[SAMWolf]

Rolling Thunder
FACT SHEET

• Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder is a class 501 C-4 non-profit organization with over 70 chartered chapters throughout the United States and members abroad, while new chapters continue to form.

VETERAN & COMMUNITY SERVICE

• In 2002, Rolling Thunder National Chapter donated over $50,000 in financial support, food, clothing and other essentials to sanctioned veterans' groups, veterans and veterans' families in need, homeless veteran programs, women's' crisis centers, and toys for children
  
  
• In 2002, Rolling Thunder expended over $170,000 educating the public and increasing awareness about the POW/MIA issue and other injustices suffered by veterans from all wars, and to improve legislation that would rectify the POW/MIA situation and improve veterans' benefits from all wars
  
  
• Rolling Thunder National sponsors search and retrieval missions into Southeast Asia for POW's, MIA's, and the remains of those killed in action
  
  
• Over 4,000 hours were logged in by members of the Rolling Thunder organization in the year 2002 at local VA hospitals around the country; members visited with and provided moral support to nursing home veterans, patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and homeless veterans
  
  
• Rolling Thunder veterans regularly speak to youth and parents of their communities at local area schools, ROTC programs, and other community gatherings about the honor of serving their country and educating them about the POW/MIA issue
  
  
• The organization regularly donates POW/MIA flags to local schools, various organizations and interests groups, and organizes flag raising ceremonies promoting public awareness about the POW/MIA issue
  
  
• Rolling Thunder greatly facilitated the publishing of a POW/MIA U.S. postage stamp through the U.S. Postal Service that displayed dog tags with the declaration, "POW & MIA - NEVER FORGOTTEN."
  
  
• Rolling Thunder is on the Board of Directors of the Ride to the Wall Foundation, a veterans' fund established through the sales of the musical C.D., "Ride to the Wall," produced for Rolling Thunder XIV by the legendary Paul Revere and the Raiders in cooperation with Rolling Thunder, Inc. Proceeds of the sale of the CD are donated to the Homeless Veterans foundation established by Miss America 2000 Heather French-Henry (presently the Second Lady of Kentucky).

LEGISLATION

Rolling Thunder has advocated and co-authored legislation on the POW/MIA issue and other veteran concerns and interests.

Missing Service Personnel Act of 1997

Since the mid-1980's, Rolling Thunder has worked tirelessly on this bill that would guarantee missing servicemen or women could not be arbitrarily "killed on paper" by the U.S. government without credible proof of death. The bill was originally sponsored by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Colorado) in 1993. Rolling Thunder co-wrote 17 resolutions to revive the bill after it was gutted by former POW, Senator John McCain. Rolling Thunder's efforts helped facilitate passing of a majority of the resolutions, and efforts continue to restore the law as it was originally written.

Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000

Rolling Thunder also co-authored the Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000, which was coauthored and sponsored by Senator Nighthorse-Campbell. The Act provides for the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of certain foreign countries in which American Vietnam War POW/MIAs or American Korean War POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in returning POW/MIAs alive.

Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act of 2002, S.1339

First introduced by Campbell in August 2, 2001, the legislation amends the Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000 which was signed into law in November of 2001. That law provides for the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of certain foreign countries in which American Vietnam POW/MIAs or American Korean War POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in returning POW/MIAs alive. The new law extends the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of Iraq or the greater Middle East region. It provides for the International Broadcasting Bureau, which includes the Voice of America, to broadcast information about the law in the Middle East. The necessity of this legislation is illustrated by the case of Captain Scott Speicher, a Persian Gulf War Veteran who has been missing for more than ten years. Speicher was originally listed as Killed in Action and is now officially listed as Missing in Action/Captured.

The POW/MIA Memorial Flag Act (S-1226)

This bill was signed into legislation by President George W. Bush in part due to Rolling Thunder’s lobbying efforts. The main force behind this bill was Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Congressman Dan Burton. The POW/MIA flag will fly below the American Flag any day the American flag is flown in Washington, DC at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean Memorial and the WWII memorial when it is completed.

[SAMWolf]

History of the POW MIA Flag

In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of Families, recognized the need for a symbol of our POW/MIAs. Prompted by an article in the Jacksonville, Florida Times-Union, Mrs. Hoff contacted Norman Rivkees, Vice President of Annin & Company which had made a banner for the newest member of the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China, as a part of their policy to provide flags to all United Nations members states. Mrs. Hoff found Mr. Rivkees very sympathetic to the POW/MIA issue, and he, along with Annin’s advertising agency, designed a flag to represent our missing men. Following League approval, the flags were manufactured for distribution.



On March 9, 1989, an official League flag, which flew over the White House on 1988 National POW/MIA Recognition Day, was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as a result of legislation passed overwhelmingly during the 100th Congress. In a demonstration of bipartisan Congressional support, the leadership of both Houses hosted the installation ceremony.

The League’s POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever displayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda where it will stand as a powerful symbol of national commitment to America’s POW/MIAs until the fullest possible accounting has been achieved for U.S. personnel still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

On August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, which recognized the League’s POW/MIA flag and designated it "as the symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation".

The importance of the League’s POW/MIA flag lies in its continued visibility, a constant reminder of the plight of America’s POW/MIAs. Other than "Old Glory", the League’s POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1982. With passage of Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act during the first term of the 105th Congress, the League’s POW/MIA flag will fly each year on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day on the grounds or in the public lobbies of major military installations as designated by the Secretary of the Defense, all Federal national cemeteries, the national Korean War Veterans Memorial, the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the White House, the United States Postal Service post offices and at the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veteran’s Affairs, and Director of the Selective Service System.

Displaying the POW/MIA Flag



Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action come from EVERY STATE, thus the POW/MIA flag has precedence over state flags. The following guidelines should be followed in flying the POW/MIA flag:

• If flying the flag from ONE FLAG POLE, the POW/MIA flag is flown directly below the National Colors and above any state flag.
• If flying National, POW/MIA and State flags from TWO poles, the POW/MIA flag should be flown from the same pole as the National Colors, and beneath the American Flag, with the state flag flying from the pole to the left.
• If flying flags from three poles, the National Colors occupy the place of prominence (the right), with the POW/MIA flag immediately to the left of the US Flag, and the state flag to the left of the POW/MIA flag.