Duane Meyer

Duane Meyer – Chaska, Minnsota

There was no shortage of red, white, and blue over the weekend of LZ Lambeau.

Volunteers handed out miniature American flags to patrons at Lambeau Field’s outdoor grounds. Hundreds of people arrived wearing their patriotism on their T-shirts. But the ones most decked out in stars and stripes were the motorcyclists involved in Friday’s Honor Ride.

Duane Meyer, of Chaska, Minnesota, stood in front of his black bike and joked about how he still needed to get it washed. Two small flags were secured beside his front wheel while a larger flag fluttered in the wind, behind his leather seat. Around him, a handful of bikes were similarly draped in stars and stripes.

While readjusting his black, American Legion Riders beret, covering his white hair, Meyer explained how he was not an official participant in the Honor Ride. Instead, he showed his support by coming in early and escorting the Diamond Posse, a group of female riders and vet supporters originally from San Antonio, into Green Bay.

“I’m here to make sure that these guys know that people want to welcome them back really well and it’s nice to see that people care,” explained Meyer.

Meyer himself served in Vietnam as a combat engineer in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. When he returned home, he returned to his job as a confectionist with the Powell Candy Company. However, he quickly realized there was no real future in the job he’s had prior to Vietnam. He soon switched to a career in sales marketing. Meyer described readjustment, beyond just his daily profession, as a difficult and a “really messed up” period of his life.

“But I had the blessing of having a really good woman waiting for me. She straightened my act up…that’s what really made it for me,” he says, holding back the tears.

Written by Zahra Haider.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 21:52 and is filed under Essays, Quotes, and Notes, Z.Haider and tagged with LZ Lambeau, Wisconsin Public Television, Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories, Zahra Haider. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.