In the years between Vietnam and Desert Storm, respect and appreciation for the United States Military fell to an all-time low. Because this country had not been in a major conflict for so long, most civilians forgot about the courage and sacrifices displayed by the men and women of the armed forces.

In 1987 a small chopper shop known as High Country Custom Cycles was established. The owner, whose father was a WWII veteran and brother volunteered as a United States Marine in Vietnam, proudly sold pins and patches to honor prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.

To his surprise, many people did not recognize the famous POW/MIA logo. In an effort to raise awareness, he and his wife gathered a few friends together to don POW flags on their motorcycles, and take a ride through downtown Colorado Springs. That day, the POW/MIA Recognition Ride was born.

At that time, it was almost unheard of for civilians to honor the military or veterans. Conversely the military kept to itself, and feared constant criticism from civilians over the fabled $500 hammer and $1,500 toilet seat. Flag waving was not in vogue and for the most part, movie stars, musicians and politicians bad-mouthed the military and showed no respect or regard for veterans.

We know that bikers are a patriotic bunch, and many bikers are veterans. In fact, many motorcycle clubs are the result of returning WWII veterans gathering together and heading out on their bikes in search of adventure and camaraderie.

As news spread of the POW/MIA Recognition Ride (which is only one year younger than the “Run For The Wall”), it quickly grew from a few dozen bikes to nearly 1,000.

Complaints from citizens about the huge procession of motorcycles tying up intersections, and safety concerns by local law enforcement prompted the city government to decree the end of the Recognition Ride. Participants were threatened with arrest and impoundment but the organizers were not easily swayed.

In 1993, the decision was made to take the annual Recognition Ride out of Colorado Springs and direct it toward a less populated area. That year, the small mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado became the destination.

The one-day event took the pack of bikes up Ute Pass ending at the modest Elk Creek Casino, a product of a newly passed law allowing limited stakes gambling. At the conclusion of the ride, a small stone commemorating our Nation’s POW’s and MIA’s was placed in City Park and a short ceremony followed.

The next year the Gold Rush Hotel and Casino in Cripple Creek showed interest in the annual ride, and made a proposal to combine the ride with a charity fundraising function benefiting the March of Dimes called “Bikers for Babies”. While this function went by the wayside, the POW/MIA Recognition Ride and the Remembrance Ceremony that followed remained in tact and continued to grow.

As the Grand Marshall of the “Bikers for Babies” event, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell saw the efforts being made to recognize American veterans. Senator Campbell, a Korean War veteran, pledged his support for the rally and the POW/MIA Recognition Ride. For the next decade, Campbell led the Recognition Ride, served as a guest speaker, and promoted the veterans event with vigor.

Soon, support from the military began to take hold and in 1994 the ceremony saw the first fighter jet fly-over, arranged by the late General James E. Hill, along with the military parade featuring marching platoons, bands and the expansion of the event to two days.

Enough people and motorcycles were turning out that a partial closure of the town’s main street was called for in the name of safety and easing traffic congestion. Along with this street closure came political turmoil.

Some casino owners claimed that the street closure and influx of bikers hurt their normal business routine, and that the organizers of the rally should not be permitted to continue. The town infrastructure had no provision for special events of any type. There was no special event application, permit department or regulation of any sort. The founders of the Veterans Rally were struggling with city government as they “made up the rules as we go along.”

Former Marine, local entrepreneur and city planning commissioner Chris Mauter saw the big picture. Working closely with rally organizers, Mauter moved to take up active support for the event, and sway the attitude in town that the event had little to do with honoring vets and more to do with a horde of partying bikers.

At one point, opposition to the Veterans Rally became so extreme, that one casino manager along with a covert power base, attempted to carry out a plan they called “Operation Bethlehem”. Taken from the Bible story surrounding Mary and Joseph’s sojourn to Bethlehem, finding “no room at the inn”. The anti-rally faction had reserved every single available room in town with the hopes of bringing the Veterans Rally to it’s knees but rally attendees were not going to be kept away and came by the thousands even though they did not have a place to stay.

By 1996 the event began to receive national recognition by both the motorcycle world and the military community. Biker periodicals like Thunder Press, Easy Riders and Iron Horse dispatched reporters and photographers to cover the patriotic gathering. The military, in particular the United States Marine Corps, began to publish stories of praise about the rally.

Throughout these times, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War were steadfast in their support. One WWII veteran and POW told the rally founder “you and your biker friends have done more to honor me and my fellow ex-prisoners of war than our own country ever has. We want to thank you for that.”

With national publicity came rapid growth. Rally attendance grew by 20% each year and event organizers needed additional funding or risked losing the event all together. For the first five years of the rally, the organizers went out-of-pocket each year to make sure that the veterans were given their due honors. While several local Harley-Davidson dealers and a few casino owners chipped in, the hard-working volunteers who organized the event carried the bulk of the financial burden. Each and every year, the rally’s bottom line was in the red and organizers hoped that one day enough contributors would see the event’s validity and things would turn around.

Finally in 1998, the city of Cripple Creek saw fit to provide some partial funding for the event. Although not substantial, the additional funds allowed the organizers to continue.

By the turn of the century, rally attendance was now up to 30,000. Because the Salute to American Veterans is an event with free admission, the usual attendance-to-profit ratio works in reverse. Unlike events that charge an admission fee, organizers found that the more popular it became, the more expensive it became to operate. Once again, organizers found that success in attendance meant failure in covering expenses.

Each year new sponsors would come on board and new features were added to the rally. By 2001, the event was running three days and included a motorcycle rodeo, live entertainment, a beer garden, motorcycle shows and increasing respect and popularity for the military parade and the POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony.

Air support too became a staple. An annual event highlight was the landing of a Huey helicopter in the middle of Bennett Avenue. Military and veteran support also grew with many groups including the American Legion, Women’s Army Corps, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and dozens of others.

Notable guest speakers over the years included Navajo Code Talker Keith Little, decorated fighter pilot Ralph Parr, Medal of Honor recipient Peter C. Lemon, designer of the POW/MIA flag, Newt Heisley, syndicated military columnist Joe Galloway, Air Force Space Command Commander General Lance W. Lord, United States Army Deputy Commanding General Joseph Orr, Vietnam POW Association President Mike McGrath, American Ex-POW and fighter pilot General William “Bud” Breckner, and many more.

In 1993, American business icon, United States Air Force veteran and Chairman of RE/MAX International, Dave Liniger, Sr. stepped up to rescue the event. Having the vision to recognize the importance of this meaningful and patriotic event, Lininger pledged matching funds with those being provided by the city of Cripple Creek. Realizing no real return on investment, Liniger’s unselfish act allowed the continuation of the rally, which had become so important to so many.

Today, the Salute to American Veterans Rally boasts nearly 25 sponsors, unmatched military support for a civilian-run event, and 80,000+ attendees according to city government statistics. Approaching the rally’s 15th Anniversary, organizers find themselves in an ironic and disturbing situation. With the increased popularity of motorcycling and the resurgence of patriotism since September 11, 2001, the rally has grown so large that the tiny town, which has played host since 1993 is bursting at the seams. It’s a promoter’s dream come true and nightmare rolled into one.

Where lies the future of the Salute to American Veterans Rally? Only time will tell. Until then, one thing is for sure, this awesome event full of American pride will continue on as long as bikers who love their country have the desire to honor America’s true hero’s – our veterans.