A veterans group that plans to continue the tradition of a massive motorcycle ride through Washington, D.C., saw an uptick in interest after the Pentagon denied the organization a parking permit.
Rolling to Remember, previously known as Rolling Thunder, planned its annual ride through the district and contacted the Pentagon a year ago to secure a permit to host thousands in its parking lot. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, the group was looking forward to rekindling its three-decade-old tradition over Memorial Day weekend.
In years past, the deal between the two groups was seemingly no issue, but the government body ultimately denied the group a permit due to “substantial community spread of COVID in the county” and a “health threat level” in the building.
The military’s denial saw fierce backlash, though the controversy has bolstered interest in the event, drawing between 50,000 and 100,000 potential attendees for May 30, Joseph Chenelly, the executive director of AMVETS, the group in charge of 2021’s ride, told the Washington Examiner in an interview.
“The uproar over the Pentagon denying the permit has really driven interest in the event, and we’re now anticipating 50,000 people,” he said. “Law enforcement does their own analysis on this, and they think we’re going to be 100,000.”
There’s no way to know for sure how many were present at previous Rolling Thunder days, Chenelly added, though he expects to reach the numbers seen in years past or even exceed them.
He attributed the outpouring of support due to an improvement in the pandemic.
Chenelly, a seven-year Marine Corps veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said personnel at the Pentagon made little effort to keep in touch with him throughout the process as they previously attempted to charge the nonprofit organization upwards of $200,000, which would cover “overtime security” and cleaning costs.
The high price tag was one of the reasons the past organizer of Rolling Thunder stopped hosting the event.
The Pentagon cited coronavirus concerns in April, saying it might support a future event request from the organization months away — “potentially as soon as this Labor Day weekend,” it noted.
“Unfortunately, the department has disapproved AMVETS permit request. The department took into careful consideration all aspects of AMVETS request, to include the current Health Protection Condition status on the Pentagon Reservation; substantial community transmission of COVID-19 in Arlington County, Virginia; number of Americans fully vaccinated across the nation; nature of this event with its decreased ability to maintain physical distance; and large crowds in one location for an extended period of time. This event draws national attention and participation; therefore the risk of exposure from participants from other communities extends well beyond the National Capital Region,” the Pentagon said in a statement April 30.
On May 14, the Pentagon’s decision drew the attention of Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa, who demanded records pertaining to the denial and faulted President Joe Biden’s administration.
“It is troubling that the Department would approve and then deny a long-standing request without conversation or explanation. This rescindment suggests interference in the standard consideration process. The rejection letter issued on April 30, cited the high COVID transmission rate in the event area of Arlington, Virginia. The concern regarding COVID, however, is belied by the Administration’s very actions,” Issa wrote in a letter, adding that Biden hosted a drive-in rally in Georgia when COVID-19 rates were more substantial.
“No one believes that a group politically aligned with this Administration would be getting denied like this,” Issa said in a statement. “The plain fact is that this is one of the most anti-veteran acts by a White House in recent memory, and we intend to get to the bottom of it.”
Rolling to Remember is a “solemn event” meant to honor families of the fallen and bring awareness to a raging mental health and suicide crisis among those who wore the uniform, Chenelly said.
The ride has since been set to take place at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
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“In addition to the veterans, it means a great deal to our Gold Star families — the families of the fallen. This is a way that they continue to remember them and especially our unaccounted for or missing in action,” he said. “We also have the suicide crisis, the mental health crisis. It’s another part of the mission for this, and that’s a problem that has seemingly worsened through COVID. … This isn’t a parade. It’s not a festival — it’s nothing like that. It’s actually a pretty solemn event — people come, and they’re pretty serious.”
“It’s very meaningful. It’s very emotional. It’s also healing.”
