But this Memorial Day will be different for the Le Mars man.
Thieman, along with 12 other members of the Northwest Iowa chapter of the American Legion Riders, will be making a run for the wall: the majestic black granite walls inscribing the names of the service people who either died or remain missing in action at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to be exact.
"I've been trying to make this run for the past three years," Thieman explains, "but things kept getting in the way or people would pull out at the last minute."
"This time, it's happening," he smiles. "We'll be leaving Le Mars early Sunday morning and will be riding into D.C. on Friday."
"I couldn't be happier participating in this event," Thieman says softly, "and I couldn't be more proud."
Started in 1989 by Vietnam War veterans James Gregory and Bill Evans, the mission of "Run for the Wall" is to promote healing among all veterans, their families, and their friends, to call for an accounting of all prisoners of war and those missing in action, and to honor the memory of those who were killed in action from all wars.
"It started out small," Thieman contends. "Just a couple of Vietnam veterans driving across the heartlands on their bike. But each year, it's gotten larger and larger to what is today."
"Run for the Wall," he continues, "has given Vietnam veterans and all veterans the opportunity to get their own welcome home."
"That's something many of us didn't get when we returned home," the former U.S. Marine says with a disappointed tone in his voice. "Hopefully, from this, the healing process will begin."
On one leg of the journey, Thieman, a multiple Purple Heart recipient, has been chosen to ride in a position of honor.
He's been asked to ride "missing man" in the "missing man formation."
The "missing man formation" is traditionally an aerial salute performed by aircraft, typically in memory of a fallen pilot.
On motorcycles, it works the same way. Based upon the "finger four" combat formation, the cycles will ride in a v-shape, with the leader at the point and the wing man following his left. Thieman will be the second element, representing the "missing man," the lost soldier.
"I'm very excited about that," he admits.
Thieman is also excited about seeing the country.
"Every major stop-off along the route will have some sort of celebration planned for us," he explains. "It may be a parade or something much less formal. Either way, it allows everyone to say goodbye to a loved one or coming to terms with a past difficulty."
Thieman also says his troop will be visiting Veterans Hospitals and American Legion halls along the route.
Once in D.C., Northwest Iowa's American Legion Riders will participate in the Rolling Thunder Parade Memorial Day weekend.
"Our thirteen members will be among the more than 350,000 motorcyclists in the parade," Thieman says, shaking his head. "Wow! That promises to be quite a sight!"
Even if his Le Mars contingency isn't the largest, Thieman couldn't be more proud of his troop.
Our youngest member, Tom Even III, is an Iraqi War vet," he notes. "His dad, Tom Even II, happens to be a veteran of the Panama invasion. They're both making the trip. Ron Harvey, who is a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Desert Storm, and the recipient of multiple Purple Hearts, will also be there."
"These are just a small sampling of the men who will be making the trip," Thieman mentions.
"They're great guys," he says. "You wouldn't meet a better group of guys."
Thieman gets serious for a moment.
"Those of us who made it through our first tour of duty didn't make a lot of friends in Vietnam," he says softly, "or, at least, many of the buddies we did make, didn't make it back."
"The members of the American Legion Riders are now my buddies," Thieman continues. "We share much of the same histories and many of the same stories."
"And now we must honor the memory of our friends, the service men and women who didn't make it back," he says with a proud glimmer in his eye. "It is our duty and it is our privilege."
