Letter to the Editor

Support Idaho Patriot Thunder

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Great citizens and patriots of Mountain Home, your military orders have arrived! On the morning of July 25th, I will be riding with up to 1,000 other motorcycles through our great town, en-route to Carl Miller Park. The 11th Annual Idaho Patriot Thunder, Idaho’s largest motorcycle ride, will commence to raise thousands of dollars to assist our military families who provide a life of freedom and liberties that we enjoy, yet sometimes take for granted. We will be directly supporting our Air Force families at Mountain Home AFB (Operation Warmheart) and our Soldiers and Airmen and their families at Gowen Field (Idaho Guard Family Support Fund).

‘Operation Warmheart’ allows our Mountain Home AFB military leaders to assist hundreds of families during emergencies, deployments, remote assignments, and the everyday struggle for young families serving our nation in the military who sacrificed so much for our way of life. We’re not even asking you for any money, as the average rider on this charitable ride will be donating $25 to be in this formation to support our military families.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to line the streets of our route as a 5 mile stream of motorcycles, led by police escort, come into town around 11:15 (exit 95 and down E 8th N past the golf course onward to Carl Miller Park). Another great idea is to find an overpass between Boise and Mountain home and wave to the motorcycles as they pass under you. Once all the motorcycles are parked at Carl Miller Park, there will be a welcome from Mayor Sykes and base leadership, squadron food vendors from the base, and maybe even some live music. We all know our great city supports our military (One Town, One Team), so stop by the park on Sunday morning…and always remember, ‘Freedom Isn’t Free!’