Gulf War vet cycling across America to raise awareness of disabled soldiers stops through Del Rio

Ed Acevedo cycled through Del Rio May 17. The solo cyclist is riding across the country to build awareness of the sacrifices being made of the U.S. military in the war on terrorism. Specifically, he is riding 3,100 miles across the southern U.S. to raise awareness and funding for disabled veterans and the families of military members killed in action. Acevedo is from St. Augustine, Fla., and a veteran of the U.S. Army and the first Gulf War. The 1988 West Point Graduate was a tank commander of an MIAI Abrams Tank, attached to the VII Corps that squashed Saddam Hussein’s army the first time. “I was in the 2nd Armor Division, a unit that no longer exists,” Ed noted. Then he reached in his pouch on his bike and produced his unit’s patch, inscribed with the unit’s slogan, “Hell on Wheels.” “That’s what I am doing today. I am ‘Hell on Wheels,’” he said with a grin. Acevedo left the army in 1995 to pursue an MBA at the Columbia Business School. Following graduation, he worked in New York City as an equity trader. He made enough money to ask his boss for a one-year leave of absence. His boss granted his wish, saying that the company would save his desk should he decide to return after his sabbatical. Ed toured the Far East with a backpack, including travel to Australia. Before Ed could return to work, the 9/11 attacks on New York City annihilated his desk. His office where he formerly worked was destroyed, being very close to ground zero. It hit home. Since then, Acevedo worked in Jordan as a contractor helping U.S. Government agencies rebuild Iraq. “I was a project manager for the U.S. Army and the Marines civil affairs,” Acevedo said. The experience gave Acevedo a great deal of insight into the current struggle in Iraq. “It is a challenge over there and it could take over 10-years to rebuild it,” he said. “Look at Lebanon. It took them 17 years to get over their civil war,” Acevedo said. But Acevedo sees some bright beacons of hope in Iraq in the midst of the negative news coverage. “To the north in Iraq, the Kurds are already building their own Marriot Hotels,” he noted. Ed said that the Kurds have been operating as their own autonomous de facto government since 1991 when the U.S. implemented the No Fly Zones. “The Kurds are the most pro-U.S.A. people there,” Acevedo said. That is not true to the south, where Acevedo compares the situation to Lebanon. “Once the radicals kill each other off, then the Iraqi doctors, lawyers and educated classes will move back, and they can start rebuilding the rest of Iraq in earnest,” Acevedo said. After the violence settles down in Baghdad and the southern regions, the successes in the northern Kurd region can be used as a model for the other parts of Iraq. Acevedo says he was not an avid cyclist before he started the trip. “I went to bike clubs and learned about the right equipment,” he said. Before long, he had his southern journey mapped and started raising money for the cause. “Believe it or not, I have biked 2,021 miles so far and I have only lost three pounds,” Acevedo said. “Too many kolaches, Little Debbie Snack Cakes, and Mexican food,” he said laughing. Acevedo keeps a journal of his journey online at www.bike4vets.org where you can learn more about how you can contribute to aid soldiers wounded in war and families that have lost family members in war. His foundation is called Fallen Heroes' Ride Across America, a 501(c)(3) charity. Acevedo is biking west on U.S. Highway 90 to Sanderson May 18 where Terrell County Judge Leo Smith promises a huge Sanderson welcome.