I'll be thinking about you vets with bikes today ...

I'm at Rolling Thunder in DC today.
Remember the fallen and missing, and be safe this weekend!

Nice Corey! You are vet right?

To all the Vets among us, this is our weekend.....
smoke em if you got em...

THANK U GUYS FOR SERVING
AND COMING HOME

GERD'S POST MULTIPLIED MANY TIMES OVER.....
OUR THANKS.....
DOUG

Thank you that now serve, God bless those that gave their all.

A salute to all our men & women (and my brethren on SOC) who have, and continue to, place themselves in harm's way so that we may enoy our American freedom.

SSGT James Ignacio
USAF 3535th Medical Squadron
1967-1971

heres to my shipmates in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 68-71

Spyder Girl, yes. Navy, for 22 years now. Part-time for the last eight, full-time before that.

Today's Rolling Thunder event was a medical standby for my engine company. There were probably half-a-million bikes there, and maybe 600,000 people participating. Many of the motorcycles involved had two people on them.
A guy I work with took this image:



It was impressive. The bikes started gathering this morning at about 7 a.m., and started to file out of the parking lot for the run across the Memorial Bridge from Arlington into D.C. at about 10:30. They left two-by-two, and had filled up North Parking and the majority of South Parking at the Pentagon.
To give you an idea of scale, I'll try to link the Google map of the parking lot.
A little north of the Pentagon is the Memorial Bridge. All those bikers left the grounds, crossed that bridge and then took a very short run down Independence Avenue past the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Many then went on to RFK Stadium and dispersed from there.
It was impressive, and it was loud.
The parking lot didn't empty until almost 3 p.m. Fortunately for participants, it was overcast and breezy, with temps in the 70s. No major heat injuries, and only a couple people went to the hospital (mainly for pre-existing conditions).

Here's that aerial view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=on&ie=UTF8&ll=38.872542,-77.054737&spn=0.012162,0.019248&t=h&z=16

As I understand it, The Lone Marine, SSGT Tim Chambersone again in his dress blues stood at attention as all bikes past his location....

It's easy to be cynical and dismiss the concept known as "American Exceptionalism", but people like SSGT Chambersone make it seem quite plausible. Many thanks to him and to all of you who are serving and who have served.

Wow..a friend of mine just got back to Hbg. 14 hour day. I'd be pooped!

~WB

Thanks Cory for the pictures of Rolling Thunder, for an interesting film check out "Rolling Thunder" from the video shop.

TSGT Nolan Scott
USAF, 600 Photo Detachment
Cam Rahn Bay RSVN

601 Photo Photo Detachment
Udorn Thailand

Thanks to all who have served in all our wars and allow us to enjoy the many freedoms we have.

Brigadier General (RET) Chuck Martin
Aug. 1964 - March 1997