After finishing Sunday鈥檚 annual motorcycle ride from the Pentagon to the National Mall, J.R. May parked his bike along Constitution Avenue and reflected.
He鈥檚 attended the 鈥淩olling to Remember鈥� ride for several years. He noticed many people lining the streets near the Lincoln Memorial to watch the event, and worried they may have thought it was all part of a parade.
Instead, though, May said thousands of people from across the world congregate in the D.C. region ahead of Memorial Day weekend to increase awareness that some service members are still missing. Others are suffering from PTSD.
Sunday marked the 38th consecutive year of the ride, according to the event鈥檚 website.
鈥淲e鈥檙e remembering people that have died in the past and have been captured, going through PTSD and having trouble with that,鈥� May, from Kentucky, told 小萝莉影视.
The group departed from the Pentagon and crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge before driving toward the National Mall.
Some honked and blasted the 鈥淪tar Spangled Banner.鈥� Others attached large American flags to the back of their motorcycles.
鈥淭his is my hometown, and to me, they do it right on Veterans Day and Memorial Day,鈥� Carol King said. 鈥淢y husband was a Marine Corps vet. I want to do what I can.鈥�
Mary Lanphere felt similarly.
鈥淚 love our veterans, and I am so thankful for everything that they’ve done for me and for this country,鈥� Lanphere said.
鈥淲e can’t pay them back enough, but the one thing we can do is never forget them and always respect the service that they have given to us.鈥�
Groups formed along the route, as some onlookers waved as motorcyclists drove by and honked.
鈥淭hey’re paying honor to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country,鈥� Kurt Chambers said.
鈥淔or those folks to take time out of their schedule and come here and do this ride, it’s pretty awesome to me.鈥�
Susan Baker, from Gaithersburg, Maryland, said she attends the annual event as often as she鈥檚 able to.
鈥淚 had friends that died in Vietnam, friends that are still in pain from Vietnam. It means a lot to me,鈥� Baker said.
Roy Emanuelson had participated in the ride in previous years and said it鈥檚 essential for the public to recognize the meaning of the Memorial Day holiday.
鈥淚t’s to remember the veterans who’ve lost their lives in combat and in serving the country, that’s the most important part, remembering that,鈥� Emanuelson said.
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