Build it and he will ride

The first conversation between Dennis “Doc” Smith and Gerard Brinkmann sparked new life into the former Navy Corpsman and also into American Legion Post 24 in Tombstone, Ariz.

Smith, who served eight years in the Navy and later joined the Ohio National Guard in 1998, was deployed as a medic in 2005 to Iraq. After being injured by an IED in August 2006, his spinal cord was shattered during surgery, costing him mobility from the waist down.

“The most significant loss was dignity,” Smith said. “Everybody looks at you with pity. It’s horrible. I didn’t go out many places. I didn’t like the looks. What’s nice about here (the post) is that no one sees a chair. I got a lot of that dignity back.”

Brinkmann, the Riders chapter director at the time, learned of Smith’s long-ago passion for motorcycles during their initial chat. Even though he hadn’t ridden in about 20 years, Smith missed the freedom on the bike. “I love motorcycles. I used to ride,” he said.

That comment gave Brinkmann a mission. “I want to see you ride again, if that is what you want to do.”

Chapter 24 was quick to approve the recommendation to get Smith a bike he could ride.

“I think we needed it,” Brinkmann recalled. “We were coming out of COVID. Everybody was dealing with their own mental crises at the time due to the lack of camaraderie during COVID. The whole American Legion Family here at 24 immediately got behind it.”

Chapter 24 members gave their time, expertise and funding. Donations also rolled in from throughout the area from other Legion posts and community groups. Among them: Chapter 109 in Corona de Tucson and Chapter 141 in Pierce. Gary Button, Riders chapter director at Post 141, donated his almost brand new Harley-Davidson, worth at least $10,000. Overall, about $20,000 worth of motorcycles and cash were raised in roughly seven months.

The Harley needed to be adapted so Smith could freely ride it, wherever and whenever he wanted.

That’s where post and chapter members Ron Heilman Jr. and his father stepped in. They coordinated with Smith on his vision for the bike as they performed the work to build him a motorcycle with a sidecar he could use to stash his wheelchair. They continue providing mechanical support today.

“We’re just backyard mechanics, helping brothers and sisters keep their bikes road-worthy,” the younger Heilman said. 

He recalls the celebration when Post 24 presented Smith with his bike.

“It was tremendous,” Heilman said. “I get emotional, even today. He knew something was going but had never seen it. He had a vision in his head of what it would look like. He had input on different design aspects of it. I was surprised of how well it turned out. It was a proud moment to hand him the keys.”

After the presentation, Smith went for a ride. “It was great. I took it out for a while and got used to everything again. It was fantastic. It was like being home again.”

He is making up for lost time, riding about 30,000 miles in the 2 ½ years he’s had the bike.

It was adapted to allow Smith to shift gears with his hands. A kickstand is unnecessary because of the sidecar.

Smith has his freedom back.

“Ten minutes on the bike and whatever was chewing on me is gone,” he said. “It’s huge for my mental health. When I am on the bike, I’m just like anybody else.”

It has also been life-changing for his wife, Terrie, who had not previously ridden with him. “It helped bring me close to the post family and brought us closer together,” she said. “It’s great with his PTSD, it’s great therapy for him and got us more integrated into the Legion.”

The bike not only gave Smith freedom, it instilled purpose in him and a drive to give back to the post.

“It’s a big post and it’s a lot of work but it’s worth it,” said Smith, now in his third year as post adjutant. “I enjoy it. It’s great to be able to help out. It’s a little way to give back.”

Brinkmann credits Smith with helping the post regain momentum after COVID. “He was the one for us. He brought the post back together. He gave us a sense of purpose. He gave us something to be proud of. He brought us all together as an American Legion Family.”

The custom-built bike not only gives him freedom, it has allowed him to help others with his medical training a few times.

For example, during a ride, the group came upon a crash site where a motorcyclist from El Paso, Texas, went off the road.  

“Before you knew it, Doc was out of his trike, had the guy in a neck brace and was already treating him,” Brinkmann explained. “Once the ambulance arrived, Doc briefed them. They put him on a stretcher and took him away.” 

Brinkmann and Smith shared a special bond, both serving in the same theater of operations at the same time in 2006 in Iraq. “It’s kinda cool to not only help a fellow veteran,” Brinkmann said, “but one who was chewing the same dirt I was back in Iraq. It means a lot to me.”

Smith is grateful for the bike and the opportunity to return the favor. 

“They are amazing,” he said of Post 24 members. “It’s more than I dreamed of, more than I deserve. There’s nothing I can ever do to pay them back for this. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”