Sunday, May 24, 2015

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken on Memorial Day of 2009. Our friends brought Mattie red, white, and blue streamers, some American flags, and a bandanna to the hospital. With that, Mattie transformed his wheelchair into something that was fit to participate in a rolling thunder parade. The irony was Mattie never saw Rolling Thunder live, but being that the parade occurs blocks from our home, he always heard it and could see hundreds of motorcycles around Memorial Day pass by throughout the years. So he knew all about the tradition. Given that Mattie did not like loud sounds nor crowds, we never took Mattie to an actual parade. 

Quote of the day: The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men. ~ Minot J. Savage

Though I have become just like Mattie.... I do not care for loud sounds or crowds, Peter and I decided to see the Rolling Thunder Parade this year. This was literally a first for us! In all the years we have lived in the city, we have never ventured out to see it! Mind you it is literally three blocks from our home! This is what 23rd Street in the District looked like today. The sidewalks were filled with motorcycles!

In fact, 23rd Street was closed to vehicle traffic and we were able to walk down it and take some wonderful photos! Peter literally caught the start of the Rolling Thunder parade coming down 23rd Street with the Lincoln Memorial as a beautiful backdrop.

People and motorcycles were everywhere! Yet despite the incredible crowds, everyone was extremely polite and the camaraderie between those who served was VERY EVIDENT to me. I observed men who did not know each other, began talking to one other, hugging one another, and sharing stories. They were immediately able to identify one another based on the shirts, patches, or other IDs they were wearing. 

At the start of the parade route is this very touching tribute to a "fallen soldier." Notice the marine saluting and the army man down on one knee holding a rifle in one hand and a dog tag in the other. Both military men are acknowledging a pair of empty boots, a helmet, gun, and dog tag (the remains of a fallen soldier). These two men stood in this exact position for HOURS! For the length of the parade, which I assure you was LONG with thousands of motorcycles passing by. As motorcycles passed by this tribute, many stopped and saluted in return. 

This is Rolling Thunder, rolling by. I can see why they have "thunder" in their name, because when they move in unison they really do sound like thunder. 

Rolling Thunder is a tradition in Washington, DC, over the Memorial Day weekend in which over 900,000 motorcycles gather to do a "ride for freedom" from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. The ride originated in 1988, as a march/demonstration designed to hold the government accountable for all POW/MIAs. Rolling Thunder will continue until each POW/MIA is accounted for.

This was Rolling Thunder moving down Constitution Avenue..... which was also closed to vehicle traffic today! 

While I was watching the parade I noticed from across the street this flag display. So I snapped a photo. Periodically there was a break between the motorcycle brigades and people could cross Constitution Avenue. So we did just that to get a closer look at these flags. 

Each of these flags had a beautiful photo of a fallen hero on it, with some facts or a message from that hero. These tributes (containing the photo and facts) were attached to the flags and were in the shape of the State the hero was from. So almost every State in the Country was represented. It was a very touching, meaningful, and visually captivating tribute to our heroes. I went up to the desk behind the flags to learn more about this project, and got to speak to Christi-ana, the President of Honor Heroes (http://honorheroes.org/). It turns out that Christi-ana lost her boyfriend to an IED explosion while he was serving. So clearly she has taken her loss and uses it to honor her boyfriend's memory, honor his service, and to help countless other family members and friends who have lost a loved one in service. 

The formation of Honor Heroes was inspired by MSG Robert M. Horrigan who was killed in action in Al Qaim, Iraq, on June 17, 2005, while serving his fifth and final tour. Robert volunteered for this final assignment even though he had already started the retirement process. He went to bring life and liberty to those who hadn’t had it in decades and to protect the shores and freedoms of America. It is in this spirit – of selfless devotion — and in celebration of his life and the lives of all fallen heroes that created Operation Honor Our Heroes, a non-profit organization.

Through this organization efforts are made to assist wounded heroes and they strive to honor the sacrifice made by fallen soldiers, so they will never be forgotten.