Bike designer helping families of 833rd

By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer

December 21, 2007 12:40 pm

— OTTUMWA — It’s fitting that an award-winning motorcycle designer wants to support the 833rd Engineer Company.
“I know a lot of the guys over there are into motorcycles,” said Elizabeth Mason, wife of Sgt. Robert Mason Jr. of the 833rd. “I think it’s awesome.”
Maybe that’s because people who work with their hands can appreciate the work that goes into a custom motorcycle.
“They’re engineers. Building bikes is engineering,” said Roger Borror, 31.
Borror, who turned his passion for choppers into a wall full of trophies, has decided to build a custom bike, raffle it off and donate all proceeds to the families of the deployed soldiers through the Family Readiness Group.
“Roger is actually good friends with my cousin, and that’s how I found out about it,” Mason told the Courier. “I told him I applaud him for it and would help him out any way I could.”
A visit to the workshop behind Borror’s home revealed the side-business he started: Wapello County Customs.
He is on the road to becoming a full-time bike builder and looks forward to showing off his skills while building the military-themed motorcycle. But that’s not why he has chosen this task.
“I have friends over there, and I wanted to show my support,” said Borror. “I can’t be there, so I want to show them what I can do over here.”
The bikes sold by Borror can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
“It surprises me when [someone] wants to take something upon themselves to do something that big — there’s so many people that seem to forget they’re gone,” said Angela Handling of Drakesville, whose husband SFC Derek Handling is currently serving in Iraq with the 833rd.
Borror hasn’t forgotten. The idea first came to the bike builder when the Ottumwa unit was deployed as the 224th. Life got in the way, and he didn’t get to build the military-themed bike.
“Now they’ve been sent over there again [as] the 833rd. This time I said, ‘I’m doing it.’ I want to show my support,” he said.
He hopes to see the community get involved, too, so he has flyers to bring around to businesses, looking for donations to buy the parts and pieces necessary to build the custom bike.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea for someone who’s into that to put their own spin on [a fundraiser],” said Handling.
“He’s got some good ideas for it,” said Mason. “He’s trying to make it around what the guys are doing and the stuff they deal with over there in Iraq.”
“It’ll have the springer front end, camouflage paint, maybe incorporate some bullets along here,” said Borror. “Kind of old school military.”
There are other organizations who have helped the 833rd and their families, like veterans groups, a sorority and a local computer business. But the collecting of donations and the showing of the bike throughout Iowa will have an added bonus: awareness of the sacrifice being made overseas.
“It definitely brings it back up on people’s minds,” said Handling. “These guys are giving up a year of their life to give us the life we have.”
Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.

For Your Information
Roger Borror can be contacted at 799-0444, or by e-mail at Wapellocc @hotmail.com.

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