WASHINGTON — Memorial Day services continued with a roar Sunday as people rolled into the nation’s capital to remember and honor those who never made it home while serving their country.
Bikers were all around D.C. participating in the annual "Rolling to Remember" demonstration, which was previously known as “Rolling Thunder.” It’s an annual event that honors the 82,000 service members deemed prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA). It also brings awareness to issues affecting veterans such as suicide.
Many veterans, including longtime friends Frank Jackson and Bob Blake, came to the city to watch the demonstration.
“We served in Vietnam together. We did Special Ops together, and you know, we've been through hell. But now we're home, free,” Jackson said.
The two have been rolling with each other in the annual event since they met decades ago. This year, Jackson and Blake didn't actually ride but they wanted to show their love to service members left behind.
Rolling to Remember held a weekend’s worth of events that started Friday at the National Cathedral with the “Blessing of the Bikes.” On Saturday, there was a 2.2 mile walk/run race in the morning and in the afternoon comedian Jon Stewart joined veteran organizations to advocate for the passage of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act in the U.S. Senate.
On Sunday morning, the roars from motorcycles could be heard as riders went convened at RFK Stadium. They officially started the Rolling to Remember demonstration at noon. Streets were blocked as they cornered the bend at the Lincoln Memorial and circled around the National Mall.
Joshua Combs rode in from Virginia. In an interview with WUSA9, Combs said heroes should be honored more often.
“It shouldn’t just be a holiday to do that it should be all year long,” he said.
Rick Pfeiffer and Jim Fox told WUSA9 they attend every year.
“It's important, more people should be here. I think it's all part of just being, I think a good citizen really caring about our country,” Pfeiffer said.
Fox said he has many friends who served in Vietnam.
“And they're still MIA from Vietnam – still missing,” Fox said. “You have to pay your respects to the to the men and women that fought over there.”
Several organizations were at RFK Stadium providing help and support to veterans. The Defense Commissary Agency was there to make sure veterans are aware of the access they have to resources.
Active Duty Sgt. Major Michael Richard Saucedo Marine Corp noted in an interview with WUSA9, "In January 2020, Congress passed law that any veteran with a service-connected disability – any percentage level service-connected disability – now have access to the commissary benefit for the rest of their life to include former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, and also care providers, for those veterans who have the disability as well,"
The two Vietnam veterans, Jackson and Blake, see Memorial Day weekend as somber.
“You know, it's hard sleeping at night. You know? Because you got all those memories. And you look at all those bodies. And you just don't get over that. I mean, we've been out of that now. For years and we still have nightmares," Jackson said.
For Blake, the somber occasion is a time to raise awareness for those missing service members and call for more action.
"Bring them back, bring them home being together, at last,” Blake added.
Ultimately, the two friends feel blessed to be in the land of the free.