Solon Shepherd’s enlistment with the Air Force from 1948 to 1951 set the stage for the rest of his working years.
Stationed in Tokyo in the communications department, Shepherd frequently saw General Douglas MacArthur walking around, and he has pictures to prove it, he said.
“Being in the service, that was where I got my training,” the 82-year-old said. “Since I had been in communications, I went to Western Union and I applied there.”
“I got a job right away,” he added. “I stayed with them for 32 years.”
“It worked out fine.”
Now residing at the Mt. Laurel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Church Road, Shepherd and 15 more veterans were visited by the Warriors’ Watch Riders on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 8.
Activities Director Maria Gommel, who is a member of the motorcycle group, posted on a forum last month, requesting the bikers visit her residents to help make their day.
“They’re in this facility 24/7,” she said. “For some of them, we’re the only family they have.”
Gommel’s husband is an Iraqi War veteran.
“When he came home from Iraq, he didn’t get his welcome home,” she said.
She posted information about her husband to the Warriors’ Watch website, and about 100 bikers visited the pair during a lunch about six months ago.
It was five years following his arrival home, but the visit made an impact.
Now, Gommel’s whole family is involved with the club. They have been to airports, escorts, funerals and churches.
“We’re a bunch of bikers that cry,” she said. “We do. We cry.”
There is never a time limit to the events the Warriors’ Watch attends. They stay, converse and try to garner smiles.
At the nursing home, several bikers came together on the sunny day after rallying at Bob Evans Restaurant, American flags in tow.
Another group, A Hero’s Welcome, was on hand to deliver recognition certificates.
Member Danny O’Kane said that the group often does events in Phoenixville, Pa., and doesn’t often have the opportunity to come to the South Jersey area.
“They’re highly organized,” he said of the all-volunteer group. “It’s just impressive what they do.”
The founder of A Hero’s Welcome is Sharon Hyland Keyser.
When O’Kane came home from submarine duty in 1971, there was no welcome. He simply put his uniform away and moved on.
However, that wasn’t the case for his nephew who arrived back from Afghanistan four years ago to a big welcome.
The slogan for Warriors’ Watch is, “We have your backs here at home.”
Garbed in leather or jean vests, the patriotic group presented an honor coin.
Later, as the tune of “God Bless America” streamed through the air, the veterans, many of whom are now confined to wheelchairs, took turns posing for photo shoots next to the motorcycles that were lined in front of the center.
“Thank you for your service,” was the phrase that resonated through the day, as the bikers greeted the veterans.
“It’s a good thing to give back to the community,” said Gommel.
The veterans who live in the facility have served in various perches, from the Army to the Navy, to the Air Force to the Reserves.
“They’re very patriotic,” she said. “We wanted to do something nice for them.”
As the anniversary of Sept. 11 recently passed, the week was dedicated to them and their service.
“They’re very emotional about the time of year,” said Gommel. “What better way to appreciate them than to do a welcome home for them?”
Additional resources
To learn more about the Warriors’ Watch Riders, visit www.warriorswatch.org. Head to http://aheros-welcome.org/blog/ to learn about A Hero’s Welcome.
Mt. Laurel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is located at 3718 Church Road in Mt. Laurel.
