The Tribute to Fallen Soldiers motorcycle ride rolls into Central Oregon this weekend. Redmond marks the first stop on their three-week long journey that spans from Eugene to Tucson.
American Legion Post 44 in Redmond will be serving as headquarters. House Manager Adam Leary is part of the frontline crew, making sure Central Oregon is ready to welcome the tribute riders to town.
“We coordinated with the fire department to also come out with a truck and a flag, coordinated a police escort for them,” he said. “We’re going to allow them to sleep at the top of our building here.”
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The Central Oregon portion of the trip includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Wall of Honor at Hospice of Redmond, and a dinner at the legion post to discuss this year’s journey.
Alison McKinney is the transitions coordinator at the hospice center. She’s thrilled the Wall of Honor was hand-picked as one of the ceremony locations on this year’s ride.
“The executive director for the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers had contacted me about stopping here and doing a wreath-laying ceremony,” she said. “He had come through in June and was very impressed with our tribute to veterans.”
It’s the first major stop on the ride’s journey, and the legion says it’s committed to making it memorable.
“It means a lot to us because as veterans, we really are constantly thinking about our comrades who are still overseas,” Leary said. “A lot of these soldiers who have passed recently are still in our hearts, and we really want to be a part of honoring them. This is one way we can do that.”
The riders will stay at the legion Saturday night, then depart on Sunday morning to continue their six-state 21-day journey.
