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60 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classifieds Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 3, 2005 A veteran of the U.S. Marines, Vietnam and homelessness, Gary Rishforth Sr. will set off across the country in May. He hopes to illuminate the plight of homeless vets. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Vet plans U.S. trek By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Having been homeless for three years earlier in his life, Gary Rishforth Sr. knows what it’s like to be down and out. The Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam also knows what it means to wear a military uniform. Rishforth, 55, of Eagle Point, wants to reach out to homeless veterans and bring attention to their plight by riding across the nation on horseback. "Our veterans need our help," he said. "You see a lot of American flags on people’s cars now but that doesn’t mean they care about veterans. Advertisement "When they drive by a homeless vet, most of them don’t stop," he added. "They just ignore them." Rishforth, who began planning several years ago for what he expects is a roughly 14,000-mile trip, intends to step out on May 30 — Memorial Day. He is now seeking help in the form of everything from horses to tack as well as financial backing. He plans to talk to homeless veterans en route about veterans benefits as well as to anyone who will listen about homeless veterans. En route, he will also stop at Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and other veterans’ gathering places. He is seeking backing from local and national veterans groups. "But I started out with this idea by myself and will do it by myself if I have to," he said. "I’ve got a veteran’s pension. I can do it." Mike Parker, 57, of Medford, a Navy veteran of Vietnam, supports Rishforth’s effort. "He‘s the real thing — he’s legit," said Parker who serves as a volunteer at the former Department of Veterans Affairs domiciliary in White City where Rishforth was once a patient. "I think it’s a great idea," he said, noting he has talked to Rishforth about the ride. "There are homeless veterans out there who would listen to him (Rishforth). There is a need for someone to do something like this." Parker, who has Parkinson’s disease, said he would join Rishforth on the trip if he could. "I’ll be there in spirit with him," Parker said. Originally hailing from a rural area near Cincinnati, Ohio, Rishforth said he joined the Corps when he was 17 in May 1966. Serving as a ground pounder in the 3rd Marine Division, the enlisted Marine arrived in Vietnam in March 1967 for 11 months in country, he said. He was discharged on Feb. 27, 1969. "I don’t have any good memories of Vietnam," he said, noting that he saw combat. After the service, he worked with horses in Colorado and Montana. "I was raised on a farm," he said. "I’ve always liked horses. I like to be around them. "The horse is a symbol of freedom to me," he added. Married and divorced several times, he said he hit rock bottom while an unemployed construction worker in Laytonville, Calif. He lived where he could, including in a dead car for a time, then eventually was admitted to the former VA domiciliary in White City. The facility is now known as the VA’s Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics. Rishforth’s interest in riding horseback around the nation was triggered by a commentary he heard on the radio. The commentator was urging the audience to send money overseas to help people stricken by poverty, he said. "I thought, ‘Hey, we’ve got homeless veterans who put their lives on the line who are being neglected,’ " he said. He estimates he will be traveling a maximum 20 to 25 miles daily during the trip, camping en route most of the way. "If need be, I’ll trade horses or get another one along the way," he said. "I want to zigzag so I can hit all the states." He will avoid major metropolitan areas, although he intends to stop in at Washington, D.C., to talk to politicians about the plight of homeless veterans. "People need to know there are still homeless veterans out there who need our help," he said. Contributions to Veteran’s Ride Across America For Homeless Vets may be made to Washington Mutual Vet Ride, 3607 Crater Lake Highway, Medford, OR 97504. For more information, contact Rishforth at 826-9877. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers Advertisement s