ibrown@themeridianstar.com



When hundreds of motorcyclists of the annual Vietnam War Memorial "Run for the Wall" enter the city of Meridian on May 19, they will be greeted by one of the largest welcoming committees of their 10-day travel.

"They are expected to arrive in Meridian around 5:30 p.m., and when they come into the city the first overpass they will meet will be the 49th Avenue Overpass," said Meridian Chief Administrative Officer Ken Storms.

"That overpass is going to be crammed full of people – military folks (Army, Navy, the Air Guard, the Army Guard, the Army Reserve), ROTC units from local and area high schools and civilians. And each person participating will be waving flags," Storms said.

The riders, representing the Southern Route of Run for the Wall, will stay overnight in the city, and the following day will continue to their final destination of Washington, D.C., on May 25, Memorial Day Sunday. There the group will unite with other riders from all over the country to form Rolling Thunder XXI, a Welcome Home and We Have Not Forgotten demonstration from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – The Wall. Last year, more than 300,000 bikes participated.

Storms and Don Stringer, state coordinator for Run for the Wall, met recently with The Star's Editorial Board to talk about the upcoming event and to encourage local and area residents to come out and show their support.



The Star: What is Run for the Wall?



Stringer: Run for the Wall's first trip was in 1989. A couple of Vietnam veterans and their family took out on a trip across the United States in honor of Prisoners of War (POWs) and Killed in Action (KIA) in the Vietnam era to remind the public that there were still so many unaccounted for.

The run starts in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The central route is 20 years old; however in 1998, because it (pilgrimage) became so large, they split off and formed several routes. The Southern Route began in 2000. They ride about 275-425 miles a day, stopping at various veterans hospitals, memorials and schools.



The Star: What is Meridian's connection to Run for the Wall.



Storms: The riders will spend their fifth night (of the 10-day pilgrimage) in Monroe, La., and they will leave there and Don and his boys will meet them at Tallulah, coming into the Mississippi River, and will escort them to the Harley-Davidson (dealership) in Jackson, where they will do the Trail of Honor and dinner – which will feature a tremendous number of guests – and visit the VA Center.

They will leave the VA Center headed to Meridian. Along the various overpasses, there will be people waving to them and welcoming them even more to the state of Mississippi. They will be escorted by the Mississippi Highway Patrol and other road units, as well as a motorcycle unit from the Meridian Police Department.

When they come into Meridian, the first overpass they will meet is the 49th Avenue Overpass. They also will go underneath the 29th Avenue Overpass. We're asking civilians to cram both those overpasses. On each of the overpasses, there will be a sign that says — "Welcome Home RFTW."



The Star: Why is this welcome so important?



Storms: "Welcome Home" means an awful lot to this group of people. Although this ride is for all veterans, it started as a Vietnam-themed event. "Welcome Home" is sort of a mantra in that those of us from the Vietnam years never had that said to us when we got back. So we say it to each other all the time.

For the last seven years, Meridian has told the RFTW people that this is their hometown. They are given the key to the city and we try to make their stay here enjoyable.



Star: What will they do once they arrive in Meridian?



Storms: When they arrive at the Agri-Center, they will get off their bikes and will be handed a bottle of water provided by the Key Chapter, American Red Cross. They also will be handed a souvenir cloth laundry bag bearing the new Meridian logo. That's being sponsored by Omar Bhatti of Imperial Cleaners.

The bikers will put their dirty laundry in the bag and Mr. Bhatti will have it cleaned and ready for them by the next morning.

A Southern chicken dinner will be provided for them. The dinner will be prepared by Adam Reeves and made possible through various local sponsors. The riders will be joined by local and area veterans groups – Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion – and they will talk and socialize.



The Star: What other local groups or businesses are involved in this event?



Storms: The flags that everyone will be given to wave to the motorcyclists were purchased by Meridian Yamaha.

The motorcyclists will stay at local motels and campsites. Welcome baskets will be given to them, courtesy of The Meridian Downtown Association and the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Commission. The next morning, a light breakfast will be available at The Agri-Center.

Other sponsors will include the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Foundation, the Restoration Riders Christian Motorcycle Association, Meridian Cycles, the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation (EMBDC), Chunky River Harley-Davidson, WMOX Radio and WOKK's The Radio People.



The Star: Other than being at the overpasses – and along the stretch of highway between the overpasses and leading to the Agri-Center – how can local and area residents get involved in this event?



Storms: If they would like to help out with expenses, they can send contributions to Key Chapter, American Red Cross, 1820 23rd Ave., Meridian, Miss., 39301, and designate it for The Veterans Fund.



Vietnam Traveling Wall



A 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., the Vietnam Traveling Wall stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.

This traveling memorial stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their home town who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.

The Vietnam Traveling Wall will be open 24 hours a day, from May 13-18, at the Jackson Police Pistol Range on McDowell Road



For information about The Trail of Honor or The Vietnam Travel Wall events in Jackson, call (601) 372-5770.



Want to go?



Trail of Honor

The Trail of Honor is a living history of all American wars, from the 1776 American Revolutionary War to Desert Storm. It features:

• Re-enactors from the French and Indian War through the current War in Iraq and Afghanistan

• Military armor displays

• Military heroes: Navajo code talkers, ex-POWs from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the USS Pueblo, Tuskegee Airmen, Medal of Honor recipients and many others.

The Trail of Honor will be presented in Jackson at 3509 I-55 South; dates and times are:

• May 17 – from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• May 18 – from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

• May 19 – from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Attendance is free. Free parking will be available at the Jackson Police Pistol Range on McDowell Road. Free shuttle will run every 10 minutes.