Rolling Thunder to make its final run in 2019

Rolling Thunder is among the most visible, and audible, shows of support for veterans. It’s billed as “the world’s largest single-day motorcycle event,” if that’s any indication of the event's scale.

The event serves “to educate, facilitate, and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. The Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration Run has also evolved into a display of patriotism and respect for all who defend our country.” The event’s founders were motivated to create the ride after learning of soldiers still listed as prisoners of war or missing in action years after Vietnam, contradictory to the “no man left behind” training they’d received. One idea they considered was a mass of riders coming across the Memorial Bridge, with a sound like “rolling thunder.” Around 2,500 riders showed up to the first event in 1987 and it just got bigger from there. Rolling Thunder now draws hundreds of thousands of riders and thousands more spectators. Its influence on the D.C. area can’t be understated.

RevZilla’s Director of Content & Media, Brett Walling, recalls the arrival of the riders every summer while he lived in the metro area. “That was one of my first interactions with motorcycling," he recalled. "When you heard all those riders at once, you knew what it was, what they were here for. The beltway would be packed with motorcycles. It meant the start of summer.”

Rolling Thunder’s popularity also became its largest problem, as the event’s coordinators struggled to move thousands of riders at once for an effective display. Previously, they've used the Pentagon’s parking lots to stage the sea of motorcycles, but disagreements with the Pentagon and U.S. Parks police forces over lot usage made things difficult. For example, the event couldn’t sell merchandise from the lots, but Rolling Thunder needs all the sales it can get to cover rising costs and keep the donations coming. According to Rolling Thunder Vice President Pete Zaleski, putting on the rally today costs over $200,000.

Although the 2019 event will be the last one in the capital, Rolling Thunder isn't totally disappearing.

“We still have 90 [Rolling Thunder State] chapters in 33 states, and we’re going to help them coordinate their own rides on a smaller scale,” Zaleski told Military Times. “The group is not going under, and our message is not going away. We’re just not going to be doing it in Washington anymore.”

In a letter sent to members earlier this year, event organizers wrote: 

“Rolling Thunder® XXXII, “Ride for Freedom” will take place on May 26, 2019 in Washington, D.C. — the final Thunder Run in D.C. This will be the last demonstration the organization does as a unit in Washington. It has been a hard decision to make, after much discussion and thought over the last six months Rolling Thunder National Officers have concluded to end our 32 year annual D.C. Memorial Weekend event.”

Beyond 2019, it’ll be up to smaller chapters to carry on the tradition. If you'd like to learn more, visit their website, or head down to D.C. in May to see the ride for yourself.