Lt. Col. Doug Adams, USA, Ret., president of the Association of the United States Army’s PFC William K. Nakamura Chapter, has been riding a bicycle since October in an effort to honor and raise awareness of the nation’s soldiers and veterans and their service to the county.The Nakamura Chapter, formerly the Seattle Chapter, is named for a World War I recipient of the Medal of Honor.Adams’ goal is to cycle through all 50 states, punctuating his journey with the Kona Ironman Competition in Hawaii on Oct. 8.Calling it the "Duty, Honor, America Tour," Adams began his trek at Fort Drum, N.Y., with his wife, Col. Deb Lewis, USA, Ret., a fellow Army retiree, following in a motor coach.With designated stops each day, their goal is to generate interest in the media and local communities to draw attention to soldiers and veterans."Our mission is to educate and inspire Americans so that they will in large and small ways do things that will really make a difference for our veterans, military and families," Doug said in an interview with the Fort Drum Mountaineer just before starting the tour."We know that with just a tiny bit of awareness, the American people’s creativity can take off and unleash a lot more potential for doing great things," he noted.Adding, "We think there’s a need for helping our country understand what it is that our soldiers and our veterans have gone through and continue to go through."The idea to cycle across America came to Doug in the summer of 2009."In about three seconds, I had this idea of what it would look like and how [we might] be able to reach and touch communities throughout this country," he said.He shared the idea with his wife, and they began making plans. After she retired in May 2010, they refinanced their home to help fund the trip.The last time Doug, 52, rode a bike was as a teenager, but he went through a rigorous year-long training schedule, culminating with an Ironman triathlon in September, to get up to speed.To follow Doug and Deb along their journey, see their Web site, http://www.dutyhonoramerica.com, and their Facebook page (Search for "Duty, Honor, America Tour").