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MISSION STATEMENT
ROLLING THUNDER, INC.'S MAJOR FUNCTION IS TO PUBLICIZE THE POW/MIA ISSUE. TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC OF THE FACT THAT MANY AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR WERE LEFT BEHIND AFTER ALL PAST WARS. TO HELP CORRECT THE PAST AND TO PROTECT THE FUTURE VETERANS FROM BEING LEFT BEHIND SHOULD THEY BECOME PRISONERS OF WAR/MISSING IN ACTION. WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING AMERICAN VETERANS FROM ALL WARS. ROLLING THUNDER, INC. IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND EVERYONE DONATES HIS OR HER TIME BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE POW/MIA ISSUE.
INCORPORATED IN 1995 ROLLING THUNDER INC. IS A CLASS 501(c)(4) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 88 CHARTERED CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. WHILE MANY MEMBERS OF ROLLING THUNDER ARE VETERANS, AND MANY RIDE MOTORCYCLES, NEITHER QUALIFICATION IS A PREREQUISITE. ROLLING THUNDER MEMBERS ARE OLD AND YOUNG, MEN AND WOMEN, VETERANS AND NON VETERANS. ALL ARE UNITED IN THE CAUSE TO BRING FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR POWs AND MIAs OF ALL WARS, REMINDING THE GOVERNMENT, THE MEDIA, AND THE PUBLIC OF OUR WATCHWORDS: "WE WILL NOT FORGET".
Flat Pill
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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, D.C. DURING THE 1988 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. THEY REACHED OUT TO THEIR FAMILIES, FELLOW VETERANS, AND VETERAN'S ADVOCATES TO UNIFY AND FORM A MARCH AND DEMONSTRATION IN THE NATIONS CAPITAL. THEIR ARRIVAL WOULD BE ANNOUNCED BY THE ROAR OF THEIR MOTORCYCLES, A SOUND NOT UNLIKE THE 1965 BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST NORTH VIETNAM DUBBED OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER. HENCE THEY WOULD CALL THEMSELVES "ROLLING THUNDER" A TITLE THAT WOULD ENDURE TIME AND BE TRADEMARKED IN 1990. WORD SPREAD QUICKLY AND BY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 1988 2,500 MOTORCYCLES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CONVERGED ON THE CAPITAL TO DEMAND FROM OUR LEADERS A FULL ACCOUNTING OF ALL POW/MIA'S. ON THAT DAY , THE FOUNDATION WAS LAYED FOR THE ANNUAL RIDE FOR FREEDOM ALSO KNOWN AS THE RIDE TO THE WALL. THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS/SPECTATORS HAS GROWN FROM 2,500 TO AN ESTIMATED 900,000 EACH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
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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 been 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.
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VETERAN & COMMUNITY SERVICE
ROLLING THUNDER INC. SPENDS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR IN FINANCIAL AID, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHER ESSENTIALS TO VETERANS, HOMELESS VETERANS AND VETERANS FAMILIES IN NEED, WOMEN'S CRISIS CENTERS AND TOYS FOR CHILDREN
EXPENDITURES EXCEED OVER HALF A MILLON DOLLARS A YEAR TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT THE POW/MIA ISSUE AND OTHE INJUSTICES SUFFERED BY VETERANS
THE ORGANIZATION REGULARLY DONATES POW/MIA FLAGS TO LOCAL AREA SCHOOLS, YOUTH GROUPS, NON- PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. VETERANS SPEAK TO YOUTH GROUPS AND SCHOOLS ABOUT THE HONOR OF SERVING THEIR COUNTRY AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE POW/MIA ISSUE.
ROLLING THUNDER, INC. SPONSORS SEARCH MISSIONS INTO SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR POW/MIA'S AND REMAINS OF THOSE KILLED IN ACTION
THOUSANDS OF HOURS ARE LOGGED IN BY MEMBERS AT LOCAL VA HOSPITALS NATIONWIDE. MEMBERS VISIT AND PROVIDE MORAL SUPPORT TO NURSING HOME VETERANS AND PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD).
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ROLLING THUNDER TODAY
Rolling Thunder was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1995 and is headquartered 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 grow strength as long as even one person remains unaccounted for.
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