Tribute to Fallen Soldier motorcycle ride rolls through Redmond

Published 10:03 am Thursday, September 7, 2023

The 21-day motorcycle ride that escorts the Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch stopped in Redmond on Saturday.

Now in its 14th year, the annual Tribute to Fallen Soldiers was in Redmond on Sept. 9, where they will place a wreath at the Veterans’ Wall of Honor on the Hospice of Redmond campus.

The tour arrived at Hospice of Redmond at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The event will include speeches and the opportunity for the public to chat with riders.

“We are very excited to have the Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Motorcycle Ride tour lay a wreath at our Wall of Honor and invite the community to come and honor all those on the Wall who have served,” said Jane McGuire, executive director of Hospice of Redmond.

Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Northwest began in Oregon in 2009 and has since honored more than 800 fallen service members in every corner of the country. This year’s 21-day tribute ride starts in Oregon and then travels through Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California to honor the 48 fallen service members who have lost their lives since 9/11.

“This tour is a perfect tribute to the service members who died protecting the many freedoms we enjoy every day, and we want to honor and remember them alongside these amazing riders,” said Alison McKinney, Hospice of Redmond veterans’ advocate and transitions coordinator.

As dozens of motorcyclists make their way through each state, they stop at scheduled locations for honor visits. Each Honor Visit is made to the family home of one of the 48 fallen service members honored this year. During each visit, the fallen service members’ families will be presented with a memorial plaque of distinguished service to acknowledge the service member’s sacrifice.

The first day of the ride concluded at the American Legion Post 44 in Redmond, where the riders ate dinner and spent the night.

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