​Moses Sonera, E5 Sergeant Combat Engineer, US Army, Retired
​Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis 2018 Mentor and Transportation Coordinator

​Moses enlisted in the Army June 24, 1998, as a Combat Engineer, 12B. His first duty station was Fort Carson, Colorado, and from there he was deployed twice; to Bosnia in 2000, and to Egypt in 2001. He was then transferred to Scofield Barracks, Hawaii, and was assigned to the 65th Engineer Battalion. During this time, he was deployed three times; to Thailand, Kuwait and Iraq in 2004.

On March 30, 2004, he was severely wounded by a mortar attack. He was sent from Iraq to Germany, to Andrews Air Force Base in Virginia, to Travis Air Force Base in California, and finally to Tripler Medical Center in Hawaii.

“The doctors tried to save my leg for almost a year, but in June 2005 my left foot was amputated. I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, Traumatic Brain Injury, and my amputation, but I was never down because of the help of my wife and kids.”  Moses knows that he must live for himself and his children, and to him that is a soldier’s real mission.

Since retiring from the Army in May 2006, Moses joined several local group activities to get back into society, the transition to civilian life was difficult, but with the love and support of his family, Moses was determined. He played with the Sled-Hockey Team in San Antonio, Texas, for about five years. He won two matches with the Amputee Boxing Association, and has been a trainer.

Moses’ goal is to help other wounded soldiers and their families with the struggles they are facing or are going to face. One of his dreams was to ride a motorcycle again. He remembers riding a motorcycle during his stay at Oahu, Hawaii, with a few of his soldier buddies. Moses is grateful to his family, to God for always pushing him to survive for the next day, and to Veterans Charity Ride, for modifying an Indian Motorcycle for him to ride and making his dream come true.

He is married to his sweetheart Maria of twenty years, and they have four children, Moses Jr. and Melany, ages 19 and 18, and Maria and Mathew, ages 13 and 8. Moses is returning to Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis this year as a Mentor and transportation crew member. He is looking forward to giving back to his fellow veterans and helping the new veteran riders experience an Adventure of a Lifetime.

“I would like to say that is an honor and a privilege to be part of Veterans Charity Ride (VCR), and to be returning as a mentor for the VCR to Sturgis 2018. I will do my best and share my knowledge and my experiences to help the new veterans, to help make their ride the best and the most comfortable possible. I love this family and I would like to continue to support and help this amazing program forever. If you need me to do something that can help, you can count on me. Sincerely, Moses Sonera, USA ARMY Sergeant, Combat Engineer.”