membership

 Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is not a Motorcycle Club.   Membership in Rolling Thunder®, Inc is open to anyone with an interest in educating the public regarding the POW☆​​MIA (Prisoner of War-Missing In Action) issue regardless of race, color, creed or sex. All persons must be 18 years of age or older. You do not have to be a Veteran or ride a motorcycle to join.

All Members of this organization must be willing to help fight for the prisoner of war / missing in action issue, which still exists. To help protect future veterans from becoming POW-MIAs and to help veterans in need from all wars.
Every member must abide by the constitution and by-laws of Rolling Thunder®, Inc.
Click here to read the full 2018 Constitution 
​
Dues are $30.00 per year, due in February of each year or when initially joining.
Membership applications can be filled out in person at our monthly membership meetings. We do not mail out membership applications.
Rolling Thunder® Inc. relies on volunteers to donate their time to keep it going. If you cannot volunteer your time and attend meetings, please do not sign up for membership in our organization.  Attendance of a minimum of 3 meetings and 3 events every year or participation in the annual Demonstration Ride Memorial Day weekend in Washington D.C. is required to remain a member.
 You may attend meetings and events as a non-member.
 
Membership Patches and Obligations
1. All members will receive a Rolling Thunder® Membership Boot patch (from their Chapter) when they become a full member at the end of a 120-day period. If a member meets his/her obligations before the 120 days are up they are entitled to receive their Boot patch no earlier than 90 days, provided they meet all other loyalty and conduct requirements. A new member must make 3 meetings or events, or a combination thereof, during the 120-day trial period to become a full member. Anyone who joins and does not meet his/her obligation will be terminated from this organization. After a member completes his/her first year (from the day they receive their boot patch) as a member in good standing then they will be issued the Eagle & Rocker, which is the property of National. 
A $50.00 boot patch deposit is required before the new member receives the boot patch. Before any new member receives their back patch they must pay the balance of $100.00 patch deposit totaling $150.00. National will hold all new members deposits made on patches. Membership patches are the property of Rolling Thunder® National.

POW☆​​MIA flag history

In 1971, Mrs. Michael G. Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of POW☆​​MIA Families, recognized the need for a symbol of our POW's and MIA's.  Prompted by an article in the Jacksonville, Florida, Times-Union, Mary 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 (PRC), as part of their policy to provide flags of all United Nations member states.  Mrs. Hoff found Mr. Rivkees very sympathetic to the POW-MIA issue.  He and an Annin advertising agency employee, Newt Heisley, designed a flag to represent our missing men. No trademark or copyright was sought.
The POW☆​​MIA Flag, the only flag displayed in the United States Capitol Rotunda, stands as a powerful symbol of our 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.
 "Be it RESOLVED that the National League of POW☆​​MIA Families strongly recommends that state and municipal entities fly the POW☆​​MIA flag daily to demonstrate continuing commitment to the goal of the fullest possible accounting of all personnel not yet returned to American soil." 

 Current Legislation Rolling Thunder National
​is working on:

---

H.R. 504-  Rep. Lance NJ-7: To Amend title 36 United States Code to require that the POW☆​​MIA Flag be Displayed on all days that the US Flag is displayed.

H. Res. 219- Rep. Walker R-NC-6: Establishing a Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.

H. Res. 129/ S. Res. 61: Calling on the DOD, other elements of the federal Government and foreign governments to intensify effort to investigate, recover, and identify all missing and unaccounted for US personnel.

​​H.R. 299/ S. 422: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017.

H.R. 6734 Full Military Honors Act 2018

To take action:    Go to https://www.govtrack.us/    Search and review a bill or bills of interest, go to the website listed for your US Representatives or US Senators and send letters, e-mails and or faxes requesting an action (preferably in writing) to be taken such as to cosponsor the bill or support getting the bill/resolution to the floor for a vote. Or, call their DC office and ask to speak to their Military or Veteran Affairs staffer and request that an action be taken. Remember you are the voice of our POW and MIAs. If we don't.........who will?