It was more than just a ride for Bruno Bechthold. It was a chance to face his fear side by side with his brothers and sisters in arms.

That’s why last month Bechthold joined roughly 2,200 riders for Run For The Wall, a country-wide, 8,000-mile motorcycle ride that culminates in a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

Bechthold, an energetic Oak Harbor Navy veteran with kind blue eyes, had not visited the memorial because of the emotional toll he feared it would take.

“I had avoided going to the Vietnam Wall because of how all those lost lives might hit me,” he said.

Putting his reservations aside, Bechthold rode 10 days with hundreds of other veterans and family of servicemen and women, sharing their experiences, their pain and their healing.

“I left my tears like everyone else, then smiled and patted myself on the back for having succeeded in something I had avoided,” Bechthold said, adding that he’s already planning on riding again next year.

Having celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, the event has grown exponentially since its inception.

Originally just a single central route starting in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., the ride in recent years has included an additional southern route, effectively splitting the number of riders in half and easing logistics.

Because of its increasing popularity, a third northern route will be introduced next year to allow the event to continue to grow and include additional riders.

“This is that kind of event,” said Daryl “Top” Neil, chairman of RFTW’s board of directors. “They try it once, and they’re not sure if they’re going to enjoy it. Then they see how well organized we are and they see it’s not a sprint, we stop every couple of hours, and they get into the groove. It’s totally not what they expected and they want to do it again.”

According to their website, “RFTW’s mission is to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, to promote healing for veterans and their families and to support our military personnel all over the world.”

RFTW was started in 1989 by James Gregory and Bill Evans, a couple of Vietnam veterans who traveled across the heartland of America on motorcycles, talking to local radio, TV, and newspapers about the thousands of men and women still unaccounted for. However, Neil said the ride has come to represent much more than that.

“Our primary mission is healing, and being with people who were there and understand,” said Neil, who has participated for 10 years now. “That, to me, is more of a reason to participate and is the most important. The first time I went, I cried like a baby — but I go back every year for the next guy.”

Participants are charged $30 to register, $40 during the event, and are responsible for their own expenses.

However, VFW posts, churches and other supporters provide many free meals, lodging and gas stops along the way. Along the way across the U.S. riders stop at memorials, veteran’s hospitals and schools, and enjoy parades, police escorts and welcome-home receptions from many of the towns where they stop.

“The smaller the town, the more support we get,” Neil said. “They roll out the red carpet for us. You really see American patriotism come alive.”

The trip takes 10 days to reach the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, ending on Sunday evening before Memorial Day.

That day, participants are invited to participate in the Rolling Thunder parade, an event that involves more than 350,000 motorcycles riding from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The organizers’ goal, according the website, is to provide a safe, supportive and private atmosphere in which all participants can reflect and heal on their journey to the memorial. The event is open to anyone who has served, or have friends or loved ones who have served and owning a bike is not required.

For more information, visit www.rftw.orgyears of hard math, hard engineering and hard work,” Johnston said.