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| Charity Motorcycle Ride Honors Fallen Local Soldier, WWII Vets |
A hard day but a fun day -- that's how the father of a fallen local soldier describes a charity event held Sunday that also honored his son.
The Patriot Guard Riders hosted a charity motorcycle ride in the honor of Sergeant Schuyler Patch Sunday. The Kewanee native and Galva resident died last February when a roadside bomb detonated near Afghanistan.
The riders started in Oneida, went through Cambridge, Galva, and Kewanee including Patch's graveside, and ended up in Bishop Hill. Patch's father John tells WGIL he couldn't say no to how the Patriot Guard wanted to honor Schuyler.
"The Patriot Guard approached us, and asked us if we'd be interested in having a memorial ride in Schuyler's name for the Honor Flight for World War Two vets and (Korean War) vets," Patch said. "We said we'd be honored to help these men and women get out and see their memorial out in Washington, so we were all for that."
Patch says it has been a difficult couple of months, but he and his family are doing okay, and are honored upwards of 80 motorcycle riders raised about a thousand dollars for the Honor Flight Program.
Honor Flight officials say the next trip allowing World War Two veterans to see their memorial in the Nation's Capital is October 10th, and they say several Galesburg residents will be attending.
(Riders taking part in the Schuyler Patch Memorial Ride gather at an Oneida business before taking off along their route.)
(Riders arrive in Bishop Hill.)
(John Patch, right, is presented with a banner honoring Sgt. Schuyler Patch.)
(WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 06 14 09 by Newsroom |
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