From left to right, Ray Lehnen, Steve “Smurf” Keene and Jeff Lehnen Sr.
Hughesville, MD – A family’s grief at the loss of a son and brother has prompted the organization of what could prove to be a major road event in Southern Maryland designed to aid aging military veterans. Sunday, Aug. 27 will mark one year since the sudden death of Jeff Lehnen Jr., an Army veteran whose post-military life was one of chaos. He was only 33. Jeff Lehnen Sr. of St. Leonard told TheBayNet.com that his oldest son did several tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq as a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne, a light infantry division that is constantly in harm’s way. “He didn’t ask for a lot of things,” said Lehnen, who recalls his son prior to his military service as someone with an infectious giggle and smile who would step up and help anyone. Even after his military service, Jeff Jr. would pay for the meals of military veterans. He was also a great father to his two children, loved to go fishing and shared his father’s devotion to the Oakland Raiders.
The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) took its toll on the younger Lehnen. “After the military he was not the best Jeff,” said Lehnen, who conceded his son had some scrapes with the law due to disorderly conduct and fighting incidents. “He believed nobody could get to him.”
Lehnen credits his son Ray with coming up with the idea of organizing a ride in Jeff Jr.’s memory as a way to remember him and aid other veterans struggling with PTSD. “Jeff always was the one to help somebody—from the smallest thing to the biggest thing, he always wanted to help,” said Ray Lehnen. “This ride is keeping his memory alive.”
The motorcycle event planned for Sunday, Aug. 27 has been dubbed the First Annual Ride for Jeff.
Jeff and Ray Lehnen realized that they didn’t really know how to effectively plan the motorcycle riding event. Fortunately, they will have the help of someone who does. All-American Harley Davidson General Manager Steve Keene, who everyone knows as “Smurf,” has stepped up to engineer the route and several other logistical issues involved in the Aug. 27 event.
The ride will begin at All-American in Hughesville at 11:30 a.m. and proceed south on Route 5. The riders will pass by Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. “The veterans really love to hear the sounds of motorcycles,” said Smurf. The riders will then turn on Route 5 and head north, eventually stopping at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, where Jeff Lehnen Jr. is buried. Then the riders will head to southern Charles County for a gathering at Shymansky’s Marina in Cobb Island.
The entry fee for motorcycle riders is $20 and $5 for passengers. The proceeds from the ride will be going to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. “They appreciate it,” said Smurf, who expressed confidence the event would be successful. “People are really patriotic. People are going to come out.”
“We were very strict about who we were going to give the money to,” said Lehnen,
Of the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Smurf added, “the staff is amazing.” Noting that on his visits to the home when he had a relative living there, Smurf noted that many of the residents do not have family members visiting on a regular basis. “A lot of people forget the ‘Jeffs,’ ” said Smurf, who praised the veterans home staff for admirably filling the void.
In getting the First Annual Ride for Jeff rolling, Lehnen and Smurf both commended their employer, Geoff Wanamaker, president of Bayside Auto Group, for his efforts to make the event possible. “We don’t know how big this thing has gotten,” said Lehnen, who added when he and Ray began planning the ride they had the commitment of 10 to 20 cyclists. Now, “we have north of 250 bikes.”
While the ride is in honor and memory of his oldest son, Lehnen conceded that “everybody is going to have their warrior to remember.”
“It’s great to be part of this ride and how it’s going help people who gave so much to our country,” said Smurf. “It’s going to bring a lot of peace to Jeff.”
Lehnen said that some motorcyclists who cannot be in Southern Maryland the day of the event plus those who are not motorcycle riders are also sending donations.
For more information about the First Annual Ride for Jeff, visit the event Facebook page.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com