Patriot Guard Riders
I am a Patriot Guard Rider (patriotguard.org). This is a group of motorcyclist that have been formed to block the family and friend's view of radical protesters showing up at Fallen Soldier's Funerals. I did a ride with them on Tuesday. The ride captain documented the event and I wanted to share this with you. The note below is from the Ride Captain in this area, documenting the Days activities. It gives you an idea how these rides typically go and, I think, gives you the feeling of how the people doing the ride felt on Tuesday. This is something I feel honored and privileged to do. The service men and women have made a commitment far greater than a lot of us are willing to do. I have a very high respect and gratitude to anybody that has been or is currently in the Military.
Quoted from the FL State Ride Captain "SlowPoke":
Tuesday, March 18th, was a fairly typical day at the office until…
The phone rang. My heart sank and I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the call information screen. I answered, "this is John". Calls coming from this number usually brought bad news. After just a moment or two of conversation it was evident that today's call was going to be the norm rather than the exception. The news was not good. By the end of the call I had been informed that a nineteen year veteran of the United States Army had passed away in his sleep a few days prior in New Jersey, he was survived by a wife and five children that live just a few miles from me, and his family had extended an invitation to the Patriot Guard Riders to stand in Honor of their Hero. The planning stage of the mission began.
Things went very smoothly during the planning phase. The Casualty Assistance Officer assigned to the family was one that we have worked with on more occasions than I care to count. We had done a mission for a soldier who's services were arranged by the funeral director that would be assisting the family of SFC Joseph Vazquez. The Loyless Funeral Home had been wonderful to work with previously and would prove to be a joy to work with again. By the time Mission Day rolled around we thought that we were in pretty good shape. There was one thing that we couldn't plan and that was the weather. The morning hours of Tuesday, March 25th, turned out to be the some of the coolest hours of the month. I checked the temps of some places that I knew people were riding from before leaving for staging. I knew that at least one of our members would leave the warmth of his home to ride in temperatures below 40 degrees to reach the church.
Bikes began to roll in to the staging area shortly after the posted start time. Within twenty minutes any concern that I had that the cold temperatures would hold attendance down faded. It was evident that we would have a respectable turn out for SFC Vazquez and his family. About ten minutes before we were supposed to start the brief I got a call from the CAO. He was relaying a message that the funeral coach would arrive forty five minutes to an hour ahead of the time planned earlier. We did a quick mini-brief, during which the name "popsicle brigade" was assigned to the group that rode this day. We moved the bikes to where they would need to be at the end of the service. We set the flag line and waited for the hearse to arrive. The silence was deafening as we waited. A young man who had dropped his two young sons off at the church's day care center earlier came back carrying a few boxes of donuts and a couple boxes of coffee from the local Dunkin' Donuts. It was his way of thanking those who don't need to be thanked, the members of the Patriot Guard Riders. His father in law had been killed in Iraq in 2006. The Patriot Guard Riders in Georgia had taken on the mission of making sure that he and his family were able to grieve without any outside interference and he wanted to be sure we understood how much that meant to them. We set the donuts and coffee aside and waited. Soon, word spread down the Flag Line that the hearse had turned into the drive. As it looped around and approached the church's portico, it entered our tunnel of flags. Forty plus members of the PGR stood at attention rendering a salute as the hearse rolled to a stop.
We spoke with the funeral director and he again confirmed that the casket would not be carried into the church until just before the service began. We moved the Flag Line to where it needed to be for the arrival of the guests. I would estimate that somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred and fifty people arrived over the next forty five minutes to attend the funeral of SFC Vazquez. Representatives from his unit brought Certificates of Appreciation for our Ride Captains and one for the membership in Florida in general. The family arrived in a fifteen passenger van driven by their CAO. The CAO had explained to me earlier that they had requested a large passenger van, forgoing caravanning in their own cars, so that they could all be together during these most difficult of times. The doors of the van opened and SFC Vazquez's children came out, all wearing white tee shirts bearing the words "In Loving Memory Of" above a likeness of their father over their dress shirts. When the children saw their cousins and extended family gathered and waiting for them they went back to the van and got more shirts for their relatives to put on. The hugging and crying was laced with laughter and the joy of reunion, even if under trying circumstance.
John Loyless, the funeral director, asked the pall bearers to come forward. They lovingly carried the casket from the hearse into the church and services began. We broke the Flag Line. Most of the members grabbed a donut and a cup of coffee. We talked to the deputies from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office who would provide escort from the church to where the procession would get onto I-75 to go up to Florida National Cemetery. We briefed the riders on how the procession was going to work and talked about safety being priority one for the trip up the Interstate. We were all on the same page and everyone was good to go with the way things were planned.
Fifteen minutes prior to the end of the service we reformed the Flag Line as a tunnel that the guests would exit through. The service concluded and moments later the casket was carried from the church's sanctuary followed by SFC Vazquez's family and friends. It was covered with an American Flag just prior to being carried out of the building. Again, PGR members stood at attention, holding flags, and offering a salute as the flag draped casket was carried to the waiting hearse. We broke the flag line after the hearse's door was closed and headed for the bikes to make ready for the ride up to Bushnell. The temperature had come up to where it would be a pleasant ride from a weather perspective. We made ready and after about ten minutes the Sheriff's cruisers rolled by to start blocking for the procession. About thirty five motorcycles and three cages led the hearse up the lane from the church to the road. The Deputies did a wonderful job of getting the procession through mid-day traffic and safely out to the interstate. The forty mile ride was, thankfully, uneventful. We arrived at the cemetery right on schedule. We were ushered immediately on arrival to the committal shelter.
Our Flag Line was set to line both sides of the sidewalk leading from the hearse up to the shelter. The Honor Guard removed SFC Vazquez's flag draped casket from the hearse with the greatest of respect. They marched, carrying the casket through a tunnel of red, white, and blue followed by our Hero's family and friends. The religious portion of the graveside services began and the emotional strain that the family had been bearing became painfully evident. The Army took over for the presentation of Military Honors. The order was given to the firing party to fire three volleys. As the sound of the guns pierced the quiet many cried out. As the mournful sound of TAPS filled the air, tears filled my eyes. The flag that had covered the casket was folded and presented to Mrs. Vazquez with thanks from the President and a grateful nation. Prefolded flags were presented to other family members.
During the services the flag line had been shifted to a sidewalk that leads from the committal shelter to Section 402 where so many killed in the Global War on Terror have been laid to rest. SFC Vazquez's casket was carried by the Honor Guard through a tunnel of flags held by members of the PGR standing at attention. The family and friends followed. At the family's invitation the PGR fell in behind them as they passed. An Arc of Honor was formed around the family and guests as a final prayer was offered and the casket was lowered into the ground.
I don't have words to convey the devastation brought to the family of SFC Vazquez by this untimely loss. I can only pray that our being there to put a face on America, to show that Americans do care and appreciate the service of their son, husband, father, uncle, cousin brings some measure of relief and comfort to the family of SFC Joseph Vazquez. We thank the entire Vazquez family for allowing us to show our respect for your Hero, for the sacrifices your entire family has made over the years, and for sharing Joseph with a grateful nation.
SFC Vazquez, may you rest forever in Honored Peace. You will never be forgotten...
Steve
Quoted from the FL State Ride Captain "SlowPoke":
Tuesday, March 18th, was a fairly typical day at the office until…
The phone rang. My heart sank and I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the call information screen. I answered, "this is John". Calls coming from this number usually brought bad news. After just a moment or two of conversation it was evident that today's call was going to be the norm rather than the exception. The news was not good. By the end of the call I had been informed that a nineteen year veteran of the United States Army had passed away in his sleep a few days prior in New Jersey, he was survived by a wife and five children that live just a few miles from me, and his family had extended an invitation to the Patriot Guard Riders to stand in Honor of their Hero. The planning stage of the mission began.
Things went very smoothly during the planning phase. The Casualty Assistance Officer assigned to the family was one that we have worked with on more occasions than I care to count. We had done a mission for a soldier who's services were arranged by the funeral director that would be assisting the family of SFC Joseph Vazquez. The Loyless Funeral Home had been wonderful to work with previously and would prove to be a joy to work with again. By the time Mission Day rolled around we thought that we were in pretty good shape. There was one thing that we couldn't plan and that was the weather. The morning hours of Tuesday, March 25th, turned out to be the some of the coolest hours of the month. I checked the temps of some places that I knew people were riding from before leaving for staging. I knew that at least one of our members would leave the warmth of his home to ride in temperatures below 40 degrees to reach the church.
Bikes began to roll in to the staging area shortly after the posted start time. Within twenty minutes any concern that I had that the cold temperatures would hold attendance down faded. It was evident that we would have a respectable turn out for SFC Vazquez and his family. About ten minutes before we were supposed to start the brief I got a call from the CAO. He was relaying a message that the funeral coach would arrive forty five minutes to an hour ahead of the time planned earlier. We did a quick mini-brief, during which the name "popsicle brigade" was assigned to the group that rode this day. We moved the bikes to where they would need to be at the end of the service. We set the flag line and waited for the hearse to arrive. The silence was deafening as we waited. A young man who had dropped his two young sons off at the church's day care center earlier came back carrying a few boxes of donuts and a couple boxes of coffee from the local Dunkin' Donuts. It was his way of thanking those who don't need to be thanked, the members of the Patriot Guard Riders. His father in law had been killed in Iraq in 2006. The Patriot Guard Riders in Georgia had taken on the mission of making sure that he and his family were able to grieve without any outside interference and he wanted to be sure we understood how much that meant to them. We set the donuts and coffee aside and waited. Soon, word spread down the Flag Line that the hearse had turned into the drive. As it looped around and approached the church's portico, it entered our tunnel of flags. Forty plus members of the PGR stood at attention rendering a salute as the hearse rolled to a stop.
We spoke with the funeral director and he again confirmed that the casket would not be carried into the church until just before the service began. We moved the Flag Line to where it needed to be for the arrival of the guests. I would estimate that somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred and fifty people arrived over the next forty five minutes to attend the funeral of SFC Vazquez. Representatives from his unit brought Certificates of Appreciation for our Ride Captains and one for the membership in Florida in general. The family arrived in a fifteen passenger van driven by their CAO. The CAO had explained to me earlier that they had requested a large passenger van, forgoing caravanning in their own cars, so that they could all be together during these most difficult of times. The doors of the van opened and SFC Vazquez's children came out, all wearing white tee shirts bearing the words "In Loving Memory Of" above a likeness of their father over their dress shirts. When the children saw their cousins and extended family gathered and waiting for them they went back to the van and got more shirts for their relatives to put on. The hugging and crying was laced with laughter and the joy of reunion, even if under trying circumstance.
John Loyless, the funeral director, asked the pall bearers to come forward. They lovingly carried the casket from the hearse into the church and services began. We broke the Flag Line. Most of the members grabbed a donut and a cup of coffee. We talked to the deputies from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office who would provide escort from the church to where the procession would get onto I-75 to go up to Florida National Cemetery. We briefed the riders on how the procession was going to work and talked about safety being priority one for the trip up the Interstate. We were all on the same page and everyone was good to go with the way things were planned.
Fifteen minutes prior to the end of the service we reformed the Flag Line as a tunnel that the guests would exit through. The service concluded and moments later the casket was carried from the church's sanctuary followed by SFC Vazquez's family and friends. It was covered with an American Flag just prior to being carried out of the building. Again, PGR members stood at attention, holding flags, and offering a salute as the flag draped casket was carried to the waiting hearse. We broke the flag line after the hearse's door was closed and headed for the bikes to make ready for the ride up to Bushnell. The temperature had come up to where it would be a pleasant ride from a weather perspective. We made ready and after about ten minutes the Sheriff's cruisers rolled by to start blocking for the procession. About thirty five motorcycles and three cages led the hearse up the lane from the church to the road. The Deputies did a wonderful job of getting the procession through mid-day traffic and safely out to the interstate. The forty mile ride was, thankfully, uneventful. We arrived at the cemetery right on schedule. We were ushered immediately on arrival to the committal shelter.
Our Flag Line was set to line both sides of the sidewalk leading from the hearse up to the shelter. The Honor Guard removed SFC Vazquez's flag draped casket from the hearse with the greatest of respect. They marched, carrying the casket through a tunnel of red, white, and blue followed by our Hero's family and friends. The religious portion of the graveside services began and the emotional strain that the family had been bearing became painfully evident. The Army took over for the presentation of Military Honors. The order was given to the firing party to fire three volleys. As the sound of the guns pierced the quiet many cried out. As the mournful sound of TAPS filled the air, tears filled my eyes. The flag that had covered the casket was folded and presented to Mrs. Vazquez with thanks from the President and a grateful nation. Prefolded flags were presented to other family members.
During the services the flag line had been shifted to a sidewalk that leads from the committal shelter to Section 402 where so many killed in the Global War on Terror have been laid to rest. SFC Vazquez's casket was carried by the Honor Guard through a tunnel of flags held by members of the PGR standing at attention. The family and friends followed. At the family's invitation the PGR fell in behind them as they passed. An Arc of Honor was formed around the family and guests as a final prayer was offered and the casket was lowered into the ground.
I don't have words to convey the devastation brought to the family of SFC Vazquez by this untimely loss. I can only pray that our being there to put a face on America, to show that Americans do care and appreciate the service of their son, husband, father, uncle, cousin brings some measure of relief and comfort to the family of SFC Joseph Vazquez. We thank the entire Vazquez family for allowing us to show our respect for your Hero, for the sacrifices your entire family has made over the years, and for sharing Joseph with a grateful nation.
SFC Vazquez, may you rest forever in Honored Peace. You will never be forgotten...
Steve
Add a Comment
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Comment by Judith on June 22, 2008 at 12:27pm -
Bravo! I have read of this marvelous effort and I applaud it, though my heart grieves for my country that we have moved so far from compassion and empathy as to make your services necessary just to ensure the fulfillment of one of our most personal, universal and important life rituals.
I appreciated the full description of the whole process. It filled in the gaps in the imagery I have from news reports.
Thanks for posting it!.....
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Comment by MeadowLark on April 1, 2008 at 1:25pm
- thankyou. my heart knows this one too well. my heart breathes because of people like you.
-
Comment by landileigh on April 1, 2008 at 7:28am - all i can say is... thank you.
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