American Wrench teamed up with Zakk Wylde to show our gratitude and appreciation for our military by helping a veteran in need.  We learned of Bill Rivera, a Desert Storm combat medic and 2-time recipient of The Purple Heart, whose leg was injured during his tour of duty in Iraq.  A lifelong biker, Bill’s injury had gradually started to effect his ability to ride a motorcycle, one of his favorite things to do, and his only means of transportation.

​

We immediately saw an opportunity to help a brother out and met Zakk in Florida to surprise Bill at his American Legion Hall.  The surprise?  We’re converting Bill’s cruiser into a trike, so he can continue to enjoy the open road for years to come.  We worked with him on the design, and incorporated stars, stripes, eagles, and red, white, and blue into the design elements of his new trike.  He loved it, and was overcome with emotion when we dropped it off.

​

At Bill’s Legion Hall, we wanted to honor our veterans by doing a Moment of Thunder, our roaring, one-of-a-kind tribute.  The Legion parking lot was overflowing with motorcycles, and participants fired-up their bikes and revved their engines in unison to honor the men and women of the U.S. military.  Taking this particular Moment of Thunder to another level, Zakk climbed onto the Legion roof with his guitar and wailed through an epic version of the “Star Spangled Banner,” stopping traffic and bringing the crowd to a roar.

 

We’re deeply touched to be able to honor our American heroes with such a powerful tribute.  To all the men and women who serve our country: Thank You.