Legacy Run Day 2: Conditions don’t change dedication to the cause

For most of the afternoon between Wichita Falls and Lubbock, Texas, temperatures hit near triple digits, complete with a higher heat index.

The sun had little cloud cover between it and the 190 or so motorcycles taking part in The American Legion Legacy Run, making for the second-straight day of difficult riding conditions.

But you don’t hear the American Legion Riders complaining – even one of those who battled heat exhaustion on the ride’s opening day. Because every Legacy Run participant knows the reason for the ride: The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund.

For Mary Hinrichsen, an American Legion Rider and the president of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 466 in Eureka, Ill., Sunday on the ride was a difficult day. But she was back on Monday, braving the sun as she waited out a gas stop in Benjamin, Texas, while the pumps had problems keeping up with the Riders.

“(Sunday) was a whole lot worse than today. But it’s really hot – especially when you start slowing down,” said Hinrichsen, who took part in the 2019 Legacy Run. “I got overheated yesterday. (The medics) helped me get through that.”

Felicia Rawls, who has served as the Legacy Run’s chief medic for two rides, spent Sunday and Monday tending to any participants showing signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

A member and Legion Rider from American Legion Post 347 in Lady Lake, Fla., Rawls said what makes weather like Sunday and Monday’s offerings – which also included high humidity in Oklahoma – are what cause issues for the riders.

“With this humidity, your body thinks it’s cooling off. And it’s not,” Rawls said. “So when you (come to a stop), it’s hot. And it hasn’t generated that sweat because it thinks it’s been cool. So it’s trying to play catch-up. It’s like putting water on a radiator that’s already been smoking. You spray the outside, but there’s no water inside.”

Rawls said that some of the ride participants may already have other health conditions before even worrying about overheating. “But they still want to go,” she said.

And they do, she said – just as it’s her motivation for riding from Florida to assist with the ride – because of the results that come from the Legacy Run: college scholarships for the children of fallen military and disabled veterans.

“I’m hot on my bike … but I’m like ‘this is for the kids,” Rawls said. “I think it’s great that so many people … they’re so dedicated and devoted to the cause. And something I think is neat is it’s not just about that. It’s about remembering those who served and sacrificed.

“It’s a continuation of a legacy. Being able to provide the scholarships send these kids to college. Who knows, they may be a future Marine, airman, sailor, Coast Guard, who knows? And the legacy just continues.”

For Hinrichsen, any thoughts of quitting the ride, or not participating in the first place, were quickly replaced when she thinks of who benefits from the Riders’ efforts. “The cause is great,” she said. “I debated on whether to come because I knew it was going to be so hot. But there’s a good reason why we’re here. So that’s the whole reason why I do it.”

Honoring American Heroes. The first stop on Monday’s ride was in Gainesville, Texas, for a short ceremony at Medal of Honor Park. The park features a memorial to Medal of Honor recipients, utilizing granite monuments that tell the story of the Medal of Honor. Every brick that makes up the walkway in the park contains the name of a Medal of Honor recipient.

American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford and American Legion Auxiliary National President Nicole Clapp joined with Gainesville Mayor Tommy Moore to lay a wreath at the memorial.

“As I look across all of the bricks, I can’t imagine the stories that we need to continue to tell that don’t get told the way they used to in school,” Clapp said. “For us, this is a part of our Legacy Run: to be a part of the legacy of Medal of Honor recipients.”

In addition to serving as mayor, Moore serves as president of the Medal of Honor Host City Program, which was started in Gainesville in 2001 and since then has hosted 56 of the 74 living Medal of Honor recipients during visits that include ceremonies parades and banquets. In 2012, Rand McNally named Gainesville the most patriotic small town in the nation.

“It’s a huge honor for us to have the Legacy Run come through here,” Moore said. “The patriotism among your Riders here is overwhelming to me: to see their self-sacrifice … and continuing their service.”

A Break from the Heat. The Riders were treated to a lunch stop at Thomas Fowler American Legion Post 169 in Wichita Falls. The post is the home to a fledgling American Legion Riders chapter that formed in January 2020.

For ALR Chapter 169 Director Craig Rause, having the Legacy Run stop by is a good way to raise awareness about his own chapter. “It is kind of a thrill because we’re starting to get the word out there because we actually have (a chapter) here,” he said. “(The ride) is just one things the Riders are out there doing. We were really happy and really thrilled to be asked.

Department of Texas Commander Bret Watson was there to greet the ride. “Texas, as big as it is, if you get anybody wanting to ride through Texas in August, in the heat, we’re glad to see anybody show up,” he said with a laugh. “We look forward to seeing all the Riders making the trip and taking the time out of their business schedules to raise the money for the Legacy Fund.”

Wrapping Up the Day. The ride rolled into Lubbock, Texas, Monday evening, delayed after issues with the gas station on the preceding fuel stop. But members of George S. Berry’s American Legion Family were waiting, complete with a dinner that included enchiladas and fajitas.

Post 575 Commander Rick Hadley was at the door to greet all of the riders as they entered the post. Hadley said having the Legacy Run stop at his post left him “thrilled. I’m thrilled to be able to help. I’m thrilled to be able to pass on some donations we’ve been able to receive.

“I think it’s a good thing for our post. It’s a good thing we’re doing for (the ride). I have been so excited, and our group has as well.”

Hadley said the Legacy Run brings with it an “accomplishment … in this case, to be able to help … veterans’ children go to school who might not have that opportunity otherwise.”

More Donations. Another $38,929 was donated to the Legacy Fund on Monday, including more than $19,000 from the collaborative efforts of Southeastern Texas American Legion Riders, $5,760 from the Lone Star Legacy Run and $4,000 from American Legion Riders Chapter 43 in Naperville, Ill.

A total of $199,048 has been donated during the ride; with donations prior to the Legacy Run, this year’s donation total now tops $614,000.