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4-28-2025 5:11am
Patrons Hall Played Host Saturday to a Heros Welcome Sponsored by US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter
Chris Edwards
Editor
With construction ongoing on Alamogordo MainStreet, even that could not stop the enthusiasm from large group of supporters to welcome home Air Force Lt Col. Gloria Fernandez and Retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Thomas McKean.
Retired Air Force Lt Col Gloria Fernandez Grew up in boston Joined 1955 into the medical career field as an anesthesiologist. She was deployed into multiple areas and treated many soldiers over the years for a variety of injuries. She was awarded as a member of the Society of Air Force Nurses.
Retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Thomas McKean joined the military in 1966 out of Nebraska. He grew up in Iowa as a Maintainer and worked on 106's/F-4's/F-15's/105's/111'. Through his career he was deployed to multiple locations.
American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular, and yet, a majority of those who participated, were drafted and had no choice. They deserved, a welcome home and we had another Heros Welcome com in Alamogordo on Saturday.
This Welcome Home to Heros event was hosted by the Patriot Guard Riders and the US Veterans Motorcycle Club, Trinity Chapter and Honor Flight.
The public was invited and encouraged to join AlamogordoTownNews.com and KRAZY KALHRadio.org, as we joined with the community to celebrate these local heros. Community political leadersto include Mayor Susan Payne and Mayor Pro Temp and District 5 Commissioner Sharon McDonald were on hand as was the new chair of the Democratic Party of Otero County also a retired Veteran along with many others.
The Honor Flight Van was escorted by Alamogordo police and Deputy Sheriff's and the Patriot Guard Riders and the US Veterans Motorcycle Club, Trinity Chapter which come up White Sands Boulevard from El Paso and to downtown New York Avenue for a hero's welcome and a meet and greet.
The US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter has another big event planned for this next upcoming Saturday May 3rd.
The US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter and Slate Riders together are hosting their annual LIVE. RIDE. REPEAT Fundraiser and Awareness Campaign to Combat Suicide. This jointly sponsored and hosted event will be held May 3rd 2025 with registration at Liberty Cycles, 649 Hwy 70 W, Alamogordo, New Mexico from 10 am to 12 noon.
The ride will travel around the area with bikers from around the nation and others reminding the public of Suicide Awareness and raising funds. The ride will end at the US Veterans Trinity Chapter Club House in Alamogordo, New Mexico. You don’t have to be on a bike to enter, cars and trucks are also invited to join the cause!
The fee to participate is $20.00 a single rider, $30.00 with passenger, and yes cars are welcome!
Lynn Kimball is the founder of the Slate Riders. Lynn Kimball is a professional counselor and co-owns BLUE SKY Counseling with her husband Scott. She is the proud mom to five kids, two dogs, two very well fed cats and whoever is at the house around dinner time.
Lynn has dedicated her life to helping others, both in her community and around the world. The Slate organization was created in the memory of Lynn’s son, Slate, who succumbed to suicide.
Lynn as a caregiver had several foster children over the years and Slate became a Kimball as a true son to Lynn and her family. Slate struggled over the years with depression, and as an adult at age of 24, he took his life via a gunshot to the head. Slate left his favorite bike a Suzuki 750 behind for his mother.
Lynn told this reporter in a prior interview the story about one of her fondest memories with Slate was that he encouraged his mom one day to ride with him. Together they rode into the sunset and surpassed a speed together of 100 MPH. Lynn said she “fell in love with riding thanks to Slate.” She said that Slate “taught me to really live. He taught me to love and live through the motorcycle.”
So, upon his death, his mom, Lynn, took his moto up as a mission. During his funeral several bikes appeared in his honor. His friends and his mom Lynn, then decided to create a memory ride and an awareness ride in his honor.
The first ride had 15 to 20 riders and subsequently the ride partnered with the U.S. Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter and has expanded. Prior events had around 70 to 80 riders. This year’s event is expecting participants both local and from other states and will include the visiting national president of the US Veterans Motorcycle Club joining.
The US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter is a 501C3 nonprofit organization and partnered with Lynn and Slate riders, due to her compelling story in partnership for the cause
Lynn Kimball typically speaks during registration, passes out pamphlets and educates others on suicide awareness.
The US Veterans Motorcycle Club started in 2007 in New York and expanded across the US.
The Alamogordo Trinity Chapter was chartered in 2018 with a mission of veterans helping veterans. If a veteran needs assistance the club tries to point them in the direction of a solution either directly or via its network and affiliations.
Veteran mental health services are essential to help our returning vets recover from their combat experiences and mental health issues related to their military service. There are a number of troubling statistics which show that enough is not being done and that many of our veterans are not receiving the care that they deserve in this area.
A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that only 50 percent of returning vets who need veteran mental health treatment will receive these services.
Both active-duty service members and veterans face barriers to treatment for mental health issues. Some of the barrier’s veterans face, identified by the USGAO and other sources, include:
- Personal embarrassment about service-related mental disabilities
- Long wait times to receive mental health treatment
- Shame over needing to seek mental health treatment
- Fear of being seen as weak
- Stigma associated with mental health issues
- A lack of understanding or lack of awareness about mental health problems and treatment options
- Logistical problems, such as long travel distances to receive this type of care
- Concerns over the veteran mental health treatment offered by the VA
- Demographic barriers and false perceptions based on these demographics such as age or gender
According to the American Psychological Association, 22 percent of veterans sought veteran mental health treatment in the private sector rather than getting help from the VA. That number has increased along with wait times at many of the VA mental health facilities around the country.
The general statistic for suicide is that 22 veterans a day will commit suicide. This staggering stat shows a significant hole in the system of recovery for our vets and a gap in services and prevention servicing those at-risk returning veterans.
As such communities and community groups across the nation are working to bring awareness to the suicide rates and to honor our living veterans from all areas of military action. In Alamogordo the US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter and Slate Riders have paired up to bring awareness and raise funds for Veterans issues and 2025 marks the 7th year anniversary of this event. Come out again as a united community and let's support our veterans...
