Veterans ride cross country in the name of unity

  • Published
  • By Kate Blais
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Two memorial walls stand at opposite ends of the country, but stand for the same purpose: to honor veterans who gave their lives for the United States.

For veterans Jeremy Staat and Wesley Barrientos, 4,163 miles is the size of the gap between Bakersfield's Wall of Valor and the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.; and they'll traverse it on their bicycles.

Leaving Bakersfield, Calif., Feb. 19, they've named this endeavor the Wall to Wall cross country ride, uniting veterans everywhere in between, including those at Edwards, Feb. 21 where they set up shop in the Commissary parking lot and greeted passersby.

"Basically the Wall to Wall cross country ride is about igniting the spirit of unity among our veterans throughout the country," said Staat, former U.S. Marine and founder of the Jeremy Staat Foundation, an organization that brings military veteran speakers into the classroom. "I realized that some of these names upon the wall in Bakersfield appear on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. We're trying to break the generational gap between our current conflict veterans and our Vietnam and World War II veterans, bringing us all together as American veterans."

The entire ride spans 100 days, 71 stops, including 10 military bases throughout 15 states. And in a Forrest Gump fashion, the two veterans plan on gathering people who support their theme of unity and invite them along for the ride.

"We're encouraging people to ride with us," said Staat. "We just want people to come together with something as simple as a bicycle ride. We've got people all across the country that are waiting to ride with us."

Staat and Barrientos met while volunteering at the Wall of Valor project in Bakersfield and began planning the ride.

"Jeremy, being the athlete that he is, came up with a great idea of riding bicycles across the nation," laughed Barrientos, former Army infantry, three-time Purple Heart Recipient, and a double amputee who lost both of his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq. "At first I thought he was crazy. I'm not an athlete so for me this way out of my league, so I told Jeremy that it had to be for a good reason."

The pair can think of four especially good reasons.

"We're riding for four different reasons: to raise awareness about veteran suicide; a more efficient VA system; veteran information centers on college campuses; and childhood obesity," said Staat.

The Wall to Wall ride is expected to finish in Washington around Memorial Day to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

"I dedicate all of these welcomes [at each stop] to our Vietnam veterans who never got a warm welcome home," mentioned Staat.

"It's about honoring those who paved the way before us," said Barrientos, who is excited to visit Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was stationed with the 101st Airborne. "We owe them everything."

The next stop on their journey is Barstow Feb. 22, followed by Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center's 29 Palms.

For more information on the Wall to Wall cross -country ride or the Jeremy Staat Foundation visit www.TheJeremyStaatFoundation.com.