A record number of motorcyclists gathered in the mountains of North Carolina to raise awareness for Operation Heal Our Patriots in the 15th annual High Country Warrior Ride.
Under blue skies and the full green foliage of spring, a convoy of motorcyclists cruised along the Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina for more than just a mountain joy ride. The riders gathered to show their support of military couples seeking healing for their marriages at the annual High Country Warrior Ride.
On Armed Forces Day each year, motorcycle-enthusiasts from across the region meet at the Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, to ride in support of Operation Heal Our Patriots, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that sends wounded veterans and their spouses to Alaska for a week of Biblically based marriage enrichment and world-renowned outdoor excursions.
Hundreds of motorcycles and trikes peeled out of the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters this past Saturday, May 16, in support of military marriages.
This year’s 281 riders on 203 motorcycles was a record number of participants in the event’s 15-year history. The procession of motorcycles and trikes traveled through the scenic mountain roads of northwestern North Carolina before returning to our headquarters to enjoy lunch together.
Fifteen Years of God’s Faithfulness
Before the kickstands went up, however, participants heard from Edward Graham, the COO of Samaritan’s Purse, and others about the reason behind this tradition. Graham, a former Army Ranger for 16 years, shared the heart behind Operation Heal Our Patriots.
“This program takes marriages that were built on no foundation at all, and it puts that foundation, and rebuilds the house, on the Rock of Jesus Christ,” Graham said to the crowd. “You see hope, where there was no hope. You see marriages that already had the divorce papers ready to be signed when they go up to Alaska, come back committed to serving and following Jesus Christ.”
Samaritan’s Purse COO Edward Graham spoke to participants about the heart behind Operation Heal our Patriots before the ride began.
As part of an initial mountaintop experience, couples are flown to Samaritan Lodge in southwest Alaska for a week of marriage enrichment training at the edge of wilderness. They are then followed up with for life through our Family Care program, annual reunions, and additional marriage enrichment resources through our network of chaplains.
From the first eight riders that showed up 15 years ago to now nearly 300 participants, the Warrior Ride has become an anticipated annual tradition led by Mark Speir and his wife Paige. The Speirs’ heart for seeing God transform lives and restore struggling marriages through the work of Operation Heal Our Patriots has only grown stronger in the last decade and a half.
From eight to 281, Mark Speir and his wife Paige have seen more and more motorcyclists come each year to the annual Warrior Ride since they started the tradition 15 years ago.
Mark says the ride is about three things: glorifying God, honoring our veterans, and celebrating marriage.
“It’s incredible to see how the Good Lord has taken five loaves and two fish, and now today to have this,” he said. “It’s important to know why you’re hear: it’s about glorifying God.”
The ‘Why’ Behind the Ride
Riders also heard from Arthur and Honey Bonjour who attended Operation Heal Our Patriots in 2023. They described how their week in Alaska changed their lives—and eternity—forever, rebuilding their marriage on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Arthur and Honey Bonjour were able to share their testimonies before the hundreds of riders. They thank God for sending them to Operation Heal Our Patriots, where they were saved and baptized, and where they dedicated their marriage to the Lord.
“When we were in Alaska, there were adventures—we went fishing with a waterfall behind us, we got to see bears in the wild, we went on boats and float planes—but none of that was what changed me,” said Arthur, a six-year Army veteran. “What changed me was all the stuff in between.”
Arthur recalls grabbing hold of the Bible “for the first time in 42 years” on the nightstand in their cabin one day while in Alaska. From that moment on, God began to work in his heart. They talked with chaplains and, by the end of the week, Arthur and Honey accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, were baptized in the waters of Lake Clark, and dedicated their marriage to God before the other couples at Samaritan Lodge.
“Coming to Alaska, my cup was broken, there were holes in my cup. I would continually just pour everything I had into this cup trying to fill it so that I can feel whole again and nothing ever worked,” Arthur said. “In Alaska, Jesus became my cup. I found that there is more to life—that I needed to be saved.”
“[The chaplains, staff, and volunteers] knew before we knew that God was working in our lives,” Honey added.
We praise God for the record number of riders at this year's High Country Warrior Ride.
Since their week in Alaska, the Bonjours have become part of the Key Leader program, helping support and disciple other couples in their marriage and walk with Christ. The couple is also heavily involved in their local church in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and hopes other Operation Heal Our Patriots alumni find their own local community.
“We are helping other couples who went to Operation Heal Our Patriots, because when you leave Alaska, you aren’t done,” Arthur said. “The main goal is for those who go to Alaska to start to become part of their community, to find their church, find opportunities to serve—to the point where they are so busy in their own communities that they don’t need Operation Heal Our Patriots anymore.”
Walking Together After Alaska
Since 2012, Operation Heal Our Patriots has ministered to over 2,000 military couples. Through this program, over 900 individuals have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, over 1,100 have been baptized, and more than 1,000 couples have publicly dedicated their marriages to God. This upcoming summer season, Samaritan Lodge plans to host and serve 170 couples.
After their week in Alaska, couples join a family of alumni built around the unity found only in Christ. Through our Family Care ministry, we provide ongoing chaplain support, marriage enrichment opportunities, Biblical discipleship, Christ-centered community, and opportunities to serve.
“Alaska is a big part of Operation Heal Our Patriots, but it’s just the start,” said director of Operation Heal Our Patriots John Pryor, who is a former Marine. “We want our couples to find hope in Christ. And from there, we want them to discover community by being plugged into a Bible-believing church where they can grow and thrive in their faith.”
Before the ride, director of Operation Heal Our Patriots John Pryor described the lifelong commitment and support Samaritan’s Purse provides Alaska alumni.
Family Care includes regional gatherings, discipleship weekends, and reunions for Operation Heal Our Patriots alumni. The Key Leader initiative trains alumni couples to mentor others, fostering a strong, Christ-centered community. Additionally, Team Patriot offers opportunities for these couples to serve together in Samaritan’s Purse U.S. disaster relief efforts, reinforcing their bonds and faith through service.
Please pray for the many couples who have become part of Operation Heal Our Patriots, and for the scores of new couples who will be in Alaska this summer each week from Memorial Day to mid-September. Pray that their lives and marriages would be transformed by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray that the Lord would work in the lives of the military veterans and their spouses who will go to Alaska this summer.
