Secretary Report 2010
Ray Luttner
Dear Rolling
Thunder Ohio Chapter 8 Members,
When Lyn and I
were vacationing in Virginia during the second week of September, a couple of
nice encounters occurred we wanted to share with all of you provided Mr. Hawk
has room in his pages of the next newsletter.
The first evening of our travel
took us to Arlington, VA where we met with my brother and his wife for dinner in
their neighborhood. Relying on ZUMO, our GPS friend and travel companion when on
the bike, we traversed the multi-lane I-495 beltway (in the lovely rush-hour
traffic that never seems to stop regardless of the time of day) to their “hood”
and parked the bike. As luck would have it, we called my brother, and
coincidentally, he had just parked his car after a day at work and was walking
to the entrance of the apartment where they live where he would wait to meet
with us.
As Lyn and I were in the process
of removing helmets, shaking off the dust, locking-up the bike and getting ready
to get underway to meet him, two women who were approaching us on the sidewalk
asked if we were members of Rolling Thunder. She saw the painting on our tour
pack and the “Rollin’ Thunder” words beneath it and our USA and POW/MIA flags we
always fly when we ride. After affirming we were RT members and identifying our
state and chapter, she and her mother thanked us profusely for our “service” and
all that RT members do. Specifically, she wanted to thank “us” – and the greater
organization of Rolling Thunder – for “being there” and welcoming home her son
at Regan International Airport from Iraq at 2:00am in the morning when he came
back to the states several months ago. (A member of an Army infantry division,
he had come home on a short leave following his second tour there before
re-deployment to Afghanistan.)
Even though we explained we were
not there for her son’s homecoming, it didn’t make any difference to either she
or her elderly mother: She knew Rolling Thunder and all that the members across
the country do in support of vets and their families, and these two women were
intent on wanting us to receive their profuse and personal thanks. Needless to
say, it was a humbling, lump-in- the-throat experience as they talked with us,
mom sharing photographs of her son, etc… after hugs and tears, we pulled
ourselves away bidding farewells to both of them.
That evening we stayed in Old
Towne Alexandria for the night. It is a very special city for both Lyn and I me,
and we always feel that we’ve “come home” whenever we are there. The next day we
enjoyed walking along the centuries-old streets and visiting shops and pubs
where we’ve amassed a boatload of memories and good times during the years we
have known one another and the endearment we feel with Old Towne. In one of the
shops featuring hand-made crafts created by people 55+, we met an older woman
and had conversation leading into her life and memories of her deceased husband
and three brothers who were all WWII vets. We talked about the “new” WWII
memorial which would have meant so much to all of them now gone, and during the
discussion, we remarked about our presence in DC on the Memorial Day weekend the
memorial was dedicated.
Mirroring our encounter the
previous evening, she also knew of Rolling Thunder and the dedication of its
members to vets and making the public aware of the POW/MIA issue from wars both
past and current. Interestingly, she absolutely loves it when Memorial Day
brings RT members and fellow riders to the Capitol for the weekend… she very
much appreciates the bikes and our own unique brand of “rolling thunder” which
rumbles across the area to announce that we have returned once again.
When we told her about this past
year’s Rolling Thunder activities, i.e.: visiting Bethesda Naval Hospital;
meeting with the TAPS adults and the children; and, our chapter’s special
visitation with “our” CVAG guys at the DC VA hospital, she and both Lyn and I
had tear-filled eyes as we recounted the events and purpose of our coming here.
Again, hugs and thanks from her came easily until we said our farewells. As we
made our exit from the shop, she thanked us on behalf of her family members,
too… and asked that we and Rolling Thunder members come back to her city in
years to come so others will never forget the sacrifices many paid in order that
so many others could enjoy their freedom… and make sure to bring our “thunder”
with us. (She loves the bikes!)
So, just two chance meetings,
but we wanted to share them with all of you. They both reinforced with Lyn and
me that you never know the people and their stories that await you… and
importantly, the wonderful, positive impact that Rolling Thunder may have
created. Sure, there are likely some negatives that have occurred along the RT
journey, but for all of those, we’d like to think that countless more good
impressions have been conveyed to our fellow citizens. Safe ride and peace to
all of you,
Ray Luttner,
Secretary – Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 8
