Rio Grande Valley Patriot Guard Riders: A Heartwarming PGR Story

The Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement

Mission Statement:

The Patriot Guard Riders is a 100% volunteer, federally registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization which ensures dignity and respect at memorial services honoring fallen military heroes, first responders, and honorably discharged veterans.

Vision Statement:

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 protester or group of protesters.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

To those of you who are currently serving and fighting for the freedom of others, at home and abroad, please know that we are backing you. We honor and support you with every mission we carry out, and we are praying for a safe return home for all.

Welcome To The RGVPGR Website

Attention RGVPGR members and friends:

This blog site has been created to help spread the word about the local PGR and the services we provide and to share information regarding upcoming missions, past missions, and other events. Photos and other event descriptions will be posted here unless otherwise requested. Comments and suggestions are welcome. In keeping with the dignified mission of the PGR, please keep all comments respectful and bear in mind that others besides ourselves will be able to view this site. All comments will be moderated before being posted.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

A Heartwarming PGR Story

A friend of mine from Houston contacted me in December regarding the death of a U.S. Army veteran in Missouri, wanting to know if there was a PGR chapter near enough to his small town to provide an escort for this patriot. She was able to contact someone from the Missouri chapter and this is the email I got from her regarding their response (this is one of the reasons I am so humbled and honored to be a part of such an incredible group of people!):

"You would not BELIEVE what this guy in Missouri has done!! Turns out that as soon as I e-mailed him, he mobilized his group and was just waiting for my friend Janie to call him. When they talked today, he said it was all set up - they have someone to play Taps, he will have a flag on his coffin, and they are going to form a flag line for Cloyes's casket to be carried through and the family to walk through from the church to the cemetery (they're right next to each other).

On top of that, when he found out that the family didn't have the money to pay for an obituary, he asked for permission to call the funeral home and make the arrangements for it to be put in the paper and they're going to pay for it!!! He said he would put it on his own credit card and it would be his honor to do it. Wow!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being involved with this group - the family is absolutely floored that complete strangers would honor a man they never met just because he was a veteran. His grown sons broke down in tears when they found out that Cloyes will be honored in this way, because he was so proud of having served in the Army. Dealing with a loved one's death is never easy, but the family will have memories that they never would have had without YOU. Thanks again, my friend. :)

These folks rode for as long as 5 hours 1 way through nasty weather to get there. There were only a few because so many of their group are deployed, but those who were there made a huge difference. My friend said that they formed a flag line outside the church and NOT ONCE in that bad weather did any of the flags waver! They did end up providing a motorcycle escort because it was too long a walk to carry the casket, even though the cemetery is right next door. After the service, every one of them came up to pay their respects to the family, and every one of them said they could tell from the turnout (500 people in a town of 400 - yes, more than the entire population of the town!) that Cloyes must have been a really good man. They were incredibly respectful and honoring of him and to the family, and you just will never know what a difference it made to have them there at such a difficult time for the family."

Ride safely, my friends...