Rolling Thunder - Sunday 29 May 2011

The bikes meet up at Patriot Harley Dealership in Fairfax, VA at 9.00am. We joined the line 1.5 miles from the store!!

And we are off............10 minutes later we passed Patriot Harley on our way to Route 66 in to DC.

Our White Ensign and Joe, our guide.

Route 66 was closed to traffic........just us bikers allowed!!!

Original Army bike used in Vietnam.

He's been there a while! Certainly makes a point.

Pentagon car parks - our meeting place was the North car park. It was full by 9.00am so we were in the South car park. It was estimated there were over 200,000 bikes there.

We mingled with some great characters........

.....including some old Submariners.

In the car park waiting to go. Some fighter jets flew over the Pentagon at midday to start things off. The first bikes were off around the Mall. We started our engines at 2.40pm!!!!!!!!!

Passing the soldier taking the salute. he stands saluting for the whole time the bikes are passing and has done so at every Rolling Thunder for the past 11 years.

Up towards the Capitol building and then back down Constitution Ave to the Lincoln Memorial.

It was an emotional experience even though we weren't really involved in Vietnam. The whole day was an exciting yet sobering tribute to the POW/MIA that will stay with us both for a while.