Earn The Vest

Story and Photos By Hannah Lester

Anthony Renza popped a wheelie on his motorcycle, speeding down the street, the Opelika train tracks visible behind him.

I turned as one of his buddies said to me that if I didn’t stop him, he’ll keep going all day.

The Veterans Motorcycle Club in Opelika provides a place for veterans to get together, ride their bikes and share their stories.

Members may take rides around Auburn or Opelika together, or as far as a trip to the Grand Canyon. They come from all backgrounds and all branches of service, but share their history in the military with one another.

“The club is an all-motorcycle club that encompasses veterans from all branches of the military; some are active, some are retired — we have a variation of both spread throughout the club,” said Craig Scrivener, a member of the club. “It is just a way to encompass the brotherhood [we] had, whether in military

or the love of motorcycle riding.”

Scrivener said that the club gives its members a chance to raise both motorcycle awareness in the community and spread knowledge about veterans’ issues.

The Veterans Motorcycle Club is actually one chapter of several around the country, but it has only been around in Opelika for about a year, he said.

The original club was started in 1982.

“It was five members that were stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, got together; they were all Vietnam vets,” Scrivener said. “It was kind of funny, they go to Waffle House one night, and got together and decided they wanted to start a motorcycle club. The whole idea kind of originated on a napkin.”

The overarching club just celebrated 40 years in October, with everyone congregating in Fort Bragg.

“We usually try to meet up with the other brothers in other chapters as much as possible,” Scrivener said.

The club hosts events throughout the year — awareness events for veterans’ issues, like veterans’ suicide awareness, or anniversary events for the chapter.

“The more bikes that are out there, the more awareness that gets brought to what’s going on,” Scrivener said.

Members all over the country wear their vests out and about. Scrivener actually joined the club after 21 years in the Army, when he saw a Facebook post from a friend wearing one of the motorcycle club’s signature vests.

“I think I was about 9 years old [when] my dad bought me my first dirt bike, and I’ve pretty much been riding off and on between deployments since,” he said. “… I’ve been on and off bikes since I was learning how to tie my shoes.”

Renza, another Army veteran in the club, said he grew up around bikes. His dad had a body shop next to a custom bike build.

“One of the reasons why I joined [the Army] — they were offering the bonuses back then, the real big ones, and I was like, ‘I can buy my Harley now,’” he said.

The club also provides a sense of community for its members.

“The best thing about the club is you have so many people you can reach out to anytime you’re having a rough night; you have brothers all across the country,” Renza said. “If one doesn’t answer the phone, somebody’s going to answer the phone.”

Knowing you can count on the other members means, however, that there is a process to joining the club, Renza said.

“These aren’t given away, they’re earned,” he said about the vests.

Renza said his bike once broke down in Florida and a brother from Texas was actually the one to come to the rescue, renting a trailer and driving with him to Tennessee.

One of the requirements to join the club is that the member must ride an American-made motorcycle, Scrivener said. Members must also have a veterans status or proof of service.

Members have each other’s backs, Scrivener said. He knows he can count on his brothers in the club.

“I’m originally from Florida; I don’t have any

family in the state of Alabama or Georgia, other than these guys,” he said. “These guys are my family.”