To the Editor:
The Rolling Thunder Run mission is to educate, facilitate, and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. Rolling Thunder has also evolved into a display of patriotism and respect for all who defend our country. For the past 28 years, its mission has not changed. For the past seven years, The American Legion Bayonne Post 19 Legion Riders have participated in this event, it was started at the Post by Mike Wilson, Tom Buchanan, Jim Noble and Ralph Hodkinson. This year, two more riders from the Post, Jeremy Richardson and Mike Gunshefski and Berley Hanna of Union County joined in the trip to Washington, DC. Each year we stick to an agenda that allows us to maximize our time in Washington to honor our veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice as well as participate in the Rolling Thunder protest demanding the fullest accountability of our MIA’s. This is one of the greatest ways to keep that mission alive and to get the message out that there are still MIA’s from all wars that this country fought in from World War II through the Cold War to today’s war on terrorism. But this year was special to us, we had a mission we wanted to complete while we were in Washington, DC, to locate and honor Bayonne’s only MIA from the Vietnam War. A memorial headstone was placed in Arlington National Cemetery in section MK marker 238. We were able to ride our motorcycles to the section and we found Doug O’Neill’s memorial headstone, we removed pins from our vests and placed them on the head stone, prayed that Doug’s remains would soon be found and back home where he can rest with honor among the heroes. This year was a special one we will never forget and we made a pact that will re-visit again each year.
MIKE WILSON