Actor John Amos to Participate in Rolling Thunder, Inc. 21st Anniversary Memorial Day Weekend Activities, Demonstration in Washington, D.C., May 23-25, 2008

Actor John Amos to Participate in Rolling Thunder, Inc. 21st Anniversary Memorial Day Weekend Activities, Demonstration in Washington, D.C., May 23-25, 2008

NESHANIC STATION, N.J., May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- John Amos, long-time actor, activist and star of ABC's hit television show Men in Trees will participate in Rolling Thunder's 21st annual Memorial Day weekend activities and Sunday demonstration in support of POW/MIA and veterans' issues, May 23-25, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

Amos and Rolling Thunder will hold a joint press conference at the Hyatt Crystal City (Va.) Hotel on Friday, May 23, at 2 p.m. Working media who want to attend the press conference should contact Belinda Foster, senior publicist for John Amos, at 323.556.0691 or info@awjplatinum.com.

Artie Muller, founder and national executive director of Rolling Thunder, welcomed Amos's involvement. "To have a person of John Amos's stature involved in Rolling Thunder brings our mission to a whole new level of visibility nationally," Muller said. "As a veteran, he understands the need to keep POW/MIA and other veterans issues at the forefront, particularly in a time of war, when everyone wants the problem to go away. As long as even one of our troops is unaccounted for, or if those who return are not given the highest level of respect for their service, Rolling Thunder will keep up its fight. We're glad to have John Amos in there with us," he said.

Amos will lend his support to this year's event in a variety of ways, including delivering a dramatic reading of Gen. Colin Powell's "Letter to a Soldier" on Sunday afternoon, May 25, at the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool. He will ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the Pentagon to the reflecting pool with members of Rolling Thunder Inc. National, as well as dignitaries and VIPs, as part of the annual demonstration ride through the streets of Washington.

During the weekend, Amos will also be meeting privately with the families of SSgt. Matt Maupin, as well as Pfc. Byron W. Fouty and Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez, both captured May 12, 2007. SSgt. Maupin's remains were recovered in Iraq in March, after four years missing, and were returned to his parents in his home state of Ohio.

Best known for his roles in TV's West Wing, Good Times, and the miniseries Roots, Amos is also a Vietnam-era honorary U.S. Coast Guard veteran and is a veteran of the N.J. National Guard. On his breaks from TV and films, he devotes his time to supporting veterans causes and to mentoring children at risk throughout the U.S. and the world. A former social worker, he is the founder the Halley's Comet Foundation, a non-profit organization for kids of all ages that uses sailing as a means to teach kids team work, self-worth, and building a vision for success.

A long-time fan of country music, in late 2007 he released his first country music CD featuring patriotic-themed songs aimed at saluting the U.S. Armed Forces. His involvement in Rolling Thunder came about through a chance encounter last November at a Veteran's Day rally in Nashville. There, he met Bob Ousley, president of Rolling Thunder Chapter 1 Tennessee, who invited him to participate in this year's Memorial Day events.

"I spent time with Bob and his chapter members after the rally and I was blown away by their passion and commitment to the POW/MIA cause," Amos said. "People forget that for families of troops left behind, there is no closure. Rolling Thunder makes sure that the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who put their lives on the line are never forgotten. I'm a veteran myself, so I'm only too happy to lend my name and my presence to this effort," he added.

Rolling Thunder XXI Online Press Room

Detailed program information for Saturday and Sunday, as well as other events, can be found at Rolling Thunder's national web site. Click on online press room. Here you'll also find city-by-city route information for the Spirit of Freedom and Flying Thunder ride/fly event, which leaves California on May 14 and stops in nearly a dozen cities before arriving in Washington on May 21. In addition to the May 23 press conference, there will be a Media room at Rolling Thunder's headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Crystal City (VA) that can be used for working press who would like to conduct interviews, take photographs, and any other needs. Please contact Nancy Regg, National Media Committee Chairperson, at 908.310.3268 or nregg2@patmedia.net.

About Rolling Thunder

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder, Inc. is a class 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with over 85 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Membership is composed of men and women, with 40-45% being non-veterans and the balance being veterans from all wars and peacetime. Although many of its members ride motorcycles, we are not a motorcycle club, and a person does not have to own or ride a motorcycle to be a member. They just need to have the time and willingness to be an advocate for our troops, veterans, and POW/MIAs. In 2007, Rolling Thunder Charities, Inc. was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This status enables individuals and corporations to receive a tax deduction for funds donated to Rolling Thunder Charities. These funds are used for veterans and active military and their families in need of help. No officers of Rolling Thunder Charities, Inc., or Rolling Thunder Inc., receive compensation; we all donate our time. For more information about Rolling Thunder, visit the organization's web site at http://www.rollingthunder1.com/index.html .

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Rolling Thunder, Inc.

CONTACT: Nancy Regg, National Media Committee, Chairperson, for Rolling
Thunder, Inc. +1-908-310-3268, Cell, Nregg2@patmedia.net; or Belinda Foster,
Senior Publicist for John Amos, AWJ Platinum PR, +1-323-556-0691, Office,
info@awjplatinum.com

Web site:

http://www.rollingthunder1.com/
http://www.rollingthunder1.com/index.html
http://www.awjplatinum.com/

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