UNACCOUNTED FOR FROM PAST CONFLICTS
WWII: 73,015
Korean War: 7,729
Vietnam War: 1,603
Cold War: 126
Iraq & Other Conflicts: 6
Total: 82,479
On May 28, three members of the National Pest Management Association’s PestVets group joined a motorcycle ride to Washington, D.C. The 30th annual “Ride for Freedom” event, sponsored by Harley Davidson, was organized by Rolling Thunder Inc. Nearly 500,000 participants gathered in designated parking lots and then rode throughout the district to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action. A candlelight vigil with the Gold Star Mothers group took place the evening before.
PestVets Chairman Marty Overline, ACE, president of Aardvark Pest Control, Philadelphia, Pa., is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served as an entomology engineer. He says he hopes even more pest management professionals can join on May 27, 2018, for the next ride. It’s open to everyone, even non-veterans — and if you don’t ride, you are still welcome as a spectator.
In the meantime, Overline notes that Rolling Thunder members are planning an outing Dec. 16, 2017, to place wreaths on the graves of veterans at the Somerset Hills Cemetery in Basking Ridge, N.J. They will gather as part of the Wreaths Across America program, placing wreaths on all veterans’ graves on the same day around the country.
Photos: Marty Overline
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