Aug. 23, 2010
Ironton Rally on the River
By Sandee Lloyd
Eight years ago a group of friends from the Tri-State, after attending a celebration in honor of Harley Davidson's 100th anniversary, decided to host a motorcycle rally in Ironton, OH. The following year, 2004, the first "Rally on the River" was held by the group, now calling themselves "The Friends of Ironton." That first year about 1,000 bikes came to the rally. This year 30,000 bikes with 50,000 people are expected to attend.
The rally runs from Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22, with many
events scheduled each day. The rally has taken over much of downtown Ironton,
with vendors set up in parking lots and on street and a stage for concerts along
with tents and tables in a parking lot. And everywhere you look are bikes of all
descriptions, but most of them are Harley Davidsons.
The streets are filled with the bikes and they are all in beautiful condition, all gleaming chrome and leather.
There are the usual food vendors but this rally has something different-vendors who cater to the bikers. There are all sorts of booths featuring items to customize the bikes, and plenty of merchandise to accessorize the bikers. Lots of leather goods were in evidence. Not to be left out, for the biker babes there is a vendor featuring leather vests and white leather hot pants with pink leather flames. No biker babe should be without those.
Entertainment featured concerts every day by various bands, a poker run, car show, an appearance by Lex and Terry of radio fame, Bubba Blackwell, a stunt cyclist and the Parade of Heroes.
On one side of the rally is the Ohio POW-MIA Memorial sponsored by Rolling Thunder Chapter 5. The memorial is a black wall with the names of Ohio's POWs and MIAs. Patricia Sexton explained that also on the wall are the dates the men were lost and in some cases an extra date which is the year the family accepted DNA proof from JPAC that those are the remains of the loved one and the remains were returned to the family.
Mrs. Sexton said that her husband is has been MIA for 39 years. She started working with Rolling Thunder in his honor. She said that the wall can be disassembled and carried in a trailer and has been on display in various areas for seven years.
She explained that part of the memorial is a service featuring a "Ghost Walk" in which a Rolling Thunder member walks along the wall holding a picture and looking for his friend's name. When he finds it he puts his hand on the wall and stands there silently. From behind the wall a young soldier in uniform comes out and walks up to the man, putting one hand over the man's and his other hand on the man's shoulder. They embrace, set a field cross then do a slow salute. They were unable to do the "Ghost Walk" this weekend as one member was not available, but just hearing about it made me choke up. I can't imagine anyone seeing it with dry eyes.
Another part of the memorial Mrs. Sexton described is a poem read by the voice of a young MIA soldier's spirit at the wall who sees his mother, wife and son coming to the wall for the first time. The poem is acted out and is the story of Mrs. Sexton.
Rolling Thunder sponsors the "Run to the Wall" each year. The first one in 1987 featured 800 riders and this year the number grew to 1.5 million riders.
Garland Brown presented a large silhouette of a soldier kneeling before a grave marked with a cross to Mrs. Sexton and Paul Cline, the Committee Chairman for Rolling Thunder, as an addition to the exhibit.
The band Southern Thunder was performing when I was there and they did covers of Willie Nelson and others, as well as their own music. Other bands were scheduled through the rest of the day and evening and for Sunday.
The Friends of Ironton should be proud of the "Rally on the River" and all the hard work they put into it.
Pictures feature The Friends of Ironton in their booth, Patricia Sexton next to her husband's name on the wall, Garland Brown presenting his silhouette, a field cross, Southern Thunder performing, vendors, bikes, and assorted rally attendees.
These pictures and others are available at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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By Sandee Lloyd
Eight years ago a group of friends from the Tri-State, after attending a celebration in honor of Harley Davidson's 100th anniversary, decided to host a motorcycle rally in Ironton, OH. The following year, 2004, the first "Rally on the River" was held by the group, now calling themselves "The Friends of Ironton." That first year about 1,000 bikes came to the rally. This year 30,000 bikes with 50,000 people are expected to attend.
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The streets are filled with the bikes and they are all in beautiful condition, all gleaming chrome and leather.
There are the usual food vendors but this rally has something different-vendors who cater to the bikers. There are all sorts of booths featuring items to customize the bikes, and plenty of merchandise to accessorize the bikers. Lots of leather goods were in evidence. Not to be left out, for the biker babes there is a vendor featuring leather vests and white leather hot pants with pink leather flames. No biker babe should be without those.
Entertainment featured concerts every day by various bands, a poker run, car show, an appearance by Lex and Terry of radio fame, Bubba Blackwell, a stunt cyclist and the Parade of Heroes.
On one side of the rally is the Ohio POW-MIA Memorial sponsored by Rolling Thunder Chapter 5. The memorial is a black wall with the names of Ohio's POWs and MIAs. Patricia Sexton explained that also on the wall are the dates the men were lost and in some cases an extra date which is the year the family accepted DNA proof from JPAC that those are the remains of the loved one and the remains were returned to the family.
Mrs. Sexton said that her husband is has been MIA for 39 years. She started working with Rolling Thunder in his honor. She said that the wall can be disassembled and carried in a trailer and has been on display in various areas for seven years.
She explained that part of the memorial is a service featuring a "Ghost Walk" in which a Rolling Thunder member walks along the wall holding a picture and looking for his friend's name. When he finds it he puts his hand on the wall and stands there silently. From behind the wall a young soldier in uniform comes out and walks up to the man, putting one hand over the man's and his other hand on the man's shoulder. They embrace, set a field cross then do a slow salute. They were unable to do the "Ghost Walk" this weekend as one member was not available, but just hearing about it made me choke up. I can't imagine anyone seeing it with dry eyes.
Another part of the memorial Mrs. Sexton described is a poem read by the voice of a young MIA soldier's spirit at the wall who sees his mother, wife and son coming to the wall for the first time. The poem is acted out and is the story of Mrs. Sexton.
Rolling Thunder sponsors the "Run to the Wall" each year. The first one in 1987 featured 800 riders and this year the number grew to 1.5 million riders.
Garland Brown presented a large silhouette of a soldier kneeling before a grave marked with a cross to Mrs. Sexton and Paul Cline, the Committee Chairman for Rolling Thunder, as an addition to the exhibit.
The band Southern Thunder was performing when I was there and they did covers of Willie Nelson and others, as well as their own music. Other bands were scheduled through the rest of the day and evening and for Sunday.
The Friends of Ironton should be proud of the "Rally on the River" and all the hard work they put into it.
Pictures feature The Friends of Ironton in their booth, Patricia Sexton next to her husband's name on the wall, Garland Brown presenting his silhouette, a field cross, Southern Thunder performing, vendors, bikes, and assorted rally attendees.
These pictures and others are available at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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