Scenes from the 2019 Rolling Thunder run in the nation’s capital.
During Memorial Day weekend in 2019 Rolling Thunder’s bikers rode down the monument-lined streets of Washington for what the ride’s national leadership says was the last time, ending a 32-year run in the capital. The first Rolling Thunder ride was held on May 30, 1988, to heighten the public’s awareness of prisoners of war and missing in action whose fate still was not known.
This year, the national Rolling Thunder organization is working with local chapters to stage runs in various communities elsewhere in the country. Officials said they canceled the Washington run because of problems related to bike parking areas, rising costs to host the event, corporate sponsorships and other issues.
—Photos by Jennifer E. Berry