Riding with honor in Duluth

It's just past the crack of dawn in the parking lot at Gwinnett Center. Several Gwinnett Police motorcycles are lined up next to each other waiting. Several people mill about, adjusting their bicycles and helmets for the long ride ahead. It's several days into Operation One Voice's second annual Honor Ride, and participants are ready to hit the trail for a long day of bike riding Monday morning.

This ride was designed to honor Lt. Mike Murphy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Afghanistan and received the Medal of Honor for his bravery. In his honor, Operation One Voice set up the honor ride, where cyclists from several police departments as well as Special Forces officers ride across the East Coast to celebrate his life and the sacrifice made for his country.

"This year we are tying it to Sept. 11 to honor all Special Forces members what they're doing protecting us," said Lt. Bill Stevens of Duluth Police, who coordinated the event. "Some make the ultimate sacrifice and we're just doing what we can."

Originally set to begin in Little Creek last weekend and then move to Ft. Bragg in N.C., Tropical Storm Hanna slightly modified those plans. The riders instead drove to Ft. Bragg after making a ceremonial loop in Virginia, then another one in the Tar Heel State instead of a full ride to Duluth. From Duluth, however, the ride went on as scheduled with it culminating at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Friday Sept. 12.

"Little Creek is the East Coast base for the SEALs and MacDill is the headquarters of SOCOM so that's why we chose to start it and end it there," Stevens said.

The route from Duluth took the riders to downtown Atlanta where they participated in a short ceremony at the State Capitol building. From there, it was down to Columbus to wind up in Ft. Benning. All in all, about a 155-mile day according to Stevens.

In order to make it safely through the backroads between these bases, Stevens coordinated with local police jurisdictions throughout Georgia and Florida, asking that they help accompany him and the other riders. While in Gwinnett County, they had the help of Gwinnett Police and the Georgia State Patrol, but once the riders hit the DeKalb County line, they were turned over to DeKalb Police.

Still, it wasn't only Duluth Police making the entire trip.

"I'm helping to escort them on their whole trip," said Cleveland police chief John Foster. "I'm a vet myself and we need to support the troops in anyway we can. My city is in full support of this honor ride."

The bike riders to downtown Atlanta were Duluth police officers Liz Strickland and Randy Samuel, Navy SEAL Tim Puecker and Atlanta police officers Calvin Moss and Rod Woody.

"We joined this because we're really into the cause. It's an honor to be a part of it," said Moss, who along with Woody would just ride to the capitol.

The riders take shifts on the bikes, brand new Trek bikes donated by Cycleworks in Duluth, while others ride along in the two Duluth Police trucks and Foster's patrol car. After the ride is over, Stevens said they would have the bikes fixed up to be donated to injured Special Forces soldiers later in the year.

All donning their navy blue and yellow Honor Ride shirts with the phrase "Bike to remember, bike to honor," the riders each mounted in the saddle and followed the lead of the motorcycles to hit Sugarloaf Parkway and continue another day of honoring those who have fought for this country.
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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