by BethieA
Why do we wait Why do we, time and time again Gather and meet for a funeral of
yet Another young soldier Faces showing sadness and Etched with the lines of
time and pain So many memories Relived over and over as we wait All of us
connected to this and To each other Whether by being brothers and sisters On the
battlefield in some long ago war Or being a veteran of the support forces Or
being the father or mother Or brother or sister or wife or husband Of someone
serving or long departed Feeling so much Things we don't want to feel again But
can never stop feeling And in waiting to pay respect and honor For another hero
We somehow are able to feel some closure Some lessening of the ache that is
always There So we wait We wait for another hearse to stop Another flag draped
coffin to emerge Stand in another flag line Pay our respects and Say our
goodbyes Then once again We wait
You can find more information at the
Patriot Guard Web Site.
Shift-Click pictures for more.
David Joel Singleton 1942 - 2007
Mr. Singleton was a Viet Nam Veteran and Fireman. The city of Orange and Orange County Firemen along with the Tustin Police were present to show their respects. The service was in Yorba Linda followed by a brief service at Riverside National Cemetery. Two of the Fire Engines were in the procession to Riverside. Except for the missed turn by the Patriot Guard all went well.
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| David Singleton |
Wreaths Across America December 15, 2007
Riverside National Cemetery hosted its second annual tribute to veterans today. The Patriot Guard met at the Administration Building on this brisk, clear morning for a briefing at 8:30. This time my truck was to lead the cages so we got some good pictures of the procession through the cemetery. We arrived at the program site where flags for each of the services were displayed behind the speakers. I carried the Navy wreath and presented it to a Navy Captain for the formal presentation. There were speakers, Flag presentation, each service's song, flag folding, 21 gun salute and Taps.
When the formal part of the program ended the Patriot Guard formed up and traveled through the cemetery making several stops along the way so that members could visit graves of their own families and friends. I had two roses from Marilyn's garden, "Veteran Honor Roses" and placed one on the grave of James Eckard and one on Wendell Sloans, my fathers grave. I wish that they both could have met these people who call themselves The Patriot Guard. They would have found many friends.
At the conclusion Marilyn and I went next door to the golf course for snacks. Dad and I played here many times. I think he would have approved.
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| Wreaths Across America |
John Thomas Hayes, Air Force Veteran Dec 7, 2007
John's daughter has sent the following......On Friday November 30th my father died after a 2 1/2 year struggle with brain cancer. He was 56 years old and loved his country. His family immigrated from Cuba just prior to his birth. My father was an air force veteran and was in the military from 1970 to 1973. He was a Staff Sergeant primarily assigned overseas. After my father started a family he left the service and entered into the postal service where he worked 6 days a week for the next 33 years. His example influenced me to enter into law enforcement. I am now entering my 13 th year as a police officer working for the LAPD. I am requesting the patriot guard response to his funeral on Friday December 7, 2007. The viewing is from 0900 to 1045 and the services are at 1100 at the Montecito Mortuary located at 3520 E Washington St in Colton Ca 92324. My father was a supreme example of patriotism and raised 5 children to honor their country. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Crystal Hayes
It was a rainy day in Colton as I put the flags up and worked my way to the Montecito Mortuary for the service. As I approached the area I was reminded that my grandfather and an uncle are buried in the cemetery there. I missed the turn in for the mortuary and noticed a car behind me with the headlights flashing. It was Sharon who had seen my truck and led me back to mortuary. Since I missed it, I decided to park the truck by the road with the lights on to attract the other PGR members. I stood there in the light rain for about 45 minutes waving people in. Due to the rain the outdoor portion of the service was cancelled but we were invited to enter the service when it was time for the flag folding and Taps. We formed two lines along the central aisle with our flags. I found myself at the front row of seats near the family and as the Air Force did the flag folding I heard a family member say, "It's so beautiful". After the service we formed a flag line as the coffin was placed in the hearse. We lost another hero today.
Snowball Express December 1: What an awesome day.
Sgt. Bryce D. Howard :
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 28 in Jaji, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.Killed were:Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City.Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla.Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, of Vancouver, Wash.Herrera and Clark were assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade. Howard was assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade. The unit is based in Fort Lewis, Wash.The Patriot Guard Riders assembled at a Fred Meyer Store in Vancouver, WA before the service then met at Wilamette National Cemetery in Portland for the graveside service. About 75 bikes and 5 cages (cars) were present, most for both parts of the ceremonies. The flag lines at both venues were impressive and the PGR had its own Bagpiper! Teddy bears were hugged by all of the PGR members then presented to Sgt. Howards children.
Click picture for more.
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| Sgt B Howard |
Sturgis Flag Field Aug 6, 2007
Minnesota Welcome Home, Coon Rapids July 29, 2007
121st Field Artillery Welcome Home. July 19, 2007
Carl Moback:
July 9, 2007 Memorial Service. We staged in Tulsa along with a Viet Nam Veterans Association and escorted Mr. Moback to his resting place at Ft Gibson near Muskogee, OK. Mr. Moback served in the Army during Viet Nam.
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My Gathering of the Guard Page (Updated 7/7/07)
Phyliss Wood: On June 17, 2007, Loran and Phyllis Wood, both of Satanta, Kansas were riding home from Garden City, Kansas on their motorcycle when a semi attempted a u-turn in the middle of highway 83. Loran attempted to stop but was unable to keep control of the bike, laying it over with out making contact with the semi. Unfortunately Phyllis was thrown from the bike and was later "life flighted" to Wichita, Kansas with life threatening injuries. On June 23, Phyllis was pronounce dead after her body quit fighting to live. Our hearts and prayers have been with Loran and his family everyday since this ordeal. At Loran's request I have been asked to invite all members of the Patriot Guard that would like to be present for her Memorial Service.
Five Bikers and I left Dodge City to go to the service we joined about 40 others at a gas station in Sublette Kansas.
Phyliss Wood
Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20
Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., of Torrance, Calif., was captured May 12 by enemy forces in Al Taqa, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by insurgents using automatic fire and explosives. Pfc. Anzack was one of the three soldiers that had been missing for a couple of weeks. His body was found in a river near Bagdad.
I picked up Stew Hunter in Cucamonga and we went to a gas station to join up with some of the PGR. Two riders showed up, not a good start. We followed the two bikes to Torrance and managed not to lose them. As we got off of the freeway, three more bikes joined us and we went down Pacific Coast Highway to the staging area. Along the way we passed a Harley dealership and there were about 20 bikes lined up waiting to join the escort.
We pulled into the staging area and there were nearly 100 bikes already there and more kept arriving as we waited. As the time drew near for the escort from the Mortuary to the High School for the service it was decided that only 50 bikes would escort the hearse and the rest, nearly 200 bikes and about 8 cars would convoy to the High School so off we went.
People and news cameras lined the street for the mile and a half ride with three helicopters circling the area. We parked on the school yard and formed a flag line. As we waited we began to notice the security, police around the football field, spotters on the roof and some serious looking folks that arrived in un-marked cars.
The horse drawn hearse arrived and made one lap around the field. PGR members with flags were stationed around the track and fell in behind the hearse as it went by. There were almost 3,000 people in the stands.
The service included stories about Pfc. Anzack from members of the football team his coaches, parents and sister. His remains will be flown to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC for burial.
Pfc. William A. Farrar Jr., 20, of Redlands, Calif., died May 11 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Farrar was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade,
Darmstadt, Germany.Pfc. Farrars father is a Captain of the Rialto Police Department so law enforcement was well represented. At the right is a truck that belongs to a "Gold Star Mother", her son was killed in Iraq. The truck is her memorial to her son.
As written in the Redlands Daily Facts:
It never gets easy'
The procession included members of the Patriot Guard, a group formed out of opposition to anti-war protesters who disrupted soldiers' funerals.
"Each service is different- we are here to support the family and show respect to the soldier," said Jim Sloan of Texas, a member of the guard who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. "It never gets easy."
Talking abut his first "mission" - the term guard members use to refer to funerals - still causes Sloan to get choked up. Sloan, who grew up in Redlands, travels the country to escort the bodies of fallen soldiers.
For hours before arriving at the airport to honor Farrar Jr., Sloan said his thoughts were with the fallen soldier and his family.
"There is a bit of a connection," said Sloan, his eyes red from a morning of shedding tears. "I am retired and I have got time. If I don't show up, who will?"
Spc. Rhys W. Klasno, 20, of Riverside, Calif., died May 13 in Haditha, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Klasno was assigned to the 1114th Transportation Company, Bakersfield, Calif.
We staged at Akes Mortuary in Riverside and acted as pall bearers for the trip to the church. The turnout was huge at Harvest Fellowship Church which runs a school on the adjacent property. The school kids had made huge banners on the fence to honor Spc. Klasno. On the way to the church we went past a school that Spc. Klasno had attended and the students were along the fence with hands on hearts as we passed. The trip to Riverside National Cemetery must have been 200 cars long. There were 8 motorcycle escorts and they were supplemented by some of the PGR riders. After the service I met Spc. Klasnos uncle who also served on the USS Coral Sea. Spc. Klasno leaves behind a child who has yet to be born.
We received the following message this evening.
Hi, my name is Alanah, I'm seventeen years old, and I went to Rhys funeral today in Riverside. He was my friend, the second I've had to see buried at too young an age, and I just wanted to say that I cannot describe how much I truly and honestly appreciate what you and the rest of the guard do. That you would spend time out of your life to travel and show such respect is so touching, and it made it that much easier to get through the day. The sight of you standing there with American flags, saluting or simply offering a moment of silence is so very meaningful, and I thank you sincerely for showing such compassion as to honor him in such a way. He truly was a hero, but I want you to know that today, I count every person in the Patriot Guard Riders a hero, because what you do is nothing if not heroic.
God Bless you, I thank you, and I know Rhys would be honored to know you've acknowledged him in such an awesome way.
~Alanah Cervantes
Pfc. Jason M. Morales, Apr 27, 2007, age 20, of La Puente, Calif.
Died April 18 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and Fort Riley, Kan.
Raymond Guerrero, Korean Vetran, Apr 24, 2007
This was a memorial mission at Riverside National Cemetery. There were only about 6 PGR members but we formed up with the Riverside Honor Guard for the arrival of Mr. Guerrero and rendered honors. At the end of the service they were preparing to move the casket to the burial location and I suggested that we form along side the road for one last salute so we did! As the hearse went by I called out "Present Arms" and we all saluted.
Sgt Patrick J. Smaldino, Apr 13, 2007, Viet Nam Vet.
There were 8 PGR members at the staging site at McDonalds at 1100 hrs in Granada Hills. We met Gary Seeker, son-in-law of Sgt Smaldino. At approx. 1125 hrs the Family and Friends arrived in 2 vehicles. We departed at 1130 hrs for the 108 mile trip to Riverside National Cemetery, upon arriving at the RNC at 1335 hrs, there were 8 additional PGR members on bikes and 5 cages and 1 new member on his first mission. At approx. 1400 we departed for the Memorial site and formed 2 Flag Lines, awaiting the arrival of the Family and Friends. Upon the arrival of the Smaldino Family we "presented arms" then formed in a U shaped formation around the Memorial site. We again "presented arms" as the Marine Honor Guard Firing Squad fired their volley and then "Taps" was played. At the conclusion of the service given by Gary Seeker, I approached the Family and offered our condolences on behalf of the Patriot Guard. We all were thanked by the Family for being there to render our respects.
I again was extremely proud to be a part of this outstanding group of Patriot Guard members and to be the Ride Captain
for this Mission! One Lesson Learned.... when I mentioned turning off the cell phones, I had forgotten to turn mine off!! Being deaf in both ears, naturally my phone started ringing at the service, did not hear it until one of the members "gently" informed me to shut it off! Other then that issue, the Mission went extremely well!
Jerry"PopPop"Zimmermann
US Army 1st Sgt (Ret)
Encino, CA.
PGR Ride Captain
Eduardo Rodriquez Villalba, Apr 10, 2007, age 53.
We staged at Carls Jr and departed for the church. As we left the freeway an American Flag broke loose from one of the bikes. We all stopped at the end of the off-ramp and one went back to retrieve the flag. We don't leave flags laying on the road!
The mission went well.
Welcome Home Ride, Apr 7, 2007
I got up early and picked up Marilyn at 5:45 am for breakfast and a quick trip to a Union 76 gas station just off of March Air Force Base. We arrived at March about 7:30 and waited for the arrival of a bunch of Marines returning from Iraq. There were about half a dozen bikes there when we arrived and I parked behind them. As we drank coffee and told lies more bikes arrived and I had to move the truck back to make room, then moved it again as we reached about 30 bikes. Then the highway patrol started showing up, four cars and two motorcycles. Finally it was time and we moved out onto the street and lined up as the highway patrol started getting into position.
Here they come, four buses full of Marines and their own SUV. The SUV pulled up beside me and waited for the bikers to start rolling. Thumbs-up were exchanged as the CHP stopped traffic on the interstate and off we went, lights flashing and horns honking. The CHP did a great job and blocked every on-ramp and interchange as we drove the 100 miles to Twenty Nine Palms. Along the way I noticed a lone biker who did a quick u-turn and joined in, then a couple more. After we left the interstate and came to an intersection there was another line of bikers waiting to join in. By the time we got to Twenty Nine Palms there were at least 60 bikes, and my truck!
The CHP took us right to the gate where the MP's took over. First stop the armory where the Marines turned in their weapons, we shook hands and welcomed them home. I'll never forget the young Marine that said, "This is the greatest day of my life, I feel so special". All I had to do was show up and drive 100 miles. Not much compared to what he has done.
We mounted up again and went to the field where the families were waiting. Wow, what a scene. The band playing, the families together again, the kids seeing their dads and moms again, Wow.
This group is scheduled to return to Iraq in seven months!
Sgt 1c Darrell R. Griffin age 36, Apr 4, 2007
Sgt. 1st Class Darrell R. Griffin Jr., 36, of Alhambra, Calif., died Mar. 21 in Balad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with small arms fire during combat operations. Griffin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.We staged at Frys Electronics in Burbank and left for the airport with 23 bikes and 4 cages (cars or trucks) to meet the airplane with Sgt Griffins remains. While waiting at the airport my brain clicked on and I went into operations and got the flight number and called my friend Ken Rhoades who still works for the FAA. He gave me the direct number to the control room at Southern California TRACON who would be working the flight. I called the TRACON and told them about our mission and this fight and was told that "the flight will not be delayed!"
The Burbank Police sent a patrol car and three motorcycles to escort us to the mortuary in Northridge. I will never forget the man standing at the side of the road with his hand over his heart as we went past and the two motorcycle riders that saw us going down the road and joined in.
Spc Adam Rosema age 27, Mar 26, 2007
The service was at Rose Hills Memorial Park. We had a good turnout of about 30 bikes and six cages (cars and my truck).
Buddy Weyland Flag Mission, Mar 17, 2007
The following letter started a chain of events that were completed today.
To Whom it May Concern,
I am a single mother in Oklahoma and I would like to appeal for help.......if you ever wanted to help a "cause" this would be it....
My Uncle, Wilson M. "Buddy" Weyland, Jr. was in the US Navy and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was stationed in Pusaka, Japan in the early 1950s while his wife and infant daughter lived in California. They divorced when his daughter "Cynthia" was merely a baby and we had always been told that the mother re-married a diplomat of some sort, he adopted Cynthia and they moved overseas. My Uncle Buddy never saw his daughter again.
He died in Montana in 1975 of a heart attack, and due to the lack of Internet access at that time, and believing her name had been changed in the adoption, my mother had no clue where to start her search for Cynthia to let her know her father had passed, so the burial took place with my mother being presented his flag at his military service in Montana.
The flag was placed in a trunk that belonged to my Uncle Buddy and was brought to Oklahoma and placed in my Mom's storage unit. The flag accompanied a bag of letters he had written from Japan to my grandmother during his divorce, and she had saved every last one of them, expressing his love for his lost daughter, then age 3. For some reason, I grabbed the flag along with the letters, and took them home.
It was not until just before Mom's death that I undertook the mission of our ancestry, as her father had been murdered in 1943 and all touch with the Weyland family had been lost. Mom was 18 at that time and Uncle Buddy was only 16. A life time of many unanswered questions for both of them as well as us, growing up wondering about our grandfather's family who we only knew had come from Germany.
Just before her death from Diabetes in 2003, (both legs amputated and on dialysis), I was able to walk into my Mother's hospital room and tell her I had located many of her father's family members and the family had come from Hesse, Germany in 1846, had settled in Boonville, MO and had become prominent and productive citizens of the United States. They owned and operated Weyland Carriage Mfg. Co., supplying handcrafted wagons and carriages throughout most of the United States, and were upstanding immigrant citizens. What a wonderful thing to know after a lifetime of wondering, for her.
Upon knowing I had somehow managed to find this information, my Mom stated "it would be nice if you could find Cynthia"......
Cynthia is now 57 years old, divorced, has two children Mike and Lisa and has 5 grandchildren. She lives in Alta Loma , CA., and has always wondered about her father's family. It took me three long weeks to locate her, and we are in the process through e-mails and photographs, of finally getting to know our first cousin who was lost to us for over 50 years. She has now read his letters about her that were saved for so many years. The reason they were saved HAD to have been the belief that they would one day find their way to Cynthia's hands and she would read for herself, how much he meant to her. We hope one day to eventually get to meet our Cynthia, in person.
I would like to see that the flag that graced her father's casket be returned to her, returned to its rightful owner after 32 years. She is faded and the folds are loose, but I still cannot bring myself to place her back in a box long enough for the mail to carry her home. She should be personally handed with all due respect and love, to this serviceman's long lost daughter after her 32 year journey which took her through Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and soon to California.
Again, I cannot bring myself to box her up again long enough to mail it. She needs to be hand delivered after 32 years in a trunk. I'm not sure how it can be done, I only know I have to get it there somehow, with someone's help. I do not trust the US Postal Service, as my son's W-2 was mailed from less than 100 miles away on February 8th, and STILL has not arrived. I do not care if this flag is relayed across the United States, to be delivered to its rightful owner, as a matter of fact I would feel most honored for members of the Patriot Guard Riders to do so, as I know it would be treated with the respect, honor and love it deserves.
Please help me. I believe if anyone can help me see this through, it would be you.
Respectfully,
Becky Lewis
Madill, Oklahoma
We did it. The Flag was brought to California, by motorcycle, from Oklahoma and delivered to Cynthia in Alta Loma. What a satisfying mission.
SMSgt George Post age 84, Mar 12, 2007
SMSgt Post served in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam with the Army Air Corp and the Air Force. There was a service in Cathedral City then we escorted the hearse and family to Riverside National Cemetery. I was the first to arrive at the assembly point, a Mobil gas station, in Cathedral City and while I was putting the flags up on the truck a couple came up and asked if I was with the Patriot Guard. I said yes, and the man introduced himself as SMSgt Posts son and his wife and they both thanked me for being there. I hardly knew what to say. They said they would be back before the service with water and snacks for the escort. Wow!
At the end of the ceremony at Riverside, the Pastor came over and thanked each of us. I told him that is is a duty that we owe those who have served. As I thought about it later I decided that it isn't about how it makes me feel. It is about how I would feel if I didn't go.
Lcpl Blake H. Howey age 20, Feb 28, 2007
Lance Cpl. Blake H. Howey, 20, of Glendora, Calif., died Feb. 18 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Lt Jared Landaker age 25, Feb 19, 2007
Lt Landaker was the pilot of the helicopter with Sgt Pfister (below). The service was at Riverside National Cemetery. Lt Landakers father was a retired Highway Patrol Officer so they were there with us to show respect for the family.
Sgt Travis Pfister age 27, Feb 16 & 17, 2007
Sgt Pfister was the "Loadmaster" on a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq recently. On the 16th I met the group in Fallbrook where we joined up and convoyed to Camp Pendalton to meet the plane bringing the coffin back.
One of the bikers was 84 and was a radioman on B-17's in WWII. We, along with the family escorted Sgt Pfister to Hemet for the memorial service the next day.
The memorial was in a city park in Hemet and for a time Marilyn was one of the flag holders.
We met a retired Marine that had fought in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam!
Sgt Alejandro Carrillo Age 22, Feb 10, 2007
We assembled at a supermarket lot and left for the church. There was another service at the church so we stopped a block away on a residential street and had it blocked for about 40 minutes. At first the residents were concerned that all these "bikers" were blocking their street! As a few of them came out to talk to us and when they found out why we were there all was fine.
