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PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH GREETS MEMBERS OF ROLLING THUNDER®, INC.  In this picture, Mr. Artie Muller, Rolling Thunder®, Inc.'s founder, is to the right of President George W. Bush's picture.
 

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Pictured from left to right: Danny "Web Master" Griffin, The Nancy Sinatra, The Artie Muller, and Bill "Artie Jr." Orem, former Vice President of Ohio Chapter 2. 

You can see Artie's Web site at www.rollingthunder1.com and you can see Nancy's Web site at www.nancysinatra.com.

THE ROLLING THUNDER® STORY

In the fall of 1987, in a little diner, in Somerville, New Jersey, two Vietnam veterans met to discuss their personal concerns about the prisoners of war (POW) and military service personnel missing in action (MIA) from the Vietnam War.  Having honorably served their country, and having taken an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies . . ." and to "bear true faith and allegiance to same," they were deeply troubled by the abhorrent neglect of attention given to those who did not make it out with their lives or their freedom.  These two veterans discussed the more than 10,000 reported sightings of live Americans living in dismal captivity.  Intelligence reports of these sightings were generally ignored by the government and mainstream press.  These two veterans were Artie Muller and Ray Manzo.

THE FIRST ROLLING THUNDER® DEMONSTRATION

Artie and Ray were ordinary men who understood that they had a right to have their voices heard and proceeded to lay down the plans for a gathering in Washington, DC during the 1988 Memorial Day weekend.  John Holland, Walt Sides and Ted Sampley worked on getting the permits for the demonstration.  They reached out to their families, fellow veterans and veteran's advocates to unify and form a march and demonstration in the nation's Capitol.  Their arrival would be announced by the roar of their Harley Davidsons, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed "Operation Rolling Thunder."  Hence, they would call themselves "Rolling Thunder," at title that would endure time and be trademarked in 1990.  Word spread quickly and by Memorial Day weekend in 1988, approximately 2,500 motorcycles from all over the country converged on Washington, D.C. to demand from our leaders a full accounting of all POW/MIAs.  As they made their stand that day in front of the Capitol, Artie and Ray reflected thankfully for the people who came in support of the POWs and MIAs, and for the unity that was felt.  This was Rolling Thunder's first demonstration.  Only until ALL POW/MIAs ARE ACCOUNTED FOR, it will not be their last.  On that day, the foundation was laid for the annual "Ride for Freedom" to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall (also referred to as the "Ride to The Wall."

ROLLING THUNDER® TODAY

The number of motorcycle participants in the Memorial Day weekend Ride for Freedom has grown from 2,500 to over hundreds of thousands, not to mention the tens of thousands pedestrian onlookers and participants.  These numbers have brought increasing notoriety to our cause, but it has not been without consequences.  Since motorcycles have become synonymous with the Rolling Thunder name, it has created a misconception of the organizations true objectives and purpose and has sometimes overshadowed our many accomplishments and contributions to veterans and our local communities.  It is not a "motorcycle club."

Rolling Thunder's Mission Statement vows its major function is to publicize the POW/MIA issue; educate the public that many American Prisoners of War were left behind after all previous wars; to help correct the past and protect future veterans from being left behind should they become Prisoners of War/Missing in Action; and be committed to helping American veterans from all wars.

Rolling Thunder was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1995 and his headquarted in New Jersey.  Today, the organization has over 7,000 members throughout the United States, with a few in Canada.  There are over 80 chartered Rolling Thunder chapters in the continental United States and the numbers continually grow.  The chapters are strictly governed by the Constitution and By-Laws of the organization, with committee members working on issues that include: Government Affairs for the POW/MIA issue, Gulf War and Korean War Affairs, Veterans Community Assistance, School Education and Junior Members Youth Programs.

Rolling Thunder believes in the Army Ranger Creed that vows: "I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy . . ."  Rolling Thunder will continue to grow and gain strength as long as even one person remains unaccounted for.

SUPPORTING LOCAL VETERANS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Rolling Thunder has donated funds to send search teams into Southeast Asia to look for POW/MIAs and made a contribution to a POW family looking for their father in North Vietnam.

Chapters nationwide make monthly visits to their local VA hospital nursing homes and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Wards, are actively involved with the VA's Center of Recovery Empowerment (CORE), as well as a homeless veteran program being pomoted by Miss America 2000 Heather French-Henry (click here for Heather's web site).

On a monthly basis, members donate cases of food to the local VA hospitals to help subsidize our nation's poorly funded veteran's programs.  Truckloads of clothing are donated to homeless veterans and VA patients each year.

Natinal has proved financial support to disabled veterans and their families not receiving full compensation from the VA. 

Each year, Rolling Thunder veterans speak to youths and their parents at local area schools, scouting programs and other youth programs to educate them about patriotism, freedom and human factor of war and the reality of the POW/MIA crisis.

The organization regularly donates POW/MIA flags to local schools, various organizations and interest groups and organizes flag raising ceremonies to promote public awareness.

Rolling Thunder greatly facilitate the publishing of a POW/MIA postage stamp through the U.S. Postal Service that displayed dog tags with the declaration "POW & MIA - NEVER FORGOTTEN."

LAWS PASSED THROUGH ROLLING THUNDER® ENDEAVORS

Missing Service Personnel Act of 1997

This bill guarantees that missing servicemen and women could not be arbitrarily "killed on paper" by the U.S. Government without credible proof of death.

Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000

The act provides for the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of certain foreign countries in which American Vietnam POW/MIAs or American Korean War POW/MIAs are present, if those nationals assist in returning POW/MIAs alive.

Displaying the POW/MIA Flag Over Federal Buildings: Military Facilities

Rolling Thunder® was highly instrumental in passing legislation requiring that federal buildings, the Vietnam and Korean Memorials in Washington, D.C., and military facilities fly the POW/MIA flag on six national holidays.

POW/MIA Flag Flying Over War Memorials, S-1226 Passed November 15, 2002

Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act (Enacted October 29, 2002) (Speicher Bill)

Rolling Thunder® legislative representatives again teamed up with Senator Ben "Nighthorse" Campbell to amend the Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000.  This new law extends the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of Iraq or the greater Middle East region.  It provides for the International Broadcasting Bureau, which includes the Voice of America, to broadcast information about the law in the Middle East.  In view of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on America, the bill now includes knowledge of POW/MIAs of the war against terrorism.

As a direct result of the Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000 and the Persian Gulf Act of 2002, live American POWs were rescued in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

ROLLING THUNDER® KEY MESSAGE POINTS

• Return of POWs - We continue to introduce and support legislation to protect and demand accountability for all live or potentially live POWs from Iraq and Afghanistan, along with previous and future wars.  Our most recent POW/MIAs are: Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, captured Jan. 17, 1991; Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin, captured April 9, 2004 and Spc. Qusai Al-Taayie, captured October 23, 2006.
   

• VA Benefits - We continue to identify and support legislation that improves healthcare and retirement benefits for active military, as well as reservists, who now serve in ways not originally intended.  This new generation of returning veterans portrays physical and mental symptoms unique to this conflict with over 22,000 wrongly discharged under the heading "Immature Personality Disorder."  Officers in charge of the Walter Reed Hospital or any Department of Defense Hospital that have not provided adequate housing and safe conditions to our wounded troops should face disciplinary action up to and including loss of rank.
   

• Classification of "POW / MIA" Status - We continue to pressure the U.S. Congress to restore the "POW/MIA" designation and cease using the "Missing/Captured" classification, which does not ensure that captured soldiers are given full protection under the Geneva Convention.
   

• Use of Legislation to Obtain Information About Live POWs - We continue to press for the United States to use and communicate to Middle East countries and their citizens the existence of The Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act of 2002.  This Act provides refugee status in the United States to any Middle Eastern aliens and their immediate family who provide information leading to the rescue of a live POW.
   

WE NEVER FORGET

by John Worsham
Written for Rolling Thunder® Inc. on December 25, 2006

The Sound of thunder, as they start on their run;
This run is for business, and never for fun.

Our Brothers and Sisters, come together each year;
They speak of their past, if you listen you'll hear.

You'll hear their words, that come from their hearts;
What it took to heal, and make a new start.

They speak of the ones still left behind;
And their return home, that wasn't so kind.

Others may speak of what happened to them;
And of the Brothers and Sisters, this nation did send.

Many say THANKS and go on their way;
They awake in the morning, just another day.

But with Rolling Thunder®, a tear in their eye;
They awake each morning and the Vets say good-bye.

They hug and they cry, as their engines do roar;
As they travel the road, to go home once more.

But each year they'll return, and will never quit;
By the sound of this thunder, you'll never forget.

So remember this sound, it's like thunder my friend;
The road of their engines that will never end.