VOA标准英语2012--Bikers Rally to Remember the Fallen

 

Bikers Rally to Remember the Fallen

The din¹ of hundreds of gleaming Harley Davidson motorcycles and country music give this Long Island gathering² of the U.S. Veterans Motorcycle Club a festive³ feel.

The rally is in preparation for the Rolling Thunder Memorial Day Parade, in which more than 1 million motorcycle riders will visit Washington, D.C.

That, says Vietnam veteran Brian Prochaska, has a serious mission.

“It is paying tribute to all our fallen comrades," said Prochaska. "Like my friend Walter, of course. I will never forget him. He is always in my thoughts, probably on a daily basis.”

Walter Bienkowski was killed in Vietnam in 1965.

“He was the toughest guy I ever knew in my life," said Prochaska. "And when we heard he died, it floored [shocked] us. As a result of that, 15 of us joined the Marine⁴ Corps⁵ in this pilgrimage - I guess to get even - and we all made it back alive, thank God. I guess it did not make a difference because he is still not here. He will never be here again." 

Like Prochaska, Frank Tepedino wears a black leather motorcycle vest decorated with the patches signifying he is a Marine Corps veteran and a hard riding member of this club. 

"… and I am here to remember my cousin Vinnie who was a Navy pilot shot down over in Vietnam," said Tepedino. "Vinnie was a nice guy, a nice family man, with a wife and three kids and unfortunately, he was just shot down and they never really found him."

The men stand at attention, hands over hearts, as bagpipers play Amazing Grace. The air crackles with emotion. Len Williams, who calls himself “Diehard” after a combat radio call sign, remembers his brother. 

“Danny and I grew up in a foster home environment," said Williams. "Shortly after we graduated high school he decided⁶ to go into the service immediately. He went in the Green Berets, the Special Forces, and his Green Beret camp was overrun in the first encounter with enemy tanks from the north. He loved us. We loved him. He loved his country and obviously we still pray that he did not pay the ultimate sacrifice because we do not 100 percent know. We always miss him and continue to pray for his return.”

Michelle McNaughton became a “Gold Star Mother” when her son, Army Staff Sergeant⁷ James McNaughton, was killed in Iraq in 2005.

“He was humorous. He always had something funny to say," said McNaughton. "Some things you can not share that he said and other things you just go ‘ooh.’ He was good looking. He was tall. Dark hair. Big dark eyes. And he was a good friend. And his friends that he has had since elementary school, they will testify to the man that he was, the boy that he was, and the true friend that he was. There is not a day that goes by [that] I do not keep waiting for him to walk through that door. That is the hard part. Memorial Day takes on a whole different meaning since my son was killed.” 

That sentiment is echoed by another Gold Star mother, Joanne Lyles. Her son Jordan Haerter was killed by a suicide bomber⁸ in Iraq in 2008. She says that for most Americans, Memorial Day simply means a three-day weekend, a barbecue, and perhaps a parade. 

“And I just know as a young child I participated in Memorial Day parades, first as a Girl Scout⁹ and later as a Color Guard, and I do not think I knew the true meaning of Memorial Day, " said Lyles. ["The parade] ended up at a cemetery¹⁰, I thought was all old people. I know too well now it is young lives that are lost at war for the good of our county and I do not think people know - because I did not know. And though I celebrate his friends and my nephews and nieces having children and stuff, I will never get to experience being a grandma. So it’s hard that way. It is a wound that does not heal." 

Some thoughts of friends and loved ones as they remember the fallen this Memorial Day.

1 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

8 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

9 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

10 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。