Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/693447
36 nJuly 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Jon DeMaria RIVERSIDE, CALIF., MAY 30— The 17th annual West Coast Thunder parade assembled early Monday morn- ing outside Riverside Harley-Davidson to commemorate Memorial Day. Event registration and staging began at 6:00 a.m. complete with breakfast and cof- fee followed by a performance of the Star Spangled Banner. Shortly after 8:00 a.m. the crowd was addressed by Major General Paul Mock, followed by a speech by the honorable mayor of Riverside, Rusty Bailey. Several other VIPs in attendance were intro- duced before the opening ceremony was conducted by the West Coast Thunder Color Guard. The ceremony which included a 21-gun salute and the ultimate sacrifi ce ceremony is always extremely moving and serves as a reminder of what this holiday is truly about. Although there were thousands of people present, you could hear a pin drop during the moment of silence held in honor of those who had made the ultimate sacrifi ce for our country in defense of our freedom. Thousands of bikes fi red up their engines at 9:11 a.m. sharp in honor of those lost dur- ing the attacks on September 11, 2001. It's truly amazing to see so many bikes in one place and to both hear and feel their rumble. This is billed as the larg- est commemorative motorcycle event west of the Mississippi. It's estimated that over 7,000 bikes embarked on the approximate 45-mile, police-escorted journey with hundreds more joining in along the route which runs from Riverside Harley-Davidson, past the Riverside National Cemetery, and ends at the Soboba Casino where attendees enjoy an array of food options, ven- dors and live music. Riders have the option to divert from the parade route into the Riverside National Cemetery to pay their respects if they choose. This is something I've done every year I've attended this event. It's hard to describe the emotions I feel as I observe the magnitude of the over 900 acres of land containing hundreds of thousands of graves. A fl ag is placed at each grave by a program that consists of about a thousand volunteers called A Flag for Every Hero. The emotions I felt while at the cemetery witnessing people visiting their loved ones' graves is overwhelming. For me, it brings home what this day is truly about. While walking through the cem- etery, I happened across a woman crying at the base of a grave. Her name was Sherry Calvert, daughter of CPL Charles Calvert who served as a Marine in Iwo Jima during World War II. I approached her and asked if she minded if I joined her in paying my respects to her father, she agreed and I sat with her and listened as she spoke proudly of her father and his service as a Marine. My fi ancé Raeanon joined us and shared the story of her grandfather, William Neumeier, a vet- eran who also served in World War II and passed away earlier this year at age 94. William joined the United States Navy in 1942, and later shipped out on the USS Sappho to Honolulu initially with the assignment of reas- sembling the heavily damaged Naval fl eet. Soon after, the Sappho became part of a larger invasion force under General MacArthur, steaming across the Pacifi c to invade Japan. However, when the war-ending bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, his role changed to that of a post-war Naval guard patrolling the bombed out harbors and cities, thus witness- ing the devastation the atomic bombs had on the country. Unlike many who died on the battlefi eld in action, William lived out the last decades of his life bedridden in the VA hospital in Iron Mountain, Michigan, from an illness that was likely caused from the effects of radiation he was exposed to during his deployment in Japan. The three of us sat together and shed some tears while sharing a special moment remembering those two brave men, true heroes. This is what Memorial Day is really about. It was time to saddle up to com- plete the rest of our journey to the Soboba Casino and cover the rest of the day's festivities. We arrived to a lot full of thousands of motorcy- cles. Inside the venue the fi rst band, Southbound, a Lynard Skynard trib- ute band, was fi nishing their set. We arrived just in time to catch one of my favorite songs, "Free Bird." There were dozens of vendors and the place was packed. We grabbed a beer and began to unwind when I heard the announcement over the PA system. The West Coast Thunder Color Guard was about to perform their ultimate sacrifi ce ceremony once again for the Soboba crowd. Just when we were about to let our hair down, the presentation was yet another sober- ing reminder of the meaning of this holiday. After the ceremony I had the honor of joining the crew in their annual tradition, an honorary shot of Jack Daniels for the fallen that marked the completion of another year's efforts in honoring our veterans by the 17TH ANNUAL WEST COAST THUNDER An unforgettable experience Remembering those who gave all See "West Coast Thunder," page 40, column 1 Members of the West Coast Thunder Color Guard lead the pack of over 7,000 bikes from Riverside Harley-Davidson past the Riverside National Cemetery en route to the after party and concert at the Soboba Casino Sherry Calvert visits the grave of her father CPL. Charles Calvert of the Marine Corps who is buried along with her mother who's birthday happens to fall on this years Memorial Day