Veteran Wins Customized Patriotic Paint Job for His Sportster
Deserving Iraqi Freedom veteran gets the birthday present of a lifetime.
We’re a sucker for feel-good stories here on H-D Forums. Whenever someone deserving receives a donated motorcycle anywhere in America, it’s like a bat signal for us. With that, we bring you this heartwarming tale from Claremore, Oklahoma.
From 2006 to 2009, Michael Foster, known to his friends as “Sparky,” served as a military police officer in the Air Force. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he, unfortunately, sustained injuries that led to his discharge.
In addition to being a patriot, Foster is also a fellow rider. He’s got a 2015 Sportster, and when he heard that a local shop was holding a raffle to customize a bike for a deserving veteran, he threw his name in the hat.
That shop was Mizfit Customs, and when the time came to draw the name, Foster was the lucky winner. In the span of a month, they transformed his 2015 Sportster into a red, white and blue freedom machine, dripping with patriotic touches.
To make things even better, he got his bike back the day before his birthday. In this video from NBC News 2 in Tulsa, he looks overjoyed. That’s one heck of a birthday present, and we can’t think of a more deserving rider.
Like many veterans, Foster lives with scars you can’t see. If it weren’t for the PTSD awareness patch on his leather vest, we’re sure many wouldn’t be aware of the pain he carries with him.
Thankfully, riding is an escape for Foster. He says, “It’s just the nothingness of it. It’s just the wind, it’s calming…Your thoughts are just nothing.”
Mizfit Customs plans on continuing to raffle off the opportunity for customization for veterans and first responders twice a year.
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