Gary
Wetzel is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, awarded for valor,
the highest honor a soldier can receive. He received the commendation
after his heroism during the Vietnam War. His story is unbelievable and
makes you wonder, “How could anyone do that?!”
After losing
his left arm and suffering life-threatening wounds to his right arm,
chest, and left leg, Wetzel staggered back to his gun-well and
eliminated enemy automatic weapon fire, saving the lives of countless
Americans. After eradicating enemy gun fire, Wetzel stumbled over to his
injured aircraft commander and helped drag him to safety, passing out
twice during the task due to a loss of blood.
Nowadays,
Wetzel is an advocate for his fellow veterans, fallen heroes, and the
POW/MIA. Since 1989, he has been involved with Rolling Thunder, the
annual POW/MIA awareness parade in Washington D.C. held on Memorial Day
Weekend. Wetzel has been the lead bike in 16 of the last 22 rides. At
home, Wetzel is a heavy machine operator. When he’s not working or on a
ride, Wetzel spends many of his weekends on the road advocating for
veterans. He asks only for his travel expenses to be paid for when
attending speaking engagements and appearances.
He takes
these rides on “Ruby,” his 1993 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic
that has nearly 140,000 miles on it and is not modified to accommodate
his prosthetic arm. Wetzel says he designed his arm to be able to pull
his clutch in and out and take off. He gets a kick out of people asking
him at red-lights, “How are you riding that bike?”
He says, “Me and God.”
Do
you have a veteran rider in your family or riding group? Do you have a
story about a fallen hero you want to share this Memorial Day? Tell us
about your special soldier on the Eagle Leather Facebook Page.
We honor and remember the sacrifices of those who serve and protect our freedom. Thank you.
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
A Man of Honor – Gary Wetzel
