Cyclists honor veterans in Rolling Thunder

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of bikers rumbled into Washington for their 22nd annual weekend tribute to veterans that has become known as Rolling Thunder.

The bikers rolled past the Lincoln Memorial, traveled east on Constitution Avenue past the Capitol, then west along Independence Avenue in their noisy tribute Sunday, The Washington Post reported Monday.

"The problem with this event is there are so many people that come here and don't understand the real meaning of Memorial Day," a Harrisburg, Pa., Vietnam veteran identifying himself as Master Chief said. "Ask a child. Ask a teenager. Ask an adult. And they'll tell you it's one of the holidays (they) got off."

The name "Rolling Thunder" comes from a bombing campaign North Vietnam in 1965, rally organizers said.

"This (rally) is a very sacred thing to us, for a lot of reasons," Master Chief told the Post. "A very sacred thing."