Veteran Spotlight David “Doc” Manzo
The Antelope Valley is the proud home of numerous veterans who are making exceptional contributions to our community. The Palmdale Journal would like to honor one of these heroes each month. If there is a veteran you would like to nominate for a monthly spotlight, please contact Mariopresents@protonmail.com
When watching a group of bikers travel as a group on the streets or highway, community service doesn’t immediately come to mind. However David “Doc” Manzo, and his 1776 Patriots of America Motorcycle Club(POAMC) is dedicated to standing for the flag, kneeling for the cross, honoring our veterans, and giving back to the community. This President and founder, is an eight year army veteran, touring Iraq from 2005 to 2006 and serving as a reservist for five years.
Partnering with other motorcycle and veteran groups, he and his team host events and fundraise not only for the veteran community, but also their families. April 8th, 1776 POAMC will be hosting its second annual veteran fundraiser to provide much needed help for local veterans. Food, housing, training, financial assistance, christmas gifts, and parades, this team does it all.
Working on base as an Aircraft Ordnance System Mechanic keeps food on his own table, but David and his group often prepare sack lunches, hot meals, or pizza to give to underserved locals; delivered always by motorcycle.
The 1776 Patriots of America Motorcycle Club were privileged to escort a local World War II veteran to his 100th birthday at Bravery Brewery, and also escorted that same veteran for his end of life services a few months later. The group is non political in nature and non religious because regardless of a person’s faith, we should honor the fallen. Preventing veteran suicide is a top priority and every October his group raises money with AV Harley Davidson for suicide awareness, connecting local famlies, survivors, and support groups with one another.
Every 3rd Tuesday of the month 1776 POAMC partners with Homage to our Heroes at Medranos to provide resources to connect veterans with services like job development, resume review, training, and employment.Good mental health is about keeping people engaged and active in the community especially if they feel forgotten. He recently began a podcast on Youtube, to connect veterans locally with available resources and information on a digital scale as DocCulture661.
At one point in his life, David lived in his car for 4 months and in a garage for a year before getting back on his feet. People helped him and he wants to pass it on through the 1776 Patriots of America Motorcycle Club. Not limited to veterans, this group is for everyone looking to give back to the community atop their motorcycle. From Harley to Enduro, every bike is welcome and the group is more than willing to bring a smile to anyone’s face as they serve the Antelope Valley. To find out more about David “Doc” Manzo, or his group, visit www.instagram.com/1776poamc/
