Photo by Sgt. 1st Class William CherneskiOCEAN CITY, Md.- A Carroll County soldier will end a solo bicycle trip across the United States in Ocean City Saturday, June 7th.
Sergeant First Class Bill Cherneski, 59, began his cross-country trek at the Pacific Ocean in La Push, Washington. He plans to make it to the Atlantic Ocean, where he hopes to touch the water before noon on Saturday.
As an active duty soldier with the Maryland Army National Guard 29th MP Company, Sergeant First Class Cherneski wanted to do something to help military veterans who have been wounded.
He decided to ride his bicycle across the country to raise awareness of the challenges these veterans face and, hopefully, encourage generous citizens to make a donation to two specific charities that help these veterans.
Cherneski accepts no donations himself. He simply encourages people to make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project or to the Fisher House, which provides housing for families of wounded warriors near the hospitals where they are being treated.
During his solo journey, Cherneski has stayed in campsites, on open prairies, in small town parks, motels, homes, and a few military armories.
He has ridden the same bicycle and has only had four flat tires, all of which occurred in the state of Minnesota.
Sergeant First Class Cherneski will finish his military mission this August when he retires, on his birthday.
