BIKERS RAISE MONEY FOR WIFE AND SON OF SLAIN 1AD SOLDIER.

Patriotic spirit roared as loudly as the bikes themselves Saturday at the VFW.

American flags and 9/11 memorials were a common sight. Dissent over the war in Iraq was virtually nonexistent.

Elisha and Dean were the guests of honor.

Wearing an American flag shirt and a Harley-Davidson bandanna, Elisha mounted a bike behind her father, Butch Callis. Dean, sporting red, white and blue prints, stayed behind with his grandmother, Rhonda Callis.

"I think it's wonderful what everyone has done for us -- we can't thank them enough," Elisha said. "We just want everyone to keep praying for the troops."

Elisha said her views toward the conflict have changed little since her husband's death; she's still supportive of the U.S. efforts in Iraq...

"We're still very much part of the military," she said. "We stand behind the troops all the way."

"It's what we should all be doing (helping veterans' families)," biker Jim Wooldridge said. "That's the only way we're going to survive."

"These people (veterans) sacrifice so much so we can enjoy a nice, sunny day to ride," biker Gino Johnson said. "The least we can do is come up here with our families."

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