The AMVETS Post 13 in Durham is raising money for a veterans assistance fund through the first annual Army Staff Sgt. Thomas Field Memorial Ride on Saturday. The fundraiser is for a veterans assistance account and scholarships for local kids of military veterans and active military who want to go to college.

Darin Baker, treasurer for Post 13, has worked to organize the inaugural memorial ride.

Baker was spurred to action last year when he learned of a local veteran home from Afghanistan who was having a difficult time settling back into civilian life. The post and other veteran organizations pulled together to pay some bills, buy him some clothes and groceries, get him a job interview and a car.

“That sort of got the juices flowing,” Baker said.

Post 13 is working to integrate a younger generation of veterans into their organization and provide resources and support.

“We’re losing 20-plus veterans a day to suicide,” Baker said. “We don’t have the quick fix but we’re certainly interested in trying different things, because what’s been tried hasn’t necessarily been working.”

Saturday’s event will honor Staff Sgt. Thomas “Tommie” Field of Lisbon, who was a year ahead of Baker in high school and was killed in the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993 at age 25. The battle was depicted in the film “Black Hawk Down.”

During a career that included Operation Just Cause in Panama, Field was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal with “V” device, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Baker has been humbled by the level of support the fundraiser has drawn from Field’s family, the community and businesses.

Post 13 has had a rough go of it the past couple of years. Their building had a major flood and had to be largely rebuilt.

“Our mission statement is to get involved with the public and support local veterans in our community and it’s about time we start to do that,” Baker. “The community helped us and now it’s our turn.”

The festivities and registration for the ride begin at 10 a.m. The cost is $25 per motorcycle and at noon the ride will depart the post at 1049 Royalsborough Road and travel to Auburn and return back to the post.

There will be a silent auction, food and music at the post while the ride takes place, and when it returns there will still be live music with Five Shadow.

Post 13 will then host a public dance from 8 p.m. to midnight with the band 95 North. There is a $10 fee per person for the dance.

For information, visit facebook.com/amvets.durhammaine or email durhamamvets@yahoo.com.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

Saturday event

• THE FESTIVITIES and registration for the ride begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The cost is $25 per motorcycle and at noon the ride will depart the post at 1049 Royalsborough Road and travel to Auburn and return back to the post.