ASHTABULA HARBOR – Dozens of motorcycles thundered down Bridge Street on Friday evening, July 31, and cruised along Lake Road to Lakeshore Park to honor combat-wounded veterans visiting the area for a weekend fishing trip organized by Wounded Warriors in Action.
Rebecca Taylor, a volunteer in the motorcade, said the Purple Heart veterans were staying at Kister Marina and Campground, where the owner donated space and RVs for the veterans to stay in for the weekend.
Each morning, the veterans go out on Lake Erie to fish, typically catching their limit by 10 a.m. Multiple local organizations and individuals have chipped in to cover all expenses, including food and drinks.
The motorcade included a law-enforcement escort, a monster truck and the fishing boats towed on trailers.
The motorcade wrapped up at American Legion Dewey Howlett Post No. 103 on West 19th Street, where the veterans were greeted and treated to a steak dinner.
“When they come in, we have our honor guard waiting and there’s a huge clap-in,” Taylor said.
The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving combat-wounded Purple Heart recipients.
Founded in 2007 by retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. John J. McDaniel, the foundation relies on therapeutic, adaptive outdoor sporting activities like hunting and fishing to facilitate physical, mental and spiritual healing. Veterans participate in fishing, tracking and hunting excursions for free.
The foundation runs a dedicated Guide School. This program trains combat-wounded veterans to manage and lead new missions, ensuring support comes directly from peers who understand their struggles.
