Two years, 20,000 miles and one goal: Remember

Originally published June 29, 2011.

Two years, 20,000 miles and one goal: Remember

By Adam Louis

Staff Writer

It all started with an incidental trip to a downtown Portland, Ore. trash can two years ago.

“I went to throw something in the trash can, and there was a gentleman digging through the trash,” said Portland native and former Marine Cpl. Scot King. “He looked up and saw my hat that said ‘Marines’ on it, and he said ‘Semper Fi,’ which means ‘always faithful’.”

The man digging through the garbage was a Marine, King said. Seeing a former soldier in such a state instantly changed King’s life, and he soon began work on the Remember the Wounded Ride, a cross-country bike trek to raise money for wounded veterans.

The Torrington Elks Lodge welcomed King to Torrington, paying for a hotel room in town as well as a meal.

“We were contacted by the Portland Lodge, and we got to (King’s) website to ask if we could do anything for him,” said Clayton Kilgore, Torrington’s lodge secretary. “As he traveled across Wyoming, we told all of our Elks Lodges so they could help his cause.”

It’s not just Torrington’s lodge that has reached out to King. Elks Lodges nationwide have sought to aid him through donations, stories, lodging and just about anything he may need.

“The Elks have been my biggest supporters,” he said. King said South Dakota’s Elk chairperson has arranged for places for King to stay on his route through South Dakota.

“For all the good they do, they never pat themselves on the back,” he added.

King has been an Elk for about three months; his grandfather was a 51-year member. King wears a necklace bearing an elk tooth he received from his late grandfather.

“I’m very proud to be an Elk, and will be involved with them for the rest of my life,” he said.

King’s ultimate goal is to ride about 20,000 miles and raise $1 million for wounded veterans and their families; he’s ridden about 1,700 miles and raised about $4,000 as of Monday.

King served four years in the Marine Corps, stationed first with a gun unit in Okinawa, Japan then as a transporter and game warden in the States. After his military service, he worked in the HVAC industry until he lost his job due to a bad economy.

“This is my job now,” he said of his ride. “I want to give back. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.”

On his travels, he is gathering stories from veterans nationwide in a series of books. A majority of the veterans he’s interviewed are Elks.

“I’ve been really fortunate. I’ve interviewed a number of veterans from World War II up to the current war,” King said. “The oldest veteran I interviewed was 92 years old.”

As for his next stop, on Wednesday, he is to ride from Lusk to Edgemont, S.D., a one-day, 69-mile journey. He averages about 60 miles per day.

“Riding a bike this many miles is like running a marathon every single day,” he said. “I’m 47 years old, and I think by the time I’m done with the first leg, I’ll be in the best shape of my life.”

The work isn’t always easy, King said, but is always worthwhile in his mind.

“I’m riding a bike 20,000 miles over two years,” he said. “I’m not just walking up to somebody and asking for donations. I’m actually doing something for them, and I think that’s pretty powerful.”

To donate to King’s cause, visit his website at www.rememberthewoundedride.com.