A Minnesota PBS Initiative
Harley Tracks: Across Vietnam to The Wall
To honor our fallen veterans with a ride across Vietnam on a Harley Davidson; who would imagine such an opportunity? Mike Rinowski sure didn’t. To feel freedom like never before, to be an American like never before, and to feel the presence of those you rode for; who would imagine being centered in that triad? Mike didn’t. To celebrate the growth of a free-spirited nature with people that never knew freedom; who would expect to experience that? Not Mike.
He rode in the spirit of freedom, for a total of 41,000 miles, and thought his quest was over.
Mike served in the Army during the Vietnam War Era, but not in Vietnam. In 2008, he went to Hanoi to build golf courses, and to import a Harley was as much of a surprise as the job. Despite warnings about riding alone, he was determined to enjoy a pastime he missed during the twelve years he’d been working in Asia.
When his contract crumbled, he needed to work, but joy rides filled his schedule while he networked for his next job. His awareness to the loss on that land grew into an obligation; to honor those who died in the Vietnam War with a ride across Vietnam—on a Harley Davidson, America’s freedom machine. How cool was that, he thought!
It was so cool that serendipity repeated its support for his obligation. But his first lap of Vietnam left him unfulfilled, and he did not return to work. On the land they saw last, there had to be something more, but what?
My farewell to Mr. Nhon, Memento Resort, Nha Trang
He returned to the trails with faith as his guide. In silence on old battlegrounds and solitude of jungle on the Ho Chi Minh Road, he crossed a threshold and bonded with the spirits of his generation. He lived vicariously for them and rode with a playful vengeance—fearlessly and foolishly, taunting the trails, the threats, and the elements with a handful of throttle and a fist in the air, and he willed those wild sensations to the fallen.
At a trails end
After seven trips across Vietnam Mike was known and welcome from one end to the other. He rode in the spirit of freedom, for a total of 41,000 miles, and thought his quest was over.
However, had he not met a veteran, at the Texas BBQ in Nha Trang, his story would have been incomplete and he wouldn’t have known it. With him, it rolled full circle, in 2013, with a ride across America to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, aka The Wall, in Washington D.C. Not bad for an unexpected road trip!
Mike’s book, Harley Tracks: Across Vietnam to The Wall, conveys an essence of American character; that of a free-spirited and patriotic nature. Over six thousand hours of writing, reading about writing, and re-writing went into it for an intimate presentation. He invested an incalculable amount of savings for a professional presentation. Between the hard covers, 321 pages with 107 color photos and maps tell the story.
Veterans and non-veterans, riders and non-riders, and the young and otherwise connect with Harley Tracks, including, Tom Campbell, a Vietnam Veteran, SEAL Team One, who said: “I appreciated the deep respect you had for my fellow soldiers, sailors, and airmen along the way. I was most struck by your pronouncement in the chapter called The Swan Song Ride, “Brothers, FALL IN! It’s time to go home.” I believe they all heard you.”
Paul Ittner, of Minneapolis said:
The poetic, lyrical, and colorful descriptions of the people and landscapes really came alive. You kept the focus on honoring our veterans. I laughed, cried, studied, and wondered in awe as I read your book.
To learn more about Mike and his story, and order your copy of Harley Tracks, please visit: www.harleytracks.com It’s available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, in eBook, also. Profit supports veterans and their families.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: Elk River, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Mpls MN, United States 
Story Subject: Memorial
Affiliate Organization: Tracks Press
Story Themes: Author, Book, Memorial, Motorcylce, Return to Vietnam