MORGANTOWN, W.Va — Morgantown citizens will have an opportunity to honor the country’s American War heroes at the 7th annual Gene Vance Jr. Day memorial event this weekend.
This event, created in memory of American War hero Gene Vance Jr., will take place on Sat., May 19 in Morgantown at the new Monongalia County Courthouse Square Plaza.
“It’s difficult to believe that we’ve been continuing on this battle [of the Global War on Terror],” said Michael Minc, Vance Jr.’s brother-in-law. “It’s been 16 years since Gene’s been killed and we’re in our 17th year.”
Gene Vance Jr. was a Morgantown resident killed in action after saving two American soldiers and 18 Afghanis while searching for Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2002.
Although the event was originally created in honor of Vance, the idea of the event is to recognize all service members in W.Va., past and present.
“This is for everybody,” Minc said. “This is for all our service members and for everybody in the state.”
The event includes live music at 10 a.m., a tribute to the fallen at 11 a.m. and a bike ride at noon.
The 12.5 mile ride will start at the courthouse square plaza, continue towards Foundry street and on to Decker’s Creek Trail. Riders will turn around in Masontown where they will stop to tribute Gene Vance Jr. at his memorial tomb. Riders will then return to Morgantown.
“The ride’s been occuring formally and informally over the last decade, but [it’s been] even longer since he was killed,” Minc said.
In the chance of rain, the ceremony will be held in the county courthouse chambers. However, the bike ride will take place rain or shine.
“Most of the riders tell me that ‘come rain or shine, we’ll be riding,’ so that’s the hope,” Minc said.
The event is free to the public with no registration required.
For more information on the Gene Vance Jr. Foundation, visit www.genevancejr.org.