A huge motorcade makes a 50-mile journey to honor fallen veterans who have no family or friends to lay them to rest.
More than 200 motorcyclists participated in ‘The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma’ on Saturday.
The ride started in Port Orchard from the Kitsap County Medical Examiner’s Office to escort seven veterans to their final resting place at Tahoma National Cemetery.
“It’s emotional, it really is. How many times do you get to ride and guide your brothers and sisters to their final resting place,” says veteran Edgar Martin.
Martin is one of the riders who came to support the unclaimed veterans.
“It’s the US military, period. We are all brothers and sisters, we all take care of each other. It’s one big happy family, no matter the circumstances,” Martin said.
This tradition started in 2008 to help veterans ensure they are never alone.
“No one should be there alone. We are there for them, we are the family that has to make sure they are at their final resting place,” said Mark D. Lowe, vice chairman of the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board.
Lowe is a Navy veteran himself, having been along since freshman year.
It’s a tradition that originated outside the state.
“A funeral home in Missouri had been sold and they had found remains there and discovered that some of them were unclaimed,” Lowe explained. “The question was asked: who do we have in our province?”
It’s what brought the idea to Washington. Since then, the 50-mile drive to Tahoma National Cemetery has continued to grow.
“It chokes you up because you know these people wouldn’t be here if they didn’t care,” Lowe said.
The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma Celebration of Life ceremony is hosted by the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, Kitsap County Medical Examiner, Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board and Combat Veterans International, with support from the City of Port Orchard.
Since 2008, ‘The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma’ has accompanied 68 veterans to their final resting place.
