Scouts gear up for 59-day OCW fundraiser
The Bike Trip America crew dip their rear tire in the Pacific Ocean from near the Peter Iredale Shipwreck in Hammond, Ore., to start their cross country trip to raise money for Operation Comfort Warriors. (Photo by Lucas Carter)

Scouts gear up for 59-day OCW fundraiser

Ride Across America organizer Bryce Nurding dipped his rear bike tire in the Pacific Ocean, signaling the start of a 59-day, coast-to-coast journey in support of Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW).

After months of preparation and planning, Nurding – along with fellow Boy Scouts Jonathan Williams and Ryan Tallman, and Vietnam veteran Don Child – set out June 18 from Astoria, Ore. Their ride is scheduled to conclude Aug. 15 in New York City, where they will dip their front tires into the water to conclude the event.

“It was perfect weather,” Nurding said after the first day, admitting he was looking forward to dinner and a shower. “It was nice having everyone (Legionnaires, Legion Riders, Boy Scout advisers, friends and family members) come out to say goodbye to us.”

Astoria Post 12, along with its Auxiliary and Sons squadron, recently held a fundraiser and donated $1,000 to support the boys’ goal of $10,000. “We got a lot more charity donations today, which I didn’t expect," Nurding said. "We’ll probably make our goal by the end of the trip.”

Department of Oregon Commander Andy Millar agrees reaching the goal would be great, but that won’t determine whether the trip succeeds. “Even if they just bring attention to Operation Comfort Warriors and let people know that we make a difference with this program that would be great,” he said. “Even if they don’t raise a lot of funds, they can educate people on what OCW is and does.”

The fundraiser has a deep meaning for the adult rider – Child, of Honolulu.

“To me, it’s especially poignant since I was an infantry medic in Vietnam,” he said. “I patched up a lot of people and put them on helicopters. I never knew what happened to them until I saw them turn up in on street corners and in clinics. I was fortunate to be in one piece, more or less. But a lot of people didn’t, and there is still a need for a lot of support for today’s servicemembers.”

In fact, it was Child’s service that helped connect him to the group and fulfill a longtime goal. He had been looking for a cross-country bike ride to join; Ride Across America seemed like a natural fit.

“I started looking at groups that were going in cycling magazines,” he said. “I saw a post by Bryce that said they were looking for adult riders, preferably veterans, to ride along with them. I said, ‘That’s me.’ And I had a ride.”

In actuality, he had more than a ride.

“I am looking forward to, over the course of the summer, seeing the boys physically and mentally mature,” Child said. “It will be interesting. When I signed on, I signed on for a bike ride. But I don’t mind signing on as a mentor, as well.”

To make it through the two-month trip, with some single-day rides exceeding 100 miles, the team will also need help in the communities they travel through. “I’d love it if other posts and departments can meet the boys when they come through and give them a lot of moral support,” Millar said. “They’re going to need it. It's going to be a long trip.”

On the first night of the trip, Post 68 in Clatskanie and its Auxiliary provided a pasta dinner for the team. Other posts have signed on to assist the boys along the way, but there are still opportunities to assist.

Post 68 Commander Jerry Simmons encourages other posts to help out. “We may be from Clatskanie and they may be from Astoria,” said Simmons, who served in the Marine Corps. “But they are supporting us, as veterans, and we need to all work together. It’s like when we were in the service. We all worked together – Army, Navy, whatever.”

On the first night of the trip, Simmons was impressed with the boys. “When I was a Boy Scout, I never would have thought of doing something like this,” he said. “I was a Boy Scout for three years. I think it’s a really good thing that these Boy Scouts are doing. I take my hat off to them.”