Organization about missing military members, not motorcycles

THREE RIVERS AREA — About 20 motorcycles thundered into Little Rock on Wednesday afternoon, heading for the state Capitol. Once there, the riders posed for photos on the Capitol steps.

This was just a small sampling of the number of Rolling Thunder’s Arkansas members who usually attend events around the country to educate people about prisoners of war and military members who are missing in action.

Rolling Thunder isn’t a motorcycle club, even though most of its members ride. Bill Morton of Searcy, a member of the organization, said it’s the motorcycle that captures the attention.

“At a birthday party, what’s the first thing you see?” Morton asked. “The candles on the birthday cake. People will see the motorcycle, then they’ll see what’s on your vest and then your flag.”

The main reasons Rolling Thunder formed is to educate communities about POWs/MIAs and to make sure they’re not forgotten.

“We still have 8,000 guys missing,” said Morton, who served three years in the Army during the Vietnam War, stationed in Korea. He got out in 1972.

Twenty-five years ago, a Memorial Day gathering of about 1,000 people in Washington, D.C., became an annual tradition for Rolling Thunder.

“There will be over a million of us there this year,” Morton said. “We started this cause to alert the government to pay more attention to the veterans.”

Chuck Seifert of Conway and his wife, Netta, joined the Arkansas chapter of Rolling Thunder in September 2002. He said he and Netta discovered the Memorial Day ride as they were passing through Washington, D.C., in 1993. Siefert said he vowed that he would participate the next year.

“The ride in D.C. is phenomenal,” he said. “I was impressed in 1994 that there were 100,000 bikes, and as we came back every year, we observed the growth. I have heard estimates over the years: 250,000; 400,000; 600,000. But I do not know how many.”

Seifert, who served in the Navy from June1966 to March 1970, said the riders stage in the Pentagon parking lots at 6:30 a.m. on the Sunday before Memorial Day.

“The ride is one lap around the mall and then a program in front of the Lincoln Memorial with the reflection pool in the background,” Seifert said. “Concerning the size, I know that it takes at least four hours to empty the Pentagon parking lots of all motorcycles.”

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder Inc. is a nonprofit organization with more than 90 chartered chapters throughout the country.

Although most members ride motorcycles and are veterans, that isn’t a qualification for joining.

“If it puts a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye, you’re qualified,” Morton said about becoming a member.

Morton specified that Rolling Thunder is not a motorcycle club.

Jack Elder of Hot Springs joined about three months ago because he liked the cause.

He served in the Army from 1962-65.

“I’m old enough to know why they are doing what they do,” he said about the organization’s cause.

“We cannot express our appreciation enough for those people who volunteer to be a voice in foreign lands around the world,” Seifert said. “I always try to appreciate the sacrifices the family of the military professional makes. We know that each member of our armed forces volunteered to serve; however, that does not minimize the sacrifice of spouses and young children who carry on their lives at home while the soldier is off representing us and many times in harm’s way. The daily life in that family is different than most other families in this great country.”

The Arkansas chapter of Rolling Thunder meets at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of each month at the Pig’n-Chik in Sherwood.

“Open door meeting. Anybody can walk in,” Morton said.

For more information on the Arkansas chapter of Rolling Thunder, visit www.rollingthunderchap1ark.com.

For more information on the national organization, visit rollingthunder1.com.

Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.

According to the Rolling Thunder website, there are still numerous POWs and MIAs.

Here are the numbers listed by specific wars:◊World War I - 3,345◊World War II - 78,585◊Cold War - 120◊Korean War - 8,109◊Vietnam War - 1,720◊Iraq War - 1◊Afghanistan - 1

Three Rivers, Pages 112 on 01/08/2012

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