10/11/12 Road Soldiers take a ride in Holmes County
SUMMARY:During World War II, Arthur Weisz’s ride was a B-24 bomber.
Today, he coasts along Ohio’s trails on a bike.
Weisz is a member of the Road Soldiers, a bike club for residents of the Ohio Veteran’s Home in Sandusky. From April to October, the club travels to different trails, stopping by local veteran’s associations who offer meals, refreshment and fellowship.
The Road Soldiers took to the Holmes County Trail Thursday, Oct. 11, for their final ride of the season. The day started at the Holmesville American Legion for breakfast before starting out on a 15 mile ride from Fredericksburg to Killbuck. Along the way, the Millersburg American Legion sponsored a “water stop” at the half-way point, and the Killbuck VFW provided lunch at ride’s end.
The Ohio Veteran’s Home packs lunches for three of the bike trips each year. When the club started, all meals for the bike trips were provided by the home.
Weisz owns his own bike and uses it for trips outside the home. However, he prefers to ride on trails.
“The bike trial is really the best, rather than the roads,” Weisz said. “I encourage veterans to join the club because we’ve got good equipment, and we stick to the trials.”
Weisz is one of the remaining co-founders of Road Soldiers. Social Worker Lance Franke got the club started in 1996 with a home resident.
Franke said the rides are not so much about exercise, as getting out and meeting with others.
“Lance Armstrong wrote a book, “It’s Not About the Bike”. It’s not about the bike, it’s the ride,” Franke said. “There is a fellowship.”
Road Soldiers typically go on 16 to 18 rides every year, beginning with the second Thursday in April and wrapping up by the second Thursday in October. The club is governed by a board of trustees, and maintains a three-bay garage at the home to store bikes and equipment. The club also maintains bikes for residents who are non-members. The bikes can be checked out, free, for short trips.
Weisz is one of several Road Soldiers “getting up into their 90s”, Franke said. Most are veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
The Holmesville Legion treated the Road Soldiers to a breakfast of eggs, fruit and sausage gravy over biscuits. Home-made cookies were taken along for after the ride.
Holmes County Veteran’s Services Commissioner Reny Weber said Holmes County’s veterans associations are happy to host the bike club every year.
“They did their part as veterans, and the majority of them are (at the Ohio home) because they are homeless or or otherwise,” Weber said. “We just want to give back.”
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Nick Sabo photos
The Road Soldiers unload their bikes Oct. 11 before setting out on the Holmes County Trail. The bike club travelled from Fredericksburg to Killbuck.
Road Soldier's Cycling Club member Ken Zablocki gives a friendly salute as he heads out on the Holmes County Trail Oct. 11. The club is composed of members of the Ohio Veteran's Home in Sandusky.