Local

Veteran makes emotional plea for help finding motorcycle bought while serving in Iraq

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — Police in western North Carolina are trying to track down a veteran’s stolen motorcycle, and the victim said it’s more than just a set of wheels.

[RELATED: Fundraiser raises nearly $15K for guardsman robbed while assisting hurricane victims]

"They've taken something away that was special to me," said veteran Ruble Taylor.

Officials said the bike was stolen early Saturday morning from his home in Waynesville.

Taylor said he bought the motorcycle while serving in Iraq as a memento to his time in uniform.

[RELATED: Veterans offering reward for arrest after grave of NC 'war hero' vandalized]

"Shocked and panicked, because it was truly sentimental to me because that was my coming home from Iraq or present to myself in 2010," said Taylor.

The veteran keeps several reminders of his military service close to him, from the tattoo of in honor of his grandfather, who was also an Army vet, to a bracelet in memory of a tragic day in Iraq.

"It was a bike I looked for many years and I found it on Craigslist, and I actually purchased it while I was still in Iraq. I had a family member go look at it for me and everything," said Taylor.

[RELATED: Marine Corps flag theft 'disrespectful to all military members,' vet says]

Taylor said he has theft insurance, but it’s the emotional loss that hurts the most.

"But I don't want the money, I just want the motorcycle back," he said.

The veteran worries the thief may have already dismantled his bike and sold the parts.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

Cox Media Group

Most Read