May 31, 2004
Monday

I made it across the country with the "Run For The Wall." We got into DC Friday afternoon and visited the Wall. As any of you that have visited know, it is a very difficult place. If you have not seen it, you should if you have the opportunity.

Saturday I visited the Arlington National Cemetery and was on the Mall for the dedication of the World War II Memorial. Both places were crowded with people paying their respects.

The WWII vets finally have a memorial to honor their service. There were many in attendance for the ceremony.

In the last two weeks I have visited several memorials to the people who have helped keep our nation free. They have been in small towns, on mountaintops, and in the largest cities, including our Nation's Capital.

It is amazing the number of names, each representing an individual who paid the ultimate price, so that we could live in this Nation with the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy. We must never take them for granted. Someone before me said, "Freedom is not free."

To all of you Veterans out there, "Thank you!"

"Rolling Thunder" was Sunday and now it is time for me to head home. It was breathtaking! There were thousands of us on bikes. We lined up in a parking lot at the Pentagon. Rain threatened for a while, but it never materialized (we were glad!) The lot finally filled up, and I don't know where the rest parked. There was that constant rumble, which in part gives the event its name.

Finally, at noon Sunday, we started. It took about a half hour for the motion of the bikes leaving the lot to make it to me, and I was in one of the early groups.

We paraded up and down Constitution Avenue. There were thousands of people to greet us and cheer us on.

It was a truly awesome experience!!!

Dan Hart
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

 

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