Motorcycle Views

Rolling Thunder® Motorcycle Rally

By Walter F. Kern

Approaching the Memorial Bridge

The bridge came up faster than I thought it would. I guess I expected the ride to be longer. It had turned out to be a hot day and the tourists would soon be surprising us as we turned onto the bridge.

On the Memorial Bridge

As we rolled onto the Memorial Bridge, the pace was slow and people lined both sides of the route. Many waved. Some ran out and tried to touch your hand as you passed -- not always a safe thing to do when you're on two wheels. Fortunately, we were on three wheels.

The Lincoln Memorial was just ahead. The run was police escorted, all side roads were blocked, and there was no need to obey any traffic lights. We just enjoyed ourselves, the day, and returned the waves of the people.

Many people were taking pictures of us. The trikes are always a curiosity anyway and today I think they got even more attention than usual from the photographers.

You always have to remember that this ride is not a parade or rally in the usual sense. According to the founders of Rolling Thunder®, it is a protest, it is a demonstration.

It is really a protest to tell the government that they have not done enough on the POW/MIA issue.

At any rate, the Memorial Bridge is where most pictures are taken and the impression of military power is brought home to anyone watching the spectacle of Rolling Thunder® where the sounds of Harley-Davidson motorcycles closely resemble the sounds of B-52s on bombing runs.

Riding on the Streets of Washington, D.C.

We were heading for the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Somewhere down these streets we would get to the end of our parade route and drift off into specially designated soccer fields across from the area where the monuments were.

At one part of the run through Washington, I saw Marine Sgt. Tim Chambers standing on the center line in full dress uniform saluting the motorcycle riders as they passed. Chambers has been performing this function for many years with no noticable change in body position throughout the entire parade.

Actually, the Vietnam Memorial Wall is very near the Lincoln Memorial where we first entered the city. However, our circuitous route through the city would soon wind back past the Washington Monument, across the Kutz Bridge that goes over the Tidal Basin and into Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Park where the soccer fields were.

It was time to walk over to see the various monuments, especially the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

=> Go to Page 4: The Vietnam Memorial

<= Back to Page 2: The Pentagon Parking Lot

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