Veterans ride motorcycles to help other wounded troops

  About 65 motorcycle-riding veterans made a brief stop in Yuma Thursday on their way to San Diego as part of the Wounded Warrior Project to deliver health, comfort and personal items to wounded military personnel.
 
 The riders left Queen Creek earlier the same morning and were escorting a truckload full of about $55,000 worth of items to veterans recovering in the Camp Pendleton Hospital and the Balboa Medical Center.

  "They do such a great job for the veterans and it is always wonderful to see them come through here," said American Legion Post 19 commander Jim Caley.

  Among the items inside the 24-foot truck, which was donated, were two 42-inch flat-screen televisions, two 50-inch plasma televisions, 200 MP3 players, 400 pajama pants, 300 pair of socks, 300 T-shirts, 200 DVDs, Wii II games and an assortment of hygiene items for both men and women.

  Veterans from American Legion posts in Glendale, Tucson, Peoria, Lake Havasu, Queen Creek and California were participating in the ride.

  As part of their trip, the riders made a stop at American Legion Post 19 here in Yuma, where a benefit luncheon was being held to help raise more money for the organization.

  In addition to some of the proceeds from the luncheon going to the Wounded Warrior Project, Caley said the post was giving the project $700 and other items donated by private individuals and organizations.

  Veteran Dick Merschdorf, who co-founded the project along with fellow veterans Jeff Harbison and Bill Tuttle, said the wounded are taken to hospitals in the United States after their injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan and don't have any of their personal or hygiene items. The project fills that need, he said.

  "We are taking them the little things they don't have," said Merschdorf, a member of American Legion Post 129 in Queen Creek and an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War. "The bottom line is we want them to know we care."

  Merschdorf said American Legion Post 129 and the American Legion Riders Post 19 sponsor the program, which relies heavily on community and business donations.

  "We spend all year collecting items and then we contact the hospitals to see what they need," Merschdorf said.

  Merschdorf, who will have ridden 470 miles on this trip, added that his negative experiences from returning from Vietnam are also contributing to his reasons for delivering the items each year.

  "We want to instill something in our current generation of veterans," Merschdorf said. "Our hope is that we are giving them something that they will carry on to the next vets."

  John Escalante, an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, drove from San Diego to Yuma Thursday morning so he could take part in the final leg of the journey.

  "Getting packages like this helps keeps (wounded troops') spirits up," Escalante said. "Something like this is a worthy cause."

  Escalante, who is active in his American Legion post in Escondido, said he had duty Wednesday night but as soon as he got off he went home, got on his motorcycle and made the 3-1/2-hour trip.

  He added that as an active-duty Marine, he has had friends who have been injured and understands that sometimes they don't get visits from family members and friends due to being sent to faraway hospitals. So he understands the need the project fills.

  Merschdorf said anyone who wants to make a donation to the organization can do so at Union Bank, c/o Operation Wounded Warrior, 20713 E. Ocotillo Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85232.

  After the luncheon, the riders left Yuma with a thunder of revving motorcycles at about 1:30 p.m. and headed out along Interstate 8. 

  Merschdorf added that the group will be taking items to Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio next week.

  The ride, now in its fourth year, gets bigger each year, according to Merschdorf. He said the first year they did it, 12 riders showed up. The second year, there were 48 and last year 157. About 300 riders are  expected to participate this year.

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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.