Veterans, Fairfax roll out community spirit for Ride of the Patriots

Although he has visited the Vietnam Memorial in the District every Memorial Day weekend for more than a decade, motorcyclist Don Withrow still gets emotional during his trips.

Withrow, a 20-year Army veteran, completed two tours in Vietnam in the late 1960s.

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“I was just a baby when I went,” said Withrow, 66, of Annandale. “I couldn’t even legally drink yet.”

He recalls seeing a lot of combat during his two tours.

“A lot of people I knew were killed,” he said. “I was a field artillery commander, and there were several guys under my command that I lost. The first time I saw names that I recognized on the Vietnam [Veterans] Memorial Wall, I bawled like a baby. It is still emotional for me, even now.”

Withrow rides to the wall every year as part of Ride of the Patriots, a Fairfax-based annual motorcycle event that coincides with the national Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride, which is in its 24th year.

“Rolling Thunder began primarily with Vietnam War veterans having a special focus on POWs and MIAs,” said Withrow, who has participated in the larger ride since 1997.

According to its Web site, Rolling Thunder is the largest single-day motorcycle event in the world, with more than 350,000 riders who assemble annually at the Pentagon the Sunday before Memorial Day. From there, riders proceed to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to pay tribute to fallen veterans.

Fairfax’s corresponding Ride of the Patriots, one of hundreds nationwide, also has grown throughout the years. Withrow has been part of the local ride since its inception in 1999 shortly after the opening of Patriot Harley-Davidson in Fairfax. The event is an open ride, meaning anyone can participate.

Withrow became the event’s “Boss Hog” in 2006.

“Being Boss Hog means I sort of organize the event,” he said. “We started in 1999 with about 50 guys, and have added about 4,000 since then. The event grows every year, and we may now even be very near the 5,000 participant mark.”

Withrow said that each year, bikers assemble eastbound along Fairfax Boulevard (Lee Highway) starting at Patriot Harley-Davidson. With the help of police motor squad units from Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax and Arlington County, they are escorted to the Pentagon staging area to join the 350,000 to 400,000 other bikers for Rolling Thunder.

“I get to [Patriot Harley-Davidson] Sunday at about 5 a.m.” Withrow said. “At 7:30, there is a parade down Fairfax Boulevard and an opening ceremony that brings the community and the bikers together to recognize the significance of the day.”

The event has become much more than just a ride.

According to Withrow, city leaders, state and federal delegates, the Fairfax High School marching band, Fairfax City and county fire and police units, the Northern Virginia Firefighter’s Emerald Society Pipe Band, the American Legion and various honor guards all have active parts in the event Sunday morning, which includes a parade.

“The event has really taken on a life of its own,” said Sgt. Dan Grimm, Fairfax city police spokesman. “I believe the ride is good for the city, and we do our best to ensure it is safe and successful. Spectators really seem to enjoy it, and it really brings people to this area.”

“The event has really become a community highlight,” said Lyndon Abel, general manager of Patriot Harley-Davidson.

The community’s embracing of the ride still moves Withrow.

“Spectators from the community line Fairfax Boulevard 12-deep for at least a quarter of a mile to recognize the riders and honor the veterans we ride for,” Withrow said. “Then as you ride down I-66 and you get saluted by motorists, it tugs at your heartstrings to see that many people who really care.”