Do you hear it? It’s the sound of Rolling Thunder MO Chapter 3.

With approximately 25 members in Carthage, Rolling Thunder is spreading awareness of the group and what they stand for. The organization supports past, present and future POW/MIA American soldiers.

“It’s not about us and Rolling Thunder, it’s about those guys,” said John H. Williams of Aurora, president of Rolling Thunder. “You feel like you’re in a round-about way supporting men who are still POW and MIAs … You always hear, ‘never leave a man behind,’ well the military may not, but the government sure will. The veterans from Vietnam and Korea started this because they actually knew those guys left behind. We’re trying to make this bigger and better than ever.”

Williams joined Rolling Thunder in 2005. He said he wondered how many people would stand behind the cause if they knew the organization existed, because before 2005 he and his wife didn’t. This dedicated member has a patch on his jacket of family ancestors who have died and fought in American wars, three of which died in POW camps in the Civil War. The national organization of Rolling Thunder is going on its 21st year, and the Carthage chapter is going on its seventh year.

Bryon Rohr of Carl Junction, chairman of the board for Rolling Thunder, joined the group in 2004.

“It was a group that supported veterans, and it struck my eye,” he said. “There is a potential that (POW/MIAs) still could be alive, but the government has given up on him and that’s why we’re keeping it alive.”

Jim Neatherry of Carthage works with American Eagle, which is a local designing business, created the sign for the organization. Neatherry said he believes in Rolling Thunder “quite a bit.”

To help spread awareness and the opportunity to demonstrate support of POW/MIAs, Rolling Thunder is hosting an Awareness Run April 19. Williams said anyone can join, regardless of age, race, sex or gender. The invitation to the public reads, “We invite all to ride with us. If you do not ride a motorcycle, slap some banners, flags or stickers on your auto and join us.”

Participants of the run will be meet at the Carthage VFW at 9 a.m. April 19. For more information, or to join the group, call (417) 849-8964.

POW/MIA By The Numbers

From WWI, there were 3,349; from WWII there were 78,660; from the Cold War, there were 120; from Korea, there were 8,147; from Vietnam, there were 1,773; one from the Persian Gulf, and four from the Iraqi War.