam veterans and our WWII and WWI veterans, it’s a continuity of never forgetting everyone that sacrificed and have done everything they have so we that are alive today and the next generation have all the things we have,” he said.
Christy Layton, Ladies Auxiliary President for AMVET Post 44, said it’s more important than ever to remember the events of 9/11. “I think unfortunately the farther we get away from it I think a lot of people forget what it’s about and why we’re here,” she said. “For me, it’s about getting the community back together because when 9/11 happened our country really came together and formed a big community and I think we’ve lost that. This is our little way to get that back and also give back to some of those organizations that have to deal with some of the things that happened because of 9/11.”
During the ceremony the keynote speaker, retired Jersey City police officer Joe Sandwith, who shared his experiences during the day of the attack and the days following it; rescuing individuals who jumped into the river between New York and New Jersey in a desperate attempt to leave the city, seeing temporary triage center set up for victims that would never come, seeing New Yorkers covered in soot. The day impacted him and his children. “My kids all wanted to join the service after 9/11, that year or two after was the largest increase of people joining the military,” he said. “There are so many unsung heroes out there.”
Follow the AMVETS Post 44 on Facebook for further information on upcoming events or visit www.amvetspost44.org.