KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Hundreds of veterans, active service members, and others rode motorcycles through Knoxville on Wednesday, making their way on a cross-country ride to honor service members who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Event organizers say that there are approximately 1,200 riders taking part in this year’s Run For The Wall, a 10-day-long journey that started at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California on May 13. Riders will continue to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
While the riders include those who have served in the military, like Veteran Ivan Acosta, of Springfield, Virginia, and patriots outside of the military, like Robert Batz, of Crossville, on the Run For The Wall, they see themselves as a group working to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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“The camaraderie of the run, everybody gets along. There’s no us and them. ‘I’m a veteran. You’re not a veteran.’ We all get along. It’s one big family,” Batz said. “Anybody we deal with in the public, they’re glad to see us. It’s not a single person with a bad attitude.”
While some riders have been involved with the annual Run For The Wall for years, Acosta said it’s his first year taking part after he was invited by a friend who is a part of the American Legion in Springfield, Virginia…