Wino Willie Forkner got kicked out of the 13 Rebels Motorcycle Club in 1946. He drank too much. So at the All American Bar in Los Angeles he gathered up some buddies, mostly WWII vets, and started his own Motorcycle Club. They were a brotherhood based on love and respect and they called themselves the Boozefighters. The very foundation of the club came out of the trenches of war when survival depended on the fellow warriors by your side.

In 1947, along with several of the early clubs, the Boozefighters showed up in Hollister to attend the races at Bolado Racetrack. Expecting only a few hundred, the locals were overwhelmed when thousands showed up. Bikers overran the town, drinking, riding bikes into the saloons and racing up and down main street. Exaggerated coverage of the event in photographs, magazine articles, and the ultimate motorcycle film, “The Wild One,” spread a fear/envy fascination across the nation. In some ways the menacing wild rebel wearing leathers and sunglasses, was true. But Willie felt media representation of the Hollister event was negative and detached himself from the movie production even though the character of Chino was loosely based on him. Regardless, the film made Brando and Marvin stars, and motorcycle clubs a force to be reckoned with.

Sixty years and counting, the Boozefighters are still going strong. The famous green and white patch, the bottle with three stars, represents a brotherhood whose members share principles and passions and a way of life. The Boozefighters truly are The Original Wild Ones.

Boozefighers Chapter 101 continues the tradition that began with Wino Willie in Los Angeles at the aptly named All American Bar back in 1946.