Brothers in Arms

Motorcycle riders + Vietnam Vets = solid supporters for Bush? From the WashPost article on Rolling Thunder: “Focus swings to Vietnam, with a roar”:

Although Bush never saw combat and Kerry is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, many in the Rolling Thunder crowd demonstrated little affection for their brother-in-arms. As they rolled across the Memorial Bridge, around the Lincoln Memorial and down Constitution Avenue, bikers displayed signs reading "Stop Kerry" and "Vietnam Vets against Kerry."

In a written statement, Kerry's campaign said, "Nobody has worked harder on veterans and POW-MIA issues than John Kerry." The Kerry statement added that Bush is "misleading Rolling Thunder about his commitment to our veterans and military families."

It's not that the Rolling Thunder vets are “misled” on Kerry’s commitment. They loathe Kerry because of things like this:

Bob Nowak, 52, a retired Navy man from Aroda, Va., who did two tours in Vietnam, said veterans such as himself despise Kerry for his decision to protest the war in the early 1970s.

Nowak remembers returning from Vietnam in 1973 aboard an aircraft carrier loaded with thousands of sailors in their dress whites. "As we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, there were people waiting for us. And they threw garbage on us," Nowak recalled. "That was about the time Kerry was throwing his [ribbons] away. It's kind of hard to forget either of them."

Somehow I don’t think Kerry will be making another visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial anytime soon.

Extra: Instapundit has some great Rolling Thunder pictures.