Tech Sgt. John Green, a cargo specialist with the 38th Aerial Port Squadron, comes forward waving the winning ticket stub to claim his new Harley-Davidson motorcycle Sunday afternoon in Vogelweh, Germany. (Terry Boyd / S&S)
VOGELWEH, Germany — Whoever holds ticket 07757 in the raffle for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Tech. Sgt. John Green thanks you for your inattention. Green, a cargo specialist with the 38th Aerial Port Squadron from South Carolina, is the happy owner of a 2004 Harley after Sunday afternoon’s drawing at Vogelweh.
Army and Air Force Exchange Service and Air Force groups at Ramstein Air Base gave away the bike at the Vogelweh AAFES New Cars Sales as a charity fund-raiser.
The raffle and other events raised more than $10,000, Col. Warren D. Berry, 435th Mission Support Group commander at Ramstein Air Base, said as he got ready to pick the winning entry. Actually, it turned out to be “entries,” plural, as the holder of the first winning number failed to appear.
After waiting a few minutes for the holder of 07757, Berry picked a second entry — 09484. Green came to the stage waving the winning stub.
The Sportster will be the second bike for the 52-year-old native of North Charleston, S.C., where he works for a wine company in the civilian world.
“I had a Honda 350, but [Hurricane] Hugo hit it in 1989,” Green said, laughing.
Green will pick up the bike when he returns home to Charleston after temporary duty at Ramstein with the 38th Aerial Port Squadron, a South Carolina Air Force Reserve unit.
Three Air Force organizations — Ramstein Chiefs’ Group, Ramstein First Sergeants Council and the Company Grade Officers’ Council — sold 10,000 chances for $1 each.
Proceeds will go to three Air Force charities: Ramstein Area Chiefs’ Group Scholarship Program, Holiday Cheer and Friends of Family Support.
