Veterans motorcycle ride stops in Tuscaloosa on journey to Vietnam Memorial

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Hundreds of veterans on motorcycles stopped at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center as part of the Run for the Wall, an annual cross-country ride to honor missing soldiers.

The riders arrived to cheers, waving hands and American flags. They visited veterans receiving treatment at the facility and ate lunch during their stop.

Gina Nix, who has worked at the Tuscaloosa VA for 22 years, attended with her daughter Maddie.

“We just love our country. And I’ve worked at the Tuscaloosa VA for 22 years. And so, service to country has been part of my entire life. And I love our veterans. Nothing is more important than honoring our veterans,” Gina Nix said.

Maddie Nix said she has family members who are veterans.

“My mom has spent her career serving veterans. It’s something I have grown up knowing the importance of,” Maddie explained. “As an educator, something I want to convey to my students is a spirit of patriotism and love for their country and love people who serve their country and have sacrificed everything.”

The riders are traveling to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day. One of their goals is to get the remains of prisoners of war or those listed as missing in action returned home.

Rod Runyon, a veteran who has ridden in the Run for the Wall for 10 years, said the effort has made progress.

“We’ve got to get them home. Every year, we’ve made some inroads. One of our memorials’ outreach coordinator, her dad, a pilot shot down 52 years ago, and we got his remains home and they’re in Arlington. So that’s what makes it all worthwhile,” Runyon said.

The Run for the Wall promotes healing among veterans and their supporters. It calls for accounting for all POWs, MIAs and service members who were killed in action.

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