25th Annual Rolling Thunder

WASHINGTON, DC – The 25th Annual Rolling Thunder rumbled into town. It’s expected nearly one million riders will be here through Memorial Day.

Riders include veterans, family and friends who come to support our heroes, past and present.

They’ve made the annual pilgrimage to the District where there’s a memorial for nearly every conflict of the past century.

Navy Veteran Brian O’Dett says, “people need to remember.”

Some ride thousands and thousands of miles to be here and get to the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall but find it to difficult to walk through.

U.S. Army Sgt. Rock served in Vietnam, “I had a friend that came here, never crossed the street for two years in a row because he was that bothered by it.”

While there are Veterans who try to muster the strength to be at the Wall there are those who don’t want to leave.

Vietnam Veteran Paul LeVesque says, “It’s like a home coming for me.”
Brian O’Dett says, “they’ve got family, everything’s down there.’

The bikers have roared into town, but they may walk out of here in silence.

O’Dett, “It’s real tough, you can’t describe it, you got to live it. Being a vet I understand it. You see people who lost someone 30 years ago and it’s like yesterday. A lot of people who weren’t in, they’re proud of us too, that means a lot.”

10 new names have been etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and were dedicated this month.