Tens of thousands of motorcyclists rumbled through the heart of Washington on Sunday in an annual “Rolling Thunder” tribute to US military veterans and war dead.
The motorcyclists came from across the country, many carrying or wearing the stars-and-stripes of the US flag, as they rolled noisily around the National Mall, the federal capital’s grand central esplanade, under the eyes of thousands of spectators.
The Rolling Thunder movement was founded in 1988 by a Vietnam War veteran named Ray Manzo who wanted to draw the attention of both the government and the broader public to US soldiers missing in Vietnam since that war ended in 1975.
Photo: AFP
The first edition of the parade drew 3,000 to 5,000 bikers, many of them active military personnel or veterans. However, the numbers soared in following years.
Organizers estimate that as many as 900,000 people — motorcyclists and spectators — now take part each year.
While attention to Vietnam-era troops still missing in action has waned over the years — about 1,600 have never been accounted for — veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Vietnam, say they often feel isolated and forgotten once they return to civilian life.
Many face the deep frustrations of dealing with a healthcare and social-support system for veterans that has often been criticized as inefficient and sometimes inadequate.
However, Rolling Thunder gives them a sense of solidarity and a contact with the public that boosts their morale, they said.
“It’s very heartwarming to see people supporting military and former military,” said Bob Vaillancourt, 50, a veteran who rode his Harley-Davidson to Washington from Michigan.
He said he is particularly concerned by the high suicide rate among veterans — about 20 take their own lives every day, according to US statistics.
“The government is not doing enough to understand the mess that is in the head of some veterans,” he said.
Many of the bikers, such as 58-year-old marine veteran Cecil Dorriety from South Carolina, seem to support US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We need more support for the veterans. Hopefully it will come with the new administration,” Dorriety said.
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