Vermont Thunder, Inc is the brain child of Bill Fitzpatrick. In, 1989 Bill bought his wife a Harley Davidson sportster. Over the next year she learned to ride and in 1990 they, along with friends, took a trip to Washington, DC to ride in the newly formed Rolling Thunder. In 1991, unable to ride to Washington, DC Bill was disappointed and wanted to do something for his fellow Vietnam Veterans that couldn’t make the yearly trip to Washington, DC. Over the next year Bill came up with a plan and in May of 1992 Bill and 20 friends made the first journey from Sharon rest area (dedicated to Vietnam Veterans) to the Swanton airport via I89 this would become known as the first Vermont Thunder ride. They chose I89 because it looked like many routes they drove in Vietnam, with its rolling hills, trees and valleys. Over the years Vermont Thunder has changed to what it is today. The 138 miles of the route represents 1 mile for every Vermonter killed in the Vietnam conflict. Vermont Thunder has been held in all kinds of weather, snow, blistering heat and torrential downpours. Vermont Thunder rides every year no matter the circumstance. We ride for those who were killed and the ones who never came home.