The staging area will be at the IVY Tech parking lot across the street from the Fort Harrison Veterans Center. Please follow the directions of the parking attendants when you enter the parking lot. After you park your motorcycle, walk over to the Veterans Center to register and sign a waiver form.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) will escort the group from the Veterans Center to the Indiana War Memorial downtown Indianapolis and end on Michigan Street.  Upon completion of the ride, riders are welcome to attend the POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony or depart the area.

 Cost:  Free, but donations are welcomed.

Primary POC: Mike Clark, mike.clark@indianarollingthunder.com or 317-991-3085
Secondary POC: Orin Morris, orin.morris@indianarollingthunder.com or 317-498-4262

Staging Information 

Staging Location: Fort Harrison Veterans Center, 9450 East 59th Street Indianapolis, IN 46216.
Staging and Registration: 08:00 - 10:00
Opening Ceremony: 10:00 - 10:45
Departure Time: 11:00

Opening Ceremony Program Information

10:00 - 10:05 Presentation of Colors, National Anthem, and Pledge of Allegiance.
10:05 - 10:10 Invocation, and Opening Remarks.
10:10 - 10:45 Introduction of Special Guest.
10:45 - 11:00 Benediction, and Prepare for Departure.
11:00 Depart to the Indiana War Memorial escorted by IMPD.

Please Preregister for the event. Copy of Flyer and Registration form can be obtained by clicking on POW-MIA Ride to Remember

FORT HARRISON VETERANS CENTER
SUPPORT RIDE AND FUNDRAISER 

AUGUST 29, 2021

Home of
Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 295, Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter #1, Warriors Hope, American Legion Posts 438, Navy Club Ship 35,
Vietnam Veterans Indiana State Council
Indy Sea Cadets, Vets for Vets, Task Force Omega

The Fort Harrison Veterans Center provides meeting, and office space for 10 Veteran support groups so they can continue to perform their important missions. These Veteran Organizations actively work within the community to improve the lives of our Indiana Veterans. Without these Veteran Organizations, the community would not be the same.  

The operational and maintenance cost of the Fort Harrison Veterans Center is becoming to be a real hardship on these Veteran organizations. They need your help to keep the Fort Harrison Veteran Center operational and pay for needed upgrades to the facility.

The purpose of the event, is to raise money to help keep the Veteran Center operational and pay for needed facility upgrades. All proceeds will go directly to support the Fort Benjamin Harrison Veteran Center.

09:00 – 09:45 Staging and Registration, 9450 East 59th Street Lawrence, IN 46216
09:45 – 10:00 Open ceremony
10:00 – KSU and Travel to Henry County Memorial Park, New Castle, IN
11:20 – Arrive at Henry County Memorial Park
11:30 – 12:25 Guided Tour of the Park
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch at the Park
13:30 – Self Guided tour of the Park Museum and Monuments

Cost: $20 per rider and $5 for paggenger

Point of contact: Vern Rensing 317-403-8979, vern81006@gmail.com
                            Greg Thompson 317-691-5109, wgthome@aol.com

Please Preregister for the event. Copy of Flyer and Registration form can be obtained by clicking on Veterans Center Support Ride

Linda J. Smith-Cope at the Vietnam Memorial Wall on May 24, 2019

Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter One is giving back to the Covington Indiana Community through the Linda J. Smith-Cope Scholarship.

Linda Joette Smith-Cope was the sister of SFC Ronald E. Smith, who served in Vietnam and become missing and unaccounted for on November 28, 1970 while on a mission near the tri-border area of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Linda was passionate and dedicated her entire life to finding out the details surrounding the mission, and the whereabouts of her beloved brother.

Unfortunately, Linda suddenly passed away in June 2019 due to medical complications. This scholarship is to honor Linda’s spirit, and not only to remember her brother Ronald E. Smith, but all those that have yet to come home to family and friends from all past wars.

A $1,000 scholarship is to be awarded to a Covington Community High School graduating senior seeking a higher education at an accredited College, University, or Trade School. This years essay subject was on the History and Mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). 

In 2021, Benton Berger was selected as the student to receive the  Linda J. Smith-Cope Scholarship award.

 Benton will continue his education at Purdue University in agriculture. A $1,000-dollar check was sent to Purdue University to help Benton with educational expenses.  

Congratulations to Benton and we wish him success in his continuing education at Purdue University.

The lives of Military individuals and families are forever changed as a result of their service to country. It is in this spirit of military fellowship that Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter #1 offers this scholarship to a graduating high school senior or student receiving the GED seeking a higher education at an accredited college, university, or trade school.

The POW-MIA scholarship is only offered to family members that are resident of Indiana and have a verifiable family relationship to a former Indiana Prisoner of War (POW) or an Indiana Service Member currently listed as Missing in Action (MIA).

In 2021, Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter #1 award a $1,000 scholarship to two deserving students. Brooke Breedlove and Ellie Halbert were awarded $1,000 each to help them with their continuing education.

                                    Brooke Breedlove                                                           Robert Titus      

Ellie Halbert is the Great Nice of Michael Lautzenheiser who is an Indiana Vietnam War MIA. Ellie is a resident of Danville and a graduate of the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. She is pursuing her Major in Forensic Science and Minor in History at Bryan College.             

                                Ellie Halbert                                               Michael Lautzenheiser

Rolling Thunder® Mission Statement

“The major function of Rolling Thunder^®, Inc. is to publicize POW-MIA issues. To educate the public that many American Prisoners of War were left behind after all past wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become Prisoners of War-Missing In Action. We are also committed to helping American veterans from all wars.”

POW*MIA Chairs of Honor

The placement of these special chairs are in honor of those who answered the call to duty and have yet to return to family and home, who are listed among the Prisoners of War (POW) and those Missing in Action (MIA).
 
They will be a beacon to all that see them to remind them that freedom isn’t free and to never forget the sacrifices, and hardships that our POWs and MIAs have endured in the defense of our freedom, and the sacrifices, and hardships that our Military Service Members endure every day in defense of this great Nation.
 
These special Chairs of Honor are physical symbols of the 82,000 American Service Members who are listed as Unaccounted-For Nationwide since WWII.

Indiana alone has 1,505 MIAs from WWII, 172 from the Korean War, and 51 from the Vietnam War.
 
These Chairs of Honor are reserved as a seat of honor that THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN”.

Click on the picture for more details on the specific Chair of Honor.

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated November 2, 2014 Lucas Oil Stadium 500 S Capitol Ave Indianapolis, IN 46225 Chair is located in section 423

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated January 11, 2016   Indiana State House  200 W Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated May 26, 2016 Indiana War Memorial 431 N Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated November 19, 2016 Indiana Farmers Coliseum 1202 E 38th Street Indianapolis, IN 46205

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated April 1, 2017 Coachman Restaurant 6112 Cambridge Way  Plainfield, IN 46168

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated May 25, 2017 Indianapolis International Airport 7800 Col H Weir Cook Mem Drive Indianapolis, IN 46241 Chair is located in Baggage Claim Next to the USO

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated November 12, 2017 Bankers Life Field House 125 S Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated July 1, 2018 Covington Court House 301 4th Street COURTHOUSE Covington IN 47932

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated November 9, 2018   Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame  East 56th Street and Herbert Lord Road Lawrence, IN

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated September 7, 2019 Grissom Air Museum 1000 West Hoosier Boulevard Peru, IN 46970

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated September 15, 2019 Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery 1415 Msh North Gate Road Madison, IN 47250

POW*MIA Chair of Honor Dedicated September 19, 2019 Plainfield High School 1 Red Pride Drive Plainfield, IN 46168

The Chapter is working on POW*MIA Chairs for Honor for the following Venues.

Purdue University
Carmel High School
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

We are looking forward to having POW*MIA Chairs of Honor displays at these special venues.

Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter One considers the dedication of these special Chairs of Honor as part of our mission in bringing awareness to the public about our Nation’s POWs and MIAs.

Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter One is a nonprofit organization and relies on donations from Sponsors and Individuals to have the necessary funds to carry on with our POW/MIA mission and special projects like the POW*MIA Chairs of Honor.

If you feel that are mission is important, and needs to carry on, please consider being a sponsor or make an in-kind donation. Please click on the below URL to get the details on our sponsorship program.

Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter One Sponsorship Program

---

Message from the President

Thank you for taking the time to visit our web site. The above mission statement tells you what Rolling Thunder®, Inc. Indiana Chapter 1 is all about.  Rolling Thunder®, Inc. Indiana Chapter 1 is a group of American Citizens - Veterans and non-Veterans - that have a strong belief that there are still several unresolved Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing In Action (MIA) cases from all past wars that need to be fully investigated, especially Vietnam.

Some people are under the impression that Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a Motorcycle Club. Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is not a motorcycle club, but a group of Veterans and non-Veterans that help bring awareness to the public that we still have War-Fighters that have not come home and they must NOT be Forgotten. Some of us ride Motorcycles because they make noise and get people’s attention. Once we get their attention, we can tell them about our POW/MIA mission and what the Chapter is doing to help our Indiana War-Fighters and Veterans.

Rolling Thunder®, Inc. has four Chapters within Indiana. All four Chapters are involved in bringing awareness to the public about POWs, MIAs, and helping our Indiana Veterans in need.

Rolling Thunder® Indiana uses several tools to help bring awareness to the public. Some of these tools include, the Missing Man Table ceremony, the Roll Call ceremony, the Indiana POW/MIA License Plate, POW/MIA Flag Raising Ceremonies, and the POW*MIA Chair of Honor displays.

Rolling Thunder® Indiana Chapter 1 has installed POW*MIA Chairs of Honor in multiple venues throughout Indiana. The purpose of these special Chairs of Honor is remind the public that not all of our War-Fighters have come home and they MUST NOT be FORGOTTEN. They also send a message to the love ones of our POWs and MIAs that their love one will not be forgotten. We hope to install many more of these special Chairs of Honor throughout Indiana. Listed above are the POW*MIA Chairs of Honor that the Chapter has dedicated to date. If you would like to have a POW*MIA Chair of Honor in your venue, please contact me at the below email address.

The Indiana POW/MIA License Plate is another important tool that Rolling Thunder® Indiana has to help bring awareness to the public about our POWs and MIAs. 100% of the proceeds collected from the sale of the POW/MIA License Plate is deposited into the Indiana Military Family Relief Fund (MFRF), which is used to provide our Indiana War-Fighters, Veterans, and their families a helping hand when needed. The Indiana POW/MIA License Plate is available through the Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV). Please ask for the POW/MIA License Plate the next time you visit the BMV.

The Chapter is very active with our POW/MIA mission and I hope that you will consider attending one of our Chapter meetings to see what we are all about. Please take a few minutes and scroll down the menu bar to the left of the webpage for more information on our Chapter. Our Chapter Calendar of Events is located under the Chapter Activities menu, or you can click on the below Link.

 Chatper Calendar of Events

Again, thank you for visiting our web site and I hope to see you at our next Chapter meeting.

Michael Clark
Rolling Thunder®, Inc., Indiana Chapter 1
President
mike.clark@indianarollingthunder.com