Big bikes honour US war dead

UNITED STATES: Big motorcycles, hundreds of thousands of them, rumbled down Washington's normally hushed weekend streets on Sunday to stress veterans' needs in a time of war.

"The country is at war and all these are people who want to support Rolling Thunder, support our issues and to show support for our troops," said Gary Scheffmeyer, the national president of Rolling Thunder, an annual bike rally that began 20 years ago.

Scheffmeyer spoke to AFP immediately after meeting with US President George W. Bush at the White House about the plight of veterans, he said.

"At least to see if anything that can be done about them more than what's being done now," he said.

Rolling Thunder began 20 years ago to draw attention to US troops missing in action in Vietnam, some of whom they say may still be alive or whose remains need to be returned to their families.

Monday is Memorial Day, a holiday honoring US war dead.

Bikers from across the United States numbered well over 300,000, said Scheffmeyer, a Vietnam navy veteran.

Vietnam army colonel Dominic Ruggiero rode 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) from Chicago, where he works as a consultant.

"We have to take care of our own and we have many, many wounded veterans and veterans of today that need long-term care and assistance," he said. While medical technology allows many of the wounded to return from Iraq alive, he said it also means they need longer term care.

Washington, Monday, AFP