Charles Olivieri and his flock at Spotsylvania's Seventh Day Adventist Church will ride into Washington in tribute to Vietnam veterans. rez Visit the Photo Place

Pastor kick-starts ride to remember

Spotsylvania pastor organizes weekend that mixes Christian fellowship with a motorcycle ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. His Harley even has an M-16 for a kickstand.

ROB HEDELT •   Rob Hedelt's archive •   E-mail Rob Hedelt

Date published: 5/22/2001

WHEN PASTOR Charles Olivieri sets out to save souls and salve his own on this Sunday, he won't be wearing a church collar or hopping into the family sedan.

Instead, he'll slip into a black leather jacket, strap on his white, bowllike helmet and swing a leg up over his long, sleek Harley Davidson Springer Softtail.

Turning the key to get his motor running and unleash the bike's thunderous 1340 cc engine, Olivieri will say a quick prayer and then ease out onto State Route 3.
Following him will be a long line of Christian bikers who've spent the earlier part of the weekend praising God at his Fredericksburg Seventh Day Adventist Church in Chancellor.

As a group, they'll ride north on Interstate 95 to join the hundreds of thousands of other bikers from across the country taking part in Rolling Thunder, an event honoring Vietnam veterans with a huge group visit
to the Memorial Wall in D.C.

Olivieri said the Friday-night and Saturday activities at the church, to include inspirational talks, musical entertainment and mealtime fellowship, have been combined with the Rolling Thunder ride to create an event the church is calling "Cross Roads Rally 2001."

It's billed as a time for those who enjoy motorcycles and Christian sharing to join in a weekend designed to honor both the sacrifice of Vietnam's MIA's and POW's and the "ultimate sacrifice" God made of his only son.

"Rolling Thunder is about honoring soldiers in Vietnam who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who were killed and those MIAs and POWs we should never forget," said Olivieri. "With this weekend event, we also take it into the Christian realm and talk about the sacrifice made to save our souls."

Olivieri makes no bones about enjoying the chance to ride the motorcycle that was a Father's Day gift from his kids a few years back. But he said he also sees the bike-centered weekend as a chance for two very serious objectives:

As a Vietnam vet himself, in the Navy on an aircraft carrier based in the war zone in 1967 and 1968, he wants to be part of this national event that honors those who fought and those didn't make it back from the war.

Date published: 5/22/2001