The caravan, which honors and supports U.S. military forces, traveled through Sequoyah County on their annual cross-country trek to Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day.
George Day of Gans is part of the group, which left from Alameda, Calif., May 17 on their trip to honor, remember, and support prisoners of war (POWs), those missing in action (MIA), and men and women in the armed forces.
Day's wife, Kristin, said the caravan left from the deck of the USS Hornet, where participants lit a ceremonial torch honoring Blue Star and Gold Star Mothers of America and Gold Star Wives of America.
Blue Star Mothers are those who have children serving in the military, while Gold Star Mothers are those who lost children who were in the military. Gold Star Wives are those women whose husbands died while serving in the armed forces or from service-connected disabilities.
The group will be joining over 300,000 other motorcyclists in Rolling Thunder's Ride for Freedom XVIII on Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C.
Rolling Thunder brought members of Blue Star Mothers of America Inc., including the Blue Star Mother national president Jean Burlingame, with them to Sallisaw from El Reno, where a special program was held for Rolling Thunder Sunday.
The lunch in Sallisaw benefited the Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. and Day, who is the only one from Sequoyah County to make the entire trip from California to Washington, D.C., a VFW spokesperson said.
During Monday's ceremony, the torch was lit and passed around the packed room of the VFW and VFW members presented Blue Star Mothers with a wreath, which they plan to place at a statue in Washington, D.C., during Memorial Day ceremonies. A plant was also presented by the Blue Star Mothers to Hazel Shackelford of Muldrow VFW Post 8384, a Gold Star Mother who lost her son in Vietnam.
For a complete news story of Rolling Thunder's visit in Sallisaw, see the May 26 edition of Your TIMES.
