While the biker community is filled with veterans who find a sense of freedom from their worries in a ride across winding roads, thousands of former soldiers, sailors and Marines who had at least one major limb amputation lost their ability to do so.
Jeff Powell spent nearly 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, but after retiring he struggled to find the fulfillment he enjoyed on active duty and the camaraderie he shared with other service members, Northwest Florida Daily News reported.
In subsequent years, Jeff tried working at a few jobs, but nothing really gave him any genuine satisfaction or a sense of purpose.
However, Jeff really enjoyed taking long motorcycle rides with his wife and their friends. He wanted his disabled comrades to experience the same exhilarating sense of freedom riding a bike provided. So Jeff began thinking about ways to modify a motorcycle’s controls so it could be operated with only hand controls.
“Veterans need a place to reconnect with their brothers. It just makes you feel good to remember that somebody like that exists in your life, someone who knows everything about you,” Jeff told the paper.
The full story is available at nwfdailynews.com.
Photo originally published by NWF Daily News.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.