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By Brandon Pollachek, PEO IEW&S PAO
Two members of the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors spent Memorial Day weekend the way many Americans choose to spend a holiday, on their motorcycles. However, their ride had a twist as Paul Barsamian, a staff logistician and Scott Fuhrer, an assistant product manager, served as escorts during the annual Rolling Thunder ride through Washington D.C. with their passengers being a Gold Star Mother and Gold Star Wife.
Barsamian and his Harley Davidson Street Glide carried Vivian Allen through a parade of spectators and riders celebrating Memorial Day. Allen’s son 1st Lt. Louis Allen was killed while serving in Iraq in 2005. At the same time Fuhrer escorted Ani Mariano on his Harley Davidson Road Glide. Mariano’s husband, Air Force Master Sgt. Jude Mariano died in in 2004 while serving in Qatar.
Barsamian has served as a Gold Star escort for six years. “I volunteer to serve as an escort for Gold Star Mothers, wives, and family members because it is a special honor to spend time with those who have lost their loved ones while serving our great nation,” said Barsamian. “Over the years I have developed special bonds with each and every Gold Star mother spending the weekend with them listening to their stories laughing and crying with them while being their escort as we ride through our nation’s capital.”
Allen has participated in the event three times, stated “it was an honor to be included and I feel like my son is looking down and saying ‘way to go Mom.’”
Fuhrer, a first time participant said, “this is a great opportunity to pay tribute to those mothers and wives that lost their military loved ones serving this country for freedom”.
Following her first Rolling Thunder ride Mariano said, she had always wanted to participate so that she could represent her husband and the nation.
According to the Rolling Thunder website the first event took place over Memorial Day weekend 1988. The founders Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, reached out to their families, fellow veterans and veteran’s advocates to unify and form a march and demonstration in the nation’s Capital. Their arrival would be announced by the roar of their motorcycles, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder. Word spread quickly and by Memorial Day weekend in 1988, approximately 2,500 motorcycles from all over the country converged on Washington, D.C. On that day, the foundation was laid for the annual “Ride for Freedom” to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall (also referred to as the “Ride to the Wall”). The number of participants/spectators in the Memorial Day weekend Ride for Freedom has grown from 2,500 to an estimated 900,000.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]