Respect the Moose’s. A Story of Patriotism
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”.- Winston Churchill
My father served 4 years in the Vietnam war from 1967 to 1971. In the late 70’s and early 80′ he joined a Vietnam Veterans bikers club that would ride all over the tri state area of PA, WV and OH on their big Harley Davidsons. They all had these cool “biker” names like Dogbreath, Spark Plug, Shleestak or whatever crazy name they could come up with. The one I remember the most though was this guy named Moose Head. I remember Moose because he was the only one in the group that rode a trike ( 3 wheeled motorcycle) and he looked exactly like Jesus, for real.
Now a 3 wheeled motorcycle is ghetto to some but to a 9 yr old it was cooler than the Bee Gees in Staying Alive. Moose was a real cool guy who would always take me for a spin on that trike anytime I asked and he would always give me some manly advice on how to talk to a young lady or how to punch out a nemesis if need be. The reason Moose Head rode a trike is because he was paralyzed from the waist down. I always asked my dad how Moose got paralyzed but he just said he “got injured doing something” and he never divulged into the specifics of what happened to Moose no matter how many times I asked.
When I was 14 year old the motorcycle gang had a big outing on Memorial Day Weekend to the Kennywood Amusement Park in Western PA. During this outing I mustered up the nerve to finally ask Moose about his condition ” How did you get paralyzed I asked”. I’ll never forget the sternness in his voice nor the words that would follow, he said ” Has anyone shot or mugged you today. Is there a government that hinders your power or right to act, speak, or think as you want ” I paused for a second and said no. He then said ” That’s how I got paralyzed, so you and everyone else here in this park and this country will not have to worry about sh%t like that”. I was too scared to ask him a follow up question.
Well, 2 years later when I was 16, on Memorial Day Weekend, Moose passed away at the age of 38.The first thing I remember when I walked into the funeral home was a sign at the entrance that said ” Services for Kenny “Moose Head” Morris. All those years I never knew his name was Kenny! There were hundreds of bikers from at least 3 states that came to his funeral. Many of the bikers got up and gave heart warming stories of Moose but at the end these two men began to tell this touching story of how Moose risked his life in Vietnam to save them. A feat that led to Moose getting shot twice in the spinal region and that is what ” got him paralyzed”.
It was easy to overlook that event as a young 16 year old but now that I’m older I’m honored to have known a man like Moose. A man who sacrificed his life so that many of us can enjoy the freedoms and luxuries that we have today.That was resounded by the many veterans and friends in attendance who came to pay their respects to Moose. Since then on every Memorial Day my father and the remaining bikers ride their Harley Davidsons from Western PA to Washington D.C. to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and pay their respects to not only Moose but all of those who have fallen in the pursuit of freedom.
Moose never died “in” the war but he died from injuries sustained “from” the war. The sad story is Moose is one of millions of men,women and civilians that have died in the name of freedom. Regardless of what country you are from you most likely know a Moose or have a family or friend that knows a Moose. It so easy to get caught up in your day to day life but from time to time take a look around and remember the millions of Moose’s out there who have laid it all on the line so you can have what you have. Respect the Moose’s
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