yanchong

Facing Change photographers Lucian Perkins and Anthony Suau documented Memorial Day weekend in two cities; from Brooklyn, New York’s newly renovated Coney Island to group picnics in Prospect Park to the thousands of Rolling Thunder bikers packing the National Mall in Washington, DC. This year, as the Rolling Thunder bikers publicized the plight of POWs and MIAs in DC, Sarah Palin, a potential presidential candidate, joined the rally to kick off her “One-Nation” bus tour, stirring a debate about whether or not this would politicize the occasion. Regardless, Palin became an instant star attraction as gawkers and the press swarmed her. Tourists including a wedding party and a group of boy scouts had no choice but to navigate biker crowds and blocked streets to visit the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and other monuments. The circus-like atmosphere didn’t deter those wanting to honor the men and women who died in service of their country.