Veterans' Motorcycle Outreach

It has been said that out of great struggle greatness can be forged. In reality, however, often times it takes a helping hand to change the lessons learned from past struggles into something truly impactful. This story is often the things of myth, but it also is true in many cases. Such is the story of the Veterans Motorcycle Outreach. 

While the story of Veterans Motorcycle Outreach officially begins in 2015, its true origins lay much earlier than that. It starts with a young Michael Anthony Bean, honorably discharged after serving in Vietnam. Like many who served in the theater of war, Bean’s transition back to “normal” society was difficult, long, and fraught with demons. 

But fortunately for Bean, he would eventually find solace after a chance encounter with a fellow Vietnam veteran who shared his passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 2013, after years of struggling through addiction and homelessness, Bean happened to find himself wander into Shovelhead Vintage Repair in Portland, Oregon. The shop had been known for freely giving away motorcycles and parts, all the while helping out veterans and restoring their personal sense of worth. 

Soon Bean would strike up a friendship with the shop’s owner Bill Kielman and the two began discussing how they can better help serve all motorcycle loving veterans. Kielman had experience at this too, years earlier he had started a coffeehouse that offered drug awareness programs for addicted veterans. The work that was born out of Kielman and Bean’s friendship had given Bean something to work for and was truly life changing. 

Kielman and Shovelhead Vintage Repair would eventually move to Castle Rock, Washington in 2015 and Bean would follow suit. When the friends settled, Shovelhead Vintage Repair changed its name to Veteran’s Motorcycle Outreach (VMO) with a now sober Bean serving as co-founder of the non-profit organization. 

While working on expanding VMO’s services Bean took the Veterans Administration’s “Compassionate Warrior Training Course,” to better gain insight on how to provide further assistance to suffering veterans. From 2016 until Beans sad passing of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72 in June of 2021, Bean and the VMO helped out hundreds of veterans in many capacities. 

Although Bean is no longer with us, his work and legacy continue to this day. Veterans Motorcycle Outreach continues to serve veterans in all walks of life, no matter what they are struggling with. You can help by following them on social media: https://www.facebook.com/VeteransMotorcycleOutreach/ as well as reaching out about donations and other opportunities.

Find out more at: http://vmocr.org