FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A crowd of bikers stood in silence as the sound of “taps” pierced the air. The Run for the Wall had paused for a stop at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
In the middle of interviewing, John Eckart paused, recognizing the bugle call.
“Time for taps,” he said. “Excuse me.”
As the call rang out, Eckart closed his eyes and lowered his head. Once the song ended, Eckart continued staring in the distance, holding back his emotions.
“It’s hard to hear taps,” Eckart finally said, breaking the silence. He looked down, collecting himself. “Even as just a citizen patriot, it’s just a…” Eckhart’s voice trailed off as he resumed his gaze of remembrance.
The scene at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Frankfort marked one of the many stops for bikers during the annual Run for the Wall.
“It started in California,” Eckart said. “The original bunch I think were primarily from there, and so they just called it the run for the wall, because they’re headed for the Vietnam Wall.”
The motorcycle ride begins in California and takes up the majority of 10 days leading up to Memorial Day Weekend. The ride aims to honor veterans and raise awareness of our nation’s protectors who are still missing.
“That’s what we’re really riding for is for those that didn’t return home,” said one rider, Scott Lewis. “[If] we don’t say their name, they’ll be forgotten.”
One name today was etched in chalk on the asphalt. The full writing read:
SSgt GAIL KEARNS
U.S. ARMY
1049 DAYS HANOI HILTON
PASSED
5/19/24
“He was a POW during Vietnam, spent 1,049 days in the Hanoi Hilton, and he recently just passed away just on May 19 this year,” Eckart informed.
The pack of motorcycles rides two by two but leaves an empty space in the second row. This is called the missing man formation. Eckart has the duty on this trip to escort the missing man.
“That’s just a tremendous sacrifice for our country,” Eckart said, “so that people like me can be out here and ride, we can all ride, because of these previous military veterans.”
The ride to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice comes to an end this Friday as bikers on three cross-country routes reconvene in Washington, D.C.
To learn more about the Run for the Wall, you can visit https://rftw.us
