![\"rolling](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/rolling-thunder-e1544795170659.jpg\")
\nBy William Vitka<\/p>\n
\nBy William Vitka<\/p>\n
A massive annual motorcycle rally staged in Washington will end next year, with organizers citing a lack of law enforcement cooperation and \u201cincreased harassment to supporters\u201d as reasons for stopping the 31-year-old tradition.<\/p>\n
Rolling Thunder began in Washington in 1987 after Artie Muller, who served in the Vietnam War as an infantry sergeant, sought to call attention to veterans in need and prisoners of war.<\/p>\n
In a statement Thursday, Muller said Rolling Thunder XXXII, scheduled for 2019\u2019s Memorial Day weekend, would be \u201cthe final Thunder Run in D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had so many problems in the last two or three years with the [Pentagon Police] and the parking facilities after we leave the Pentagon parking lot,\u201d Rolling Thunder, Inc. board member Gus Dante told WTOP. <\/p>\n
After the 2019 run, \u201cWe are going to do it in our local areas, various states,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It\u2019s now up to the 90 chapters themselves to independently put rides together. For example, the New Jersey chapters can team up with Pennsylvania and New York, and maybe part of New England, and gather at a centralized location.<\/p>\n
Dante says there are a lot of members who believe independent organization will work out even better than Washington.<\/p>\n
He believes future rides will be \u201cmore personal\u201d and get \u201cmore coverage\u201d for veterans issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s face it, we got coverage for a few seconds in D.C. and that was the end of it,\u201d Dante told WTOP.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The reason the ride exists is to raise money and awareness for veteran issues.<\/p>\n
Love them or consider them a mobile road block, you have to admit they got the message out, in a loud and visible way. I hope the independents can carry on with this and the other escort services they render. Yes, I rode a bike for some 40 years, so I’m hardly unbiased.
\nKeep the shiny side up,
\nAW1 <\/p>\nRead the rest of the article here at: WTOP 5<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"