World War 2 Vet helped by bikers

Oregon City, Oregon, USA (May 27, 2019) — At 93 years old, James Walker - better known as Buddy - thinks he's found his forever home.

It's situated on the end of a row of mobile homes at Maple Lane Estates in Oregon City. His home faces a large grassy area and trees; it's just the space he was looking for. He just moved in a month ago, after six years of waiting.

To him, despite the imperfections, it's perfect. He knew he'd have a few repairs to make, but it was nothing the World War II Navy veteran wasn't prepared for.

"The pipes under the house were brass and they were too small, and had to be replaced," Buddy explained.

Buddy joined the Navy in 1943. He was just 17 years old at the time.

"My dad said, 'Buddy you sure you want to do this?' And I said, 'Yes, sir. I’m little but I’m tough, and I know they need me.'"

Two years later, he'd find himself on the shore of Hiroshima, five days before Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on the island. He was prepared to die.

"We were going into Japan and [our captain] told us to write home and say goodbye to our families, because we were going to be dead," Buddy said.

This is Buddy Walker. I know, #MemorialDay is about honoring veterans who've died, but I think Buddy's story is timely. He's 93 years old. He tells me when he enlisted at 17, he never thought he'd return home alive. He did. And now, he's being honored. His story #LiveOnK2 at 4pm. pic.twitter.com/CQJYdT0YsQ

— Genevieve Reaume (@GenevieveReaume) May 27, 2019

The atomic bomb ended up saving his life, and he would survive the war, but he does still carry some trauma from his service. Buddy is disabled and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

"We ride with those who can, for those who can’t," Ken “Chopper” Klarfeld, the president of the Oregon chapter of the Disabled Veterans Motorcycle Club, said.

The motorcycle club honors veterans and just recently became a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

"We thought, you know what, we could expand this to help other disabled vets," Ken said.

Now, the motorcycle club works to help disabled veterans in a variety of ways, from home repairs to groceries.

By day, Ken is a contractor. That's how he first met Buddy and learned his story.

"I climbed up on the roof and said 'oh my goodness this place needs a roof in the worst way,'" Ken said.

Buddy knew his new home would need some work, but a project this big, one that would cost roughly $20,000 according to Ken, was not something Buddy was anticipating.

Ken decided he would work with roofers and other companies to make sure Buddy doesn't have to pay. The generosity is something that leaves Buddy nearly speechless.

"I never thought a thing like this would be possible," Buddy said.

If you are interested in learning more or helping, visit their website at: DisabledVeteransMC.net

SOURCE: KTXS12

Rolling Thunder rides off into the sunset

Washington, D.C. (May 22, 2019) — The spectacle of hundreds of thousands of motorcycles roaring their way through the streets of Washington, D.C., to Memorial Day events as part of the annual Rolling Thunder veterans tribute will be a thing of the past after this coming weekend.

Former Army Sgt. Artie Muller, a 73-year-old Vietnam veteran and co-founder of Rolling Thunder, said the logistics and costs of staging the event for Memorial Day, which falls on May 27 this year, were getting too out of hand to continue. The ride had become a tradition in D.C. since the first in 1988.

"It's just a lot of money," said the plainspoken Muller, who laced an interview with a few epithets of regret over having to shut down Rolling Thunder.

Muller, who served with the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam and runs the event out of his home in Neshanic, New Jersey, said it costs about $200,000 to stage Rolling Thunder, which draws riders from across the nation.

RELATED | Rolling Thunder comes to an end

He said the costs include installations for porta-potties and the $30,000 fee charged by the Defense Department for parking at the Pentagon before the annual Sunday ride from there across the Memorial Bridge, four-abreast, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

Muller also said riders have increasingly complained of harassment by Pentagon security and the Washington, D.C., police.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said in a statement that the DoD has "full confidence and trust in the competence and professionalism of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and is prepared to support the 2019 Rolling Thunder ride, as we have for the past 31 years."

Muller denied that waning interest among younger veterans was a factor in calling off Rolling Thunder. The National Park Service declines to give crowd estimates, but Muller said Rolling Thunder had about a half-million participants in 2018.

However, the decision to make this year's ride the last came in December after consultations by group officials with Rolling Thunder local chapters about falling sponsor contributions and other difficulties, he said.

"They were ready to drop it. Let's face it: Everybody loves the military when there's a war going on," but veterans issues can fade into the background in the aftermath, Muller said.

Rolling Thunder, a callback to the first sustained U.S. bombing campaign in North Vietnam known as Operation Rolling Thunder, began as a demonstration to demand answers from the government on missing troops and prisoners of war in Vietnam. It has continued to demand a full accounting on that issue, while paying tribute to the fallen of all the nation's wars.

Over the years, Muller has met with presidents, from George H.W. Bush to Barack Obama. He also met Donald Trump in 2016, when the then-presidential candidate addressed a Rolling Thunder rally.

The Rolling Thunder tradition will continue next year with events planned by local chapters, Muller said, but this year's national event will be the last.

This year's program will begin with the annual "Blessing of the Bikes" at Washington National Cathedral on Friday and a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, according to a Rolling Thunder release.

Following the ride to the National Mall on Sunday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie will address a Rolling Thunder rally at the Lincoln Memorial.

SOURCE: Military Times

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