Better late than not-at-all continues to be the theme for a few more weeks of catch-up. By my suggestion (insistence?) we went all-in for local Memorial Day Festivities. A little hokey and a little serious, a little forgetful and a lot memorable, we found it all.
For 26 years now the Rolling Thunder have been making their trek from the parking lot of the Pentagon past the Arlington Cemetery, across the Memorial Bridge, around the National Mall and finishing around Potomac Park. Even if not a biker, it’s something to witness once. The sounds, smells and sights of tens of thousands of bikes rumbling through downtown is about as powerful an image as any activist group can provide.
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| Thunder Leaving Pentagon |
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| Rolling to the Finish at Potomac Park
Organized and efficient as it was, bikes continued to roll across the Memorial Bridge more than 2.5 hours after the start, a seemingly endless display of patience, power and devotion by this powerful group. Powerful as measured by more than horsepower: the group has lobbied for and assisted in the passage of multiple pieces of legislation over the years for their military causes. I admire their persistence–and envy their bikes!
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| Fans of All Stripes On The Mall |
Equally as powerful, yet naturally considerably more somber were services at Arlington Cemetery. A full day affair by the time the trolley ride out, the laying of the wreath, changing of the guard, memorial services and a walk through the grounds are taken into account.
Particularly harrowing were the stories told of soldiers killed in action as recently as two weeks prior to the service….and watching the reactions of their family members as their sons and daughters tales were told in rather great detail. It’s a weekend I’ll not soon forget and in spite of the tourist flair throughout; one I’d recommend to anyone remotely interested.
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| One of Thousands of Roses Placed |
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| Memorial Services Keynote Speakers |