More than 200 motorcyclists gathered in Boone for the 14th mountain ride to help send wounded veterans and their spouses to Alaska for Operation Heal Our Patriots.
The rumble of motorcycles is a familiar sound in Boone, North Carolina—but on Saturday morning, the engines echoing near town signaled more than a mountain joy ride. More than 200 riders rolled out into the hills to show their support of military couples seeking healing for their marriages.
Franklin Graham greets participants as they prepare to ride through the mountains in support of military marriages.
Throughout the fall of last year, Samaritan’s Purse welcomed many thousands of volunteers to the region to serve families in crisis after Hurricane Helene. As that work continues in the region, we were honored today (May 17) to host this group of riders who came to support families facing a crisis in the aftermath of war.
The procession of motorcycles this year began at Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in Boone and traveled through the scenic mountain roads to West Jefferson, North Carolina, before riders returned to enjoy lunch together.
Participants heard from Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, who expressed gratitude for the many riders who showed up on Saturday morning after a night of storms to support wounded veterans and their marriages. He also offered words of encouragement to those gathered, reminding them of the eternal impact their participation can have.
“Marriage is tough on the best of circumstances. Some of these couples begin their marriages without a real foundation,” Graham said. “You realize that when a warrior comes back and he’s wounded—brain injury, physical injury—many times, he’s not the same person. And so the marriages don’t survive. They fail. I believe in marriage. I believe God instituted it and gave it. And we ought to do everything we can to try to help our military veterans and their spouses. And so that’s what this is all about.”
Coach Mark Speir encourages participants, describing how the annual ride will help military couples and their marriages.
The ride has become an annual tradition started 14 years ago by Mark Speir and his wife Paige to help send military couples to Samaritan Lodge Alaska for Operation Heal Our Patriots. In southwest Alaska, wounded veterans and their spouses are welcomed by Samaritan’s Purse staff, chaplains, and volunteers for a week of Biblically based marriage enrichment and outdoor excursions in the pristine wilderness of Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks.
Mark Speir is the director of high school relations and a defensive assistant for the Appalachian State University football program. The Speirs have a heart for military couples and for seeing God transform lives and restore struggling marriages through the work of Operation Heal Our Patriots.
“The Warrior Ride is all about showing up for these veterans and their families. When things are tough, they don’t just say, ‘I’m not going to work today,’ said Coach Speir, noting the storm system that swept across the eastern U.S. on May 16 and 17. “They press on. That’s why this ride is rain or shine—because that’s what our veterans do. This ride also honors marriage, because Operation Heal Our Patriots is all about taking wounded veterans and their spouses to Alaska to strengthen and renew their relationships.”
Hearing Stories of God at Work Among Military Couples
Riders also heard from Johnny and Shannon Montoya who attended Operation Heal Our Patriots in 2014. They described how their week in Alaska with Samaritan’s Purse deepened their relationship with both God and one another. The experience, they said, strengthened their marriage and gave them lasting friendships and a support network that continues to sustain them in their walk with Jesus Christ—and with one another.
Johnny and Shannon Montoya share how God used Operation Heal Our Patriots to transform their marriage.
“We were barely hanging on. I remember thinking, if they really knew how broken we were, they wouldn’t be so kind to us,” Shannon said. “Then I began to believe the Gospel. I was willing to accept God’s forgiveness for all of my mess, but then I was able to see [Johnny] truly as just a child of God, and that God loves him, even in his mistakes, and that has helped us truly for years now, because I’m able to see him as a man, right? He’s not perfect. I’m thankful, but when I’m looking for perfection, I’m looking at our Creator.”
The Montoyas have become part of the Key Leader program, helping support and disciple other couples in their marriage and walk with Christ.
“I knew I was broke. I came out and thought: There’s no way I’m gonna be able to do anything anymore. I’m done, I can’t work ever again, I can’t do anything ever again,” Johnny said, recounting the end of his military career. After Alaska, he developed a different perspective.
Riders wave as they curve through the Blue Ridge Mountains during the High Country Warrior Ride.
Johnny received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior at our reunion, a few years after Alaska. This is when he discovered his calling to ministry.
“God said, ‘Yeah, right—watch,’” he said. “Now God’s got me doing so many amazing things that I don’t get to do by myself. I get to enjoy it with her. I get to enjoy my kids. I get to enjoy it with all of you. Because God has a purpose. He has a purpose for all of us. He has a purpose for all of you.”
Walking Together After Alaska
Since 2012, Operation Heal Our Patriots—a project of Samaritan’s Purse—has ministered to more than 1,900 military couples. Through this program, over 850 individuals have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, more than 1,000 have been baptized, and nearly 1,000 couples have publicly rededicated their marriages to God.
Director of Operation Heal Our Patriots John Pryor, a retired U.S. Marine, says the program continues long after couples return home from their week in Alaska. Through our Family Care ministry, we provide ongoing chaplain support, marriage enrichment opportunities, Biblical discipleship, Christ-centered community, and opportunities to serve.
Edward Graham, Chief Operating Officer of Samaritan’s Purse, connects with local law enforcement and veterans over lunch at the Warrior Ride.
“The thing I love about Operation Heal Our Patriots is—Alaska is just the beginning. It’s a mountaintop experience, and it literally and figuratively is a mountaintop experience. But when these couples go back in the trenches, when they’re struggling with injuries, with post-traumatic stress, with addiction or depression, or whatever it is, they know that Operation Heal Our Patriots is with them. But more importantly, they know that Christ is with them.”
Family Care includes regional gatherings, discipleship weekends, and reunions for Operation Heal Our Patriots alumni. The Key Leader initiative trains alumni couples to mentor others, fostering a strong, Christ-centered community. Additionally, Team Patriot offers opportunities for these couples to serve together in Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief efforts, reinforcing their bonds and faith through service.
Please pray for the many couples who have become part of Operation Heal Our Patriots, and for the scores of new couples who will be in Alaska this summer each week from May 25 to September 19. Pray that their lives and marriages would be transformed by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
