By Robyn Martins The Times-Reporter Posted Apr 01, 2010 @ 09:51 PM NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH —
Members of the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group Mark Tobias (L) of Nashport and Lou Lococco of Strasburg work on a railing as David Whitmore looks on Thursday at his New Philadelphia home.

Veteran David Whitmore and his wife, Teresa, of New Philadelphia received more than a helping hand Thursday. They received a full show of support as members of the group Rolling Thunder installed a wheelchair access ramp for David at the couple’s home.

As many as 20 members of chapters from Akron, Newark and Strasburg volunteered the labor for installation of the ramp, with materials provided through a grant via the Society for Equal Access.

Rolling Thunder, which comprises veterans and supporters of veterans’ issues, arrived on motorcycles and in trucks and cars.

Friends and representatives from Lowe’s, SEA and National City Bank joined the volunteers to see the project to completion. The Whitmores provided lunch with food donated by Miceli’s Quality Meats and Audio Hearing Aid Service, among other contributors. They expected as many as 50 volunteers helping with food preparation and ramp building throughout the day.

“It’s all so neat what the community has done. It means a lot to me the way everyone has pulled together,” said David, adding that he feels as if he is being thanked for his service to the country.

However, he said, it is more important to him to offer his gratitude to Rolling Thunder.

David served in the Navy between 1982 and 1995, and he was deployed in the Middle East during the Gulf War before being discharged.

“He didn’t like civilian life and went right back in,” Teresa said. He entered the Air Force and was stationed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

After returning home, David became ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer, a condition he said his doctors suggested was related to exposure to sarin gas. David believes he was exposed to the deadly gas during his time in Iraq, but the Veterans Administration disputes the claim.

Since his diagnosis, David has had surgeries and treatments that have left him weak and wheelchair-bound, and he said his prognosis is uncertain. He is on a list for a lung transplant and will spend the next month at Union Hospital for in-house rehabilitation.

“The gas is eating away at his nerves, so his whole body is short circuiting,” Teresa said.

Caring for David has become a full-time job for her, as she manages his treatments and adjusts her household to accommodate his limited mobility. A service dog named Niko has proven to be a big help as the dog helps pull David’s wheelchair, open doors and even delivers the telephone when it rings.

The Whitmores contacted Rolling Thunder for help and are so pleased with the positive response.

David said he hardly slept a wink the night before their arrival in anticipation.

Rolling Thunder is a national non-profit organization known for accompanying the Vietnam traveling memorial wall and for raising awareness of missing prisoners of war. But its members also perform service projects year round, including visiting VA hospitals, donating goods to homeless and needy veterans and contributing money to veterans’ causes. Members needn’t be a veteran or a motorcycle rider to join – but should care about the cause of POW/MIA and veterans’ issues.

Organization members who were on hand for the Whitmores’ special project said they want veterans to know they are not forgotten.

Copyright 2010 The Times-Reporter. Some rights reserved

Pam Murray, Ohio Chapter 2, Showing Support and Gratitude for our Veterans
 

Rolling Thunder Makes A Difference

By Colin McEwen
Record-Courier staff writer

The following article appears in the November 11, 2008, recordpub.com site.
 

Pam Murray of Atwater believes in supporting and showing gratitude for veterans and their families on Veterans Day.

Murray is the mother of Sgt. Jeremy Murray, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005. At his funeral, members of a veterans' group, Rolling Thunder, comforted Murray and her husband, Harold. during their grieving process.

Soon afterward, as a way to help other families they joined the veterans' organization themselves.

Although they often ride motorcycles to funerals, memorials and other events, Rolling Thunder is not a motorcycle club.

Last weekend, the Murrays were in Rittman for a veterans event. Today, the Murrays are traveling to East Liverpool for a Veterans Day service being held there.

Members of Rolling Thunder pray around caskets; they salute veterans; they lobby for veterans' care; and they visits disabled veterans in hospitals -- among other acts.

The Akron chapter, which the Murrays belong to, currently has 77 members. They travel together to funerals, veterans hospitals and memorial services to help in any way they can.

"They're phenomenal," she said. "You don't have to be a veteran to care about veteran issues -- or ride a motorcycle."

Murray said the group typically meets at a local VFW, and travels to the destination together.

She said she won't forget the first contact she had with the organization.

"It was very touching. I can't say that I was as aware of it as much as I wish I had been. But I know we've impacted other families."

A 1996 graduate of Waterloo High School, Jeremy Murray was killed by a roadside bomb. His death rattled the family.

"Of all the deaths that we've had in our family, the death of our child doesn't compare," she said. "(Rolling Thunder) has made a world of difference for us. This group got behind us and has supported us 110 percent."

The Murrays wanted to be a part of the healing process for veterans and their families.

Pam Murray said she and her husband now support other veterans groups in addition to Rolling Thunder.

She said it is important to support veterans and show gratitude -- not only on Veterans Day.

"We take so much for granted. Our veterans come back feeling lucky about how much we have here," she said.

"All vets sacrifice something... You're not going to find a better group of people who have such a commitment for each other and our country."

"Because of how much they care, its important that civilians give that 'thank you' back to them."

Ohio Chapter 2 Escorts "Traveling Wall"
 

May 19, 2005 - Record-Courier - Kent, Ohio - Rolling Thunder® Ohio Chapter 2 members, along with several hundred motorcyclists, escorted the 'Traveling Wall' to Kent, Ohio.  Woodie Henry, shown in the top picture on his highly decorated Harley with flags flying high and wide was featured in the Kent Record-Courier.  Both Ohio Chapter 2 members are hard core Marines and Vietnam Veterans.  See pictures and article below.

We give these two members a big hand salute of our own for helping to get the POW/MIA issue out in front of the readers of the Kent Record-Courier.