Two Navy Veterans Ride 3,400 Miles to Honor America’s Fallen Heroes

Clear Facts

• Navy veterans Jim Serger and Cory Hardy reunited after 30 years to bike from San Diego to New York City in 20 days, averaging 170 miles daily
• The cross-country journey honored the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 and America’s 250th birthday, raising over $17,000 for Tunnel to Towers Foundation
• The veterans visited 25 firehouses across the country, documenting widespread patriotism and service among first responders from coast to coast

Two Navy veterans recently completed an extraordinary journey across America, proving that patriotism and brotherhood remain alive in the heartland. Jim Serger, 55, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cory Hardy, 51, of Ennis, Montana, hadn’t seen each other in three decades since serving together overseas.

On July 14, the two friends embarked on a grueling bike ride from California to New York City. Their mission: honor the upcoming 25th anniversary of September 11th and remind Americans never to forget the heroes who sacrificed everything that day.

After writing three books for the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers, Serger said he felt compelled to challenge himself with something bigger.

“And why not wrangle in my old Navy buddy, who I hadn’t seen for 30 years, that I knew was a tremendous bicyclist,” he told Fox News Digital. “Back in January, I said, ‘Would you like to go on this trip?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely, Jimmy, count me in.'”

Hardy said he’s always viewed himself as incredibly patriotic, having been granted countless opportunities through military service to see the world and get an education.

“When Jim approached me about the idea of doing this, I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome. This is something that I can do,” he shared.

“It’s the 250th anniversary of our country and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and I don’t want to forget, and I want people to keep it at the forefront of their minds.”

Serger trained for 10 months, logging 5,000 miles on an indoor trainer. When spring arrived, he hit the trails around Cincinnati. A few months later, the duo began their journey in San Diego and headed east.

They were met with 20 road closures, a fire and flooding in Colorado, two flat tires, three bike shop visits and countless backroad detours. The physical demands were extreme.

Serger and Hardy focused on staying hydrated, especially in the California and Arizona heat, with a collective three gallons of water each day, sometimes including electrolytes. They snacked on energy waffles, protein bars and salt gummy bears, and consumed lots of carbs at meals.

Hardy said he took 10-minute ice baths every single day. Serger reported losing six pounds by the end of the mission, which he gained back by eating good food in New York.

While Hardy was already accustomed to the elevation after living in mountainous Montana, Serger said the altitude posed a significant physical challenge.

“It was grueling … so hard,” he told Fox News Digital. “Cory had to take the mountains in Colorado, I stayed on flat ground — that was our game plan.”

Serger and Hardy were met by some of their old Navy buddies along the way. One fellow veteran, an Arizona state trooper, drove from Phoenix to Flagstaff to meet them on the route. Others opened their homes for the pair to stay the night.

The friends stopped at about 25 firehouses to hand out Tunnel to Towers books and introduce themselves. What they discovered was a nation still united in service and sacrifice.

“Sometimes we were there for an hour, sometimes we were there for four hours,” Serger said. “Talking about Tunnel to Towers, where they were on 9/11 … how much they train … it was just very heartwarming.”

Serger said he and Hardy both foster the patriotic mentality of what they can do for others, as Hardy serves on the city council and Serger’s wife cooks for the fire department every month. These types of efforts were reciprocated throughout their journey.

“Every fire station, EMS, police station, they’re all involved in the communities. We got patches, we got hats, we got pins, we got T-shirts,” Serger said.

Hardy added that at every firehouse, everybody was there to help, regardless of their state’s political affiliation.

“They’re just another American out there willing to put their life on the line to save people,” he said. “I thought it was super awesome to get to meet firefighters from East Coast to West Coast.”

“The closer we got to Shanksville and the Pentagon and New York, it became very emotional, because then people said, ‘My mom was there’ or ‘My aunt was there’ … and then a firefighter said, ‘Three of our brothers went up there.'”

“The closer we got, we knew we had hit the epicenter of how people responded to those terrorist attacks – and it really hit home.”

At the Pentagon, Serger and Hardy received a police escort from the Pentagon Police and Pentagon Fire Department before receiving a five-hour tour, including the 9/11 memorial. The experience reinforced the sacred duty to remember.

Clocking about 170 miles a day, the pair made it to Lower Manhattan in 20 days. They were welcomed by the FDNY, Port Authority and NYPD Honor Guard at FDNY Ten House, across from Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

“I started crying,” Serger said. “My wife was there. She flew in. We had Sal Cassano, the [former] FDNY Fire Commissioner, there. Fire Station 10 had firemen, civilians were there. It was very, very moving.”

Serger and Hardy’s cause has so far raised more than $17,000 for Tunnel to Towers. But the financial contribution may be secondary to their greater mission.

In addition to raising funds for the organization, Serger said the expedition aims to generate continued awareness for those who sacrificed and risked their lives on 9/11 as the 25th anniversary approaches.

“We never forget 9/11,” Serger said. “We never forget the sacrifice of our heroes, of our military, our first responders and gold star families. We never want 9/11 to fade away.”

Serger described the bike ride as a surreal and emotional experience that revealed something profound about America.

“It started off with, we’re going to raise money for Tunnel to Towers, and I think our final [takeaway] was there’s a lot of love and pride and patriotism in this country, from far west all the way to the east,” he shared. “Everybody welcomed us with open arms. That’s all we talked about.”

Their journey stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of American service and sacrifice. In an era of division and doubt, two veterans proved that patriotism still binds this nation together from sea to shining sea.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.