The biker group known as Rolling Thunder has held a ride through Washington, DC to honor fallen heroes on Memorial Day for years.
They are now saying 2019 was their final ride, due to the rising cost of security and permits.
Reuters reports:
Rolling Thunder veterans group makes final ride through Washington
The Rolling Thunder motorcycles that descend on Washington, D.C. every Memorial Day weekend made their final ride on Sunday, ending a three decades-old tradition that was initially meant to serve to pay tribute to fallen and missing-in-action soldiers.
The veterans advocacy group, formed in 1987 by 73-year-old Vietnam veteran Artie Muller, got its name from a 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed “Operation Rolling Thunder.”
President Donald Trump gave the group a shout out on Twitter on Sunday, where he pledged that the annual rides in Washington would continue.
“The Great Patriots of Rolling Thunder WILL be coming back to Washington, D.C. next year, & hopefully for many years to come,” Trump wrote.
For years, the group has become synonymous with the annual Memorial Day celebration in the nation’s capital, where thousands of motorcycles meet in the Pentagon parking lot and continue their ride across the Memorial Bridge toward the National Mall.
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Late last year, the group announced it would be making this May its final ride, citing a lack of cooperation by law enforcement and rising costs of permits.
Trump wants to find a way to make sure they can keep coming back. He tweeted this on Sunday:
The Great Patriots of Rolling Thunder WILL be coming back to Washington, D.C. next year, & hopefully for many years to come. It is where they want to be, & where they should be. Have a wonderful time today. Thank you to our great men & women of the Pentagon for working it out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2019
Here’s a video:
Here are some more:
It’s MAGA country out here today #RollingThunder2019 pic.twitter.com/meac3ATmhw
— Patrick Wronkiewicz (@WronkForIowa) May 26, 2019
It’s been amazing to see thousands of Americans cheering on the riders of #RollingThunder2019. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qC4XGqncIK
— Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) May 26, 2019
Hell. Yes. God Bless America! 🇺🇸 #RollingThunder2019 pic.twitter.com/QHj4JIlsZ2
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 26, 2019
The amount of people to show up today at #RollingThunder2019 is insane. With over three lots filled the ride is not even half over! pic.twitter.com/gWvJH0GNS5
— eM | Globalhawk (@TeamGlobalhawk) May 26, 2019
We have to keep this going!
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