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Nationwide biker caravan rolls into Davenport honoring fallen military with memorial flame

The 13th annual Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Ride stopped in Davenport on Tuesday as part of its journey from Eugene, Oregon to Arlington National Cemetery.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Around a dozen motorcycles rolled into Davenport Tuesday night hauling a continuously-burning flame.

The riders on the 13th annual Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Motorcycle Ride, are on a cross-country road trip to honor fallen service members. They carry a torch that's always lit to recognize the lives lost.

"I think we're changing lives," said ride executive director Warren Williamson. "We're changing people's perspective of what we need to do to honor our fallen."

It started in Eugene, Oregon on July 9 and the riders will travel around 5,000 miles before arriving at Arlington National Cemetery. During the ride, the group will visit 68 Gold Star families.

"You hear different stories every time we do this, and it's very humbling. I am not afraid to say that I cry, probably as much as the families do," Williamson said. "You come to their home and you share your love with them, and let them know that they're not forgotten."

The motorcyclists were welcomed into the Davenport Elks Lodge on July 19 for dinner and a place to sleep.

"It's very, very moving. Very meaningful," said Elks member Lois Kundell. "This is a great way to highlight them and kind of keep them in the forefront so that people don't forget those that gave their lives."

Some of the motorcyclists on the ride are veterans like Michael Poirier. He served in the Army from 1974-99 and is on his third tribute ride.

"We go to these homes and the families will say to us they're so grateful," Poirier said. "But it's really a blessing to us to be able to do this. It's such an honor and a privilege for us to be able to do this."

In 13 years, the tribute ride has visited nearly 1,100 Gold Star families. One of those family members, Tammy Allen, is now riding her motorcycle part of the way.

She was visited during the memorial ride last year after her son Mitch died in 2010 when he was serving in the Navy.

"Mitch is one of the 22 a day," Allen said. "Me being on this ride, let's the other moms know that there's other 22-a-days. There's so many and we need to get together and try to save just one a day. If we can just save one a day. "We couldn't save my son, but maybe on this ride we can save another. And that's my mission is we can do it, we can do this together."

She describes the group as a family.

"We talked to other Gold Star moms, and we tell each other stories about our kids," Allen said. "It's a good thing. It's a healing thing too. We can come up to these guys and say, 'Hey, we're having a bad day.' And they're like, 'Okay, let's talk about it.'"

The Tribute to the Fallen Soldiers ride will arrive in Arlington on Aug. 7. 

Once there, the closing ceremony will include the announcement of each fallen service member honored during the ride, followed by a single bell ringing for each individual fallen service member. The Memorial Flame will then be extinguished and a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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