9/11 Memorial Rolls into Victorville

9/11 memorial rolls into Victorville
Sept. 11 tribute mural makes its way to Harley-Davidson with motorcyclists in tow

By HILLARY BORRUD / Staff WriterVICTORVILLE — At 11 a.m. today, a group of motorcyclists on a cross-country ride called Torches Across America will escort a semi-trailer carrying a 40-by-8-foot Sept. 11 memorial into Harley-Davidson of Victorville.The memorial is dedicated to the survivors, families, public safety personnel and people of New York City and surrounding communities.“For the most part, the truck is a memorial itself,” said Mitch Mendler, a firefighter and paramedic from San Diego who is helping to transport the memorial.He promised artist Kathleen Tonnesen, who created the Milky Way mural on the 6,000-pound memorial, that he would take it to New York City where it will be displayed at Inwood Hill Park from Friday to Sept. 11.The memorial was given to the United States by Canadian citizens, said Mendler, who is the president of the nonprofit organization World Memorial that is transporting the mural. For Mendler, it is a valuable and honorable tribute to the public safety personnel who died in the line of duty during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.Austin Conley, the general manager of Harley-Davidson of Victorville, said he expects 40 to 50 motorcyclists to arrive with the memorial today.The annual Torches Across America ride began independently from the memorial about three years ago, Conley said, when organizer Gary Covert called him and asked whether Harley-Davidson of Victorville would be willing to host an event. There is usually a small ceremony in Victorville that becomes more elaborate each year.Conley said the motorcyclists and memorial will be at Harley-Davidson of Victorville for about an hour.“Gary does this so that people don’t forget,” Conley said.