It’s been four years since Lynn Dean received a knock on her door that no mother ever wants to hear. A Casualty Assistance Officer was there to tell Dean her son, Army Sgt. David Collins, was killed fighting in Iraq. He died on April 9, 2006. And with his death, everything about Dean’s life changed.

Collins grew up in Jasper. He graduated from Pickens High School, served as a volunteer firefighter and one week after 9/11, Collins contacted a recruiter about enlisting. Those who knew him best say he was a devoted husband and good father — he loved his little girl and son. Today, August 10th, would have been Collins’ 30th birthday. Instead, his life was celebrated and remembered last weekend in an event to remind everyone there are still 90,000 of America’s military either Missing In Action (MIA) or listed as a Prisoner of War (POW).That event was the 1st Annual Memorial Bike Ride in honor of Sgt. Collins. It unraveled in the foreground of the North Georgia Mountains, attracting strong support from Rolling Thunder TN 2 out of Chattanooga. The Georgia Chapter of American Gold Star Mothers actually organized the motorcycle ride. Gold Star Mothers is a national support group of women who have lost their sons and daughters to war. Irene Franklin was instrumental in getting the event organized to honor Collins. The 88-year-old woman from Ringgold has been active in the group since she lost her son in Vietnam. Lynn Dean, Collins’ mother, is president of American Gold Star Mothers, the Scenic Chapter. Franklin and Dean wanted to honor Collins life, but they also wanted to remember America’s MIAs and POWs.

Army Sgt. David Collins and his then-baby daughter, Elizabeth.

That dual mission brought more than 100 bikers out on a rainy Saturday to roar through the back roads of Pickens County along fog-crested mountains. The final stop of their journey was Rocco’s Pub, just off Georgia Highway 515. That’s where several Rolling Thunder TN2 members were ready and waiting with a ritual that has the power to tear deep into the heart of any American patriot. That rite is called the Missing Man Ceremony. The ritual is designed to remind Americans there are still thousands of MIAs and POWs unaccounted for.

The ceremony starts by drawing attention to a nearby table, set for dinner, yet it is empty. Everything on the table is placed there in symbolism. The President of Rolling Thunder TN2, Gerri Tramel, steps to the microphone and begins to recite what each items stands for:

“The table is small, symbolizing the helplessness of one person, alone against his oppressors. The chairs are empty, for they are not here. The table cloth is white for the purity of their intentions in responding to their Country’s call to arms. The napkins are black symbolizing the black hearts of some of our leaders and politicians who abandoned and forget them. The (water) glasses are inverted, for they cannot toast with us. A slice of lemon is on the bread plate to remind us of their bitter fate. The salt is symbolic of the tears shed by those who wait. The single red rose in a vase reminds us of the families and loved ones who have kept the faith, awaiting for the return of our POWs-MIAs. The red, yellow and black ribbons represent the ribbons and symbols worn on the lapels and breasts of thousands who bear witness to our Nation’s unyielding determination to demand proper accounting of our POWs-MIAs.

The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God. The candle is the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, out of the hands of their oppressors and into the arms of a grateful Nation.”

Gerri Tramel
President, Rolling Thunder TN2

Tramel then reiterates Rolling Thunder’s mission to educate the public on POW-MIA issues; to help correct the past and protect the future.

The issue is near and dear to Tramel. She lost her husband in the Vietnam War. And just like David Collins’ mother, she can remember that knock on the door and the fateful day she learned of her husband’s death as if it happened only ten minutes earlier. Yet, Tramel considers herself one of the lucky ones. She says she has some form of closure. She knows what happened to her husband. The families of POWs and MIAs do not. But Tramel is determined, one day they will.

“As long as there is just one out there, we will never stop. Our mission is to keep the POW-MIA issue out there.”
-Gerri Tramel
President, Rolling Thunder TN2

Tramel says her group finds that so many of today’s generation are unaware that many American men are unaccounted for. The numbers are amazingly high:
-World War One 3,344
-World War Two 78,556
-Cold War 120
-Korea 8,105
-Vietnam 1,710
-Iraq 1
-Afghanistan 1

While many observe a moment of silence for the fallen, Rolling Thunder urges you to find your voice … and bring home the answers so many families deserve.