March pilot cycles for injured Marines

  • Published
  • By Will Alexander
  • 452 Air Mobility Wing, Public Affairs
When Lt. Col. Paul Thompson, a C-17 pilot with 729 AS, spent more than a year evacuating injured Marines from Iraq to Germany, he was so moved by how "banged up" they were that he wanted to do more to help. So he landed his plane and hopped on a bike. 

He and 20 other cyclists raised $72,240 for the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund after pedaling 430 miles from Scottsdale, Ariz. to Camp Pendleton in the "Ride for Semper Fi," Oct. 22 - 26. 

The venture so exceeded their expectations that he and a friend are setting up a nonprofit organization that will collect donations throughout the year. The 430-mile bike ride would become an annual event. 

"It's nice closure for me personally to be able to see a follow-on to the travesty that's happened to them," said Lt. Col. Thompson, who was a member of a Mesa biking team, even before the fundraiser. "Our fund can pick up and take care of them even further than what the military's been able to do." 

For instance, he said the fund could provide income replacement for spouses who have to quit their jobs to give full-time care to an injured husband or wife.
"So for me, starting a nonprofit is just another step in being able to help these guys out," he said. 

The seed was planted for October's "Ride for Semper Fi" after Lt. Col Thompson and a high school buddy, John Greenway, were chatting one day about Greenway witnessing his nephew's Marine boot camp graduation in San Diego. 

"I was just so humbled by the sacrifice these young people were making," said Greenway, an avid cyclist and money manager of Boston-based Eaton Vance Corp. "... to be in the Marines and fight for our country. I watched all that, and I thought, 'I've never really done anything.'" 

The sentiments the two men shared regarding Marines injured in the war led them to brainstorm about ways they could help. 

"Specialized Bicycles is the company that sponsors our (biking) team," said Lt. Col. Thompson. "They have water bottles on the counter there from the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund. We got the idea by seeing those bottles." 

They contacted the charity, came up with the name "Ride for Semper Fi," and began spreading the word about the 430-mile fundraiser. 

"We thought we could get 20 cyclists to each raise $1,000, for a grand total of $20,000, and deliver it to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund at Camp Pendleton," said Lt. Col. Thompson. "Our idea grew far beyond our expectations." 

Word eventually spread to former Marine and Vietnam veteran Bob Parsons through one of his employees, Shawn Roberts. It just so happens that Parsons is founder and CEO of Scottsdale-based Go Daddy.com, an Internet domain registrar and Web-hosting company. He was so excited about the idea that he sponsored the cyclists with food, lodging, cycling jerseys, a support van and two recreational vehicles. 

After a well publicized send-off party from Scottsdale, the cyclists' first 30 miles started out to be what one of them later described on his blog as "flat and fairly simple." But with 400 miles to go, the journey promised to be no walk in the park. 

"The problem with downhills ...," writes another blogging cyclist, "they are always met with uphills. In the distance, we could see the mountain we were preparing to climb. The next 12 miles was going to be difficult and straight up to Julian. 

"What I witnessed was incredible," he continued. "The stronger riders ... had come to the back and used pure athletic ability and strength to help some of the guys where were just plain tired. ... Even though some of the guys were slower up the climb, they did it! They never complained. They never quit ... and they pedaled through what was arguably their greatest athletic challenge. It was unbelievable to watch ..." 

The cyclists had departed on a Wednesday, and rode into Camp Pendleton on a Saturday to the fanfare of media, Marines and well-wishers. 

"I can't believe you guys did this," Greenway quoted one Marine colonel as saying after greeting the cyclists. "As we passed through the gates, the first thing I saw were two young Marines giving the colonel a salute and I thought, "Those two young kids at the gate are just one of the many reasons why we rode."