Patriot HS Celebrates Citizen's Patriot Honor Ride for Veterans

Col. Gary West with friend Tammy West at the Patriot High School Patriot Honor Ride Ceremony.

The Patriot High School community gave a warm welcome to Bristow resident Col. Gary West who is participating in a 2,500-mile Patriot Honor Ride bike tour to honor the U.S. military’s fallen heroes, disabled soldiers and their families.

Gary ‘Gumby’ West is a Braemar resident and pastor at Chapel Springs Church in Stafford (an off-shoot of its Bristow church); however, before that, he was a U.S. Air Force Colonel who had flown over 130 combat missions over the skies of Iraq and Bosnia.

West served as executive officer to Combat Operations, the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and was a working at the Pentagon on 9/11/2001 during the infamous terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Having been so fortunate in his life and military service to survive various perilous situations, West wanted to give to those who had been less fortunate.

Col. Gary West salutes the Patriot High School seniors carrying the 16 commemorative flags.

“I’m a retired veteran and I had three combat tours. I got to come home from each of those tours,” West said, noting that his family also got to have him back each time. Feeling blessed, he started asking himself, “How can I bless others? How can I honor other family members who do not have the same reality?”

West has pledged to ride 25-hundred miles on his bike to support the charity Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships for disabled veterans and their children as well as scholarships for military spouses and the children of military men and women who died in combat.

To raise money for the charity, West organized the Patriot Honor Ride. He set the ambitious goal for himself three years ago and has been training on his bicycle ever since.

This summer, West embarked on the journey to raise $60,000 over 60 days and hopes to complete the ride before his 60^th birthday. By the time his journey is completed, he will have traveled to 15 states and Washington, D.C. to honor men and women who gave so much for their country’s safety.

Gary West rides into Patriot Stadium as the football team gets into alignment on the field.

West arrived at Patriot High School’s football stadium just after 4 p.m., Monday. He rode one lap around the school's track while Patriot’s marching band performed the Star Spangled Banner, and was greeted with a standing ovation from community members.

West introduced himself and his cause, telling the attendees he could not participated in a patriot ride and not stop as his local high school, Patriot.

“I’m just a neighbor who lives up the street, out for a little bike ride,” he said.

West invited marching band seniors to take part in the solum ceremony by unfolding and presenting six U.S. flags, each of which represents a fallen soldier from a different state.

Then, West honored fallen hero, Army Capt. Phillip Esposito from Troy, New York. Esposito was 30-years-old when he in died Iraq in 2005. His family now lives in Virginia.

Students present and fold the flags.

As part of his honor ride, West is biking approximately 40-miles per day. That day, he set out from Beltsville, Maryland, and stopped to participated in a ceremony on the National Mall in D.C., before arriving at Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia just a mile or so from his home.

While on the National Mall, West met with Lt. Col. Connie Rosser, a disabled Army veteran, and her daughter Morgan who signed his following car.

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West said he was happy to be back in his neighborhood and have the support of his community and especially the Patriot High School Marching Band.

Readers can donate to Gary West’s Patriot Honor Ride via the website: patriothonorride.com. Thus far, West’s ride has raised over $20,000.