The most meaningful thing I have ever done in my life is to be a member of the Patriot Guard. I joined in February, 2006, after seeing a news broadcast of the protesters at the funeral of Minnesotan Cpl. Andrew Kemple. I had learned about the Patriot Guard from a chat thread on eBay called Motorcycle Boulevard.

I started documenting my involvement with the PGR via photography/videos at my very first mission at Sioux Center, Iowa, at the funeral of LCPL William Luisink. I met fellow patriots over the past ten years who have now become best friends. I've attended missions in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska, as well as my home state of Minnesota, and attended a national PGR rallye in Ogden, Utah. I have witnessed the miracle of the Patriot Guard as PTSD victims of the Viet Nam era have come out of their hell and joined the ranks of the PGR, to make sure that no one ever comes home, alive or dead, to the same rejection that they came home to, due to the politics of the time.

Every pin on my vest has a story...every patch has a memory. I am one of over a quarter million members nation wide, who all abide by the same mission statement:

"Our Vision
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security including Fallen Military Heroes, First Responders and Honorably Discharged Veterans. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.

Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives:
1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.
We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means."

Ten years of memories. Tears and laughter. Funerals, send-offs, and welcome home missions. Hugs and "Thank yous." Memorial rides organized by comrades of Fallen Hero's are annual events. In Minnesota, we have had MIA missions for the remains of servicemen brought home from WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam--all in one month!

This thread is for you to share your favorite, or most painful memories, of your involvement in the Patriot Guard. Here is one of mine:

At the funeral of Corpman Jamie Jaenke's funeral in Iowa Falls, Iowa, her grandfather walked the flag line. We had arrived soaking wet after riding south out of Des Moines in pouring rain. He expressed shock that we would have done that, and the words came suddenly out of my mouth, "Rain isn't any wetter than your tears." I have no doubt that God gave me those words.

I can't begin to tell you the number of times we have seen bald eagles at missions. Doves have been released, with one always hanging around until the mission is over. We have driven down the busiest of freeways, or county roads in the middle of no where, and received "thumbs up" from passing motorists. LEO's give us the ultimate respect, and a lot of legal latitude as we pass through their territories.

On You Tube under my handle of 75t150, you will find many videos. Here are a few of my favorites:















Please share your most meaningful memories of your involvement in the Patriot Guard over the last ten years.

 

I've been riding with the PGR for only a year but can say that each mission I ride impacts me on the same level, every time. My family has been serving this country since the Revolutionary War. I have veterans in every war and conflict. So, I think of them and their sacrifice. Then I think of this family that I am riding for and their hero. My love for them just comes up from a deep place and I want them to know that their hero mattered.

Many missions have impacted me, but if I was to choose one, it would be for Chief Petty Officer Zach Buob. I live in San Diego so the news was even more impactful for me. I could feel his mothers pain. The mission to take this hero to the airport was very early. I was up at 0400, 6/4/2015. I met some of his friends. It is a ride I will never forget.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Me...92651704338732

 

The official PGR Birthday is 8 November 2005...I have been a member since 22 November of 2005. I was reading the XL Forum when I had my 05 883C & someone posted about the Patriot Guard Riders.
I read the article on them & decided to join then & there. Time was, when you joined, you were given a number. I am PGR #492. There are now 326,969 members nationwide (& beyond). FWIW, The WBC, without whom there would be no Patriot Guard Riders, still has about 80 members....WE WIN.
My most memorable mission was being asked to be Lead Flag Bike in an escort for Iraq KIA Cpl. Benjamin D. Osborn, in June of 2010, from a Funeral Home in South Glens Falls to the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery. The total trip was about 25 miles thru small towns with families, friends & complete strangers lining the roadways & waving flags. Many just stood with their hands over their hearts or rendered hand salutes. I was deeply moved & my tears flowed freely from behind my riding shades.
As we pulled out of the FH parking lot, the skies literally opened up in a huge downpour. I was immediately soaked & thought "this is really gonna suck..."
Then I thought about the young 27-year-old soldier who we were escorting to his final resting place. He would never feel the rain upon his face again, because he made the ULTIMATE sacrifice for his country. Needless to say, my feelings about riding in the rain were forever changed by that thought.
The skies did clear up & the sun came out for the rest of the ride.
As we got closer to the cemetery, as gust of wind snapped one of my flag poles nearly in half. When it happened, I felt it through the handlebars on the bike (08 Crossbones) immediately, & managed to reach back & pull the pole & flag foreward, before it became detached & hit the pavement. I draped the flag across my chest & rode into the cemetery like that. Because of the silence in that hallowed ground, I could hear people exclaiming that my draping of the flag was an honorably respectful, even tho I hadn't intentionally done it.
That's MY most memorable PGR Mission, to date, & I have 200+ Missions under my belt & have been a PGRNY Region 5 Ride Captain since August of 2011.

 

I joined recently and have ridden on 4 missions so far, yesterday was one of them. We rode in a downpour and stood in the rain yesterday but it didn't matter one bit. It's always an honor to be part of the PGR.