Veterans and local law enforcement agencies traveled through Tooele County last Thursday morning on their way to Washington, D.C.
The National Veterans Awareness Ride is a major event held each year by the National Veterans Awareness Organization, a nonprofit formed in 2005 to honor all veterans. The 10-day motorcycle trip began in Auburn, California and heads east toward the nation’s capital.
The segment of the ride that went through Tooele County began in Elko, Nevada early Thursday morning and made a stop at the Flying J gas station in Lake Point to pick up a police escort and local veterans joining the ride for the day.
Dozens of law enforcement from around the state provided the escort for more than 100 veterans on motorcycles after rallying in Lake Point. Riders from the Patriot Guard, American Legion and other veteran groups were represented in the convoy that left for Salt Lake Valley around midday.
From there, the ride proceeded to the Utah State Veterans Nursing Home in Salt Lake to have lunch and visit with veterans.
According to the NVAO, each day of the ride stops at a memorial, cemetery or other place of remembrance, with the focus on thanking veterans for their service or educating school students about the sacrifice of veterans.
After departing the veterans’ nursing home, the ride on Thursday ended in Evanston, Wyoming for dinner at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. The 10-day journey is expected to end on May 28 after visits to the Vietnam Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.