REVERE — Swampscott Police officer John Cassidy — an avid motorcyclist who has served in the Air National Guard for 15 years — escorted five wounded veterans on a 17.5-mile motorcycle ride at the 12th Annual Wounded Vet Run Sunday morning.
At 8:30 a.m., approximately 30 bikers revved their engines outside Boston Harley-Davidson in Revere and rode to Anthony’s of Malden. Proceeds from this year’s They Fought, We Ride event went to five U.S. Marines injured at the Kabul Airport suicide attack during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Marines Michael Wilson, Christian Sanchez, Wyatt Wilson, Romel Finley, and Tyler Vargas were all critically wounded at the Kabul Airport attack. Wyatt Wilson received the Bronze Star for Valor when, after the bombing, he disregarded his own life-threatening wounds to drag another wounded marine to safety.
Vargas, who lost one arm and one leg during the attack, testified before Congress in March describing his experience.
“I opened my eyes to Marines dead or unconscious around me,” Vargas said on Capitol Hill in March. “My body was catastrophically wounded with 100 to 150 ball bearings now in it. Almost immediately, we started taking fire from the neighborhood and I saw how injured I was, with my right arm completely shredded and unusable. I saw my lower abdomen soaked in blood.”
Cassidy, who rode representing Swampscott Police, said it was an honor to support and show respect for the Marines’ service and sacrifice. He said he particularly enjoyed meeting Green Beret Nicholas Lavery, the first Special Forces soldier to return to duty as an amputee.
“It was awesome and truly inspiring to see what those guys have gone through — the fact that they’re still going out and trying to do more for their brothers and other veterans. They just keep pushing through whatever life throws at them,” Cassidy said. “It’s all about raising money for those guys. They don’t get enough help as it is, so it’s good to be able to go out there and lend a hand wherever you can. To do it and represent the Swampscott Police Department was even better.”
