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Patriot Guard


Trigger Mike

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My father was a Vietnam Vet and was buried yesterday at Jefferson Barracks in St Louis. A group called the Patriot Guard escorted us the 45 minute drive to the cemetery on motorcycles and did the gun salute and presented us with 3 shell casings. I was impressed with their efforts and glad of it. I had not heard of them until then.

 

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My father was a Vietnam Vet and was buried yesterday at Jefferson Barracks in St Louis. A group called the Patriot Guard escorted us the 45 minute drive to the cemetery on motorcycles and did the gun salute and presented us with 3 shell casings. I was impressed with their efforts and glad of it. I had not heard of them until then.

 

Sorry to hear about your father. I hope you have lots of good memories of him.

 

The Patriot Guard Riders are a good bunch of people. They originally formed to help shield families of service personnel killed overseas from protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church at the funerals. If invited by the family, Riders will stand in a silent "flag line" between the family and any protesters that attended. They don't confront anybody, they just stand in silent respect.

 

They do more than that now. Whenever a veteran in our area dies without any family to attend the funeral, Riders will attend, escort the casket to the cemetery, and pay their respects there.

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I am sorry for your loss, Mike. May your dad's memories bring you peace on the road ahead.

 

The Patriot Guard are good people. I have a few friends who ride with them and have crossed paths at several funerals. Nothing but complete respect for them.

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Sorry for your close loss. Patriot Guard is a great group. When my group of Honor Flight returned from D.C. they escorted us at 12:30am the last 30 miles home. Highway Patrol and cops lead the way with them behind and around our bus.

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Sorry for your loss, Mike.

 

The Patriot Guard is pretty active around here escorting fallen service men and women to Jefferson Barracks or where ever else they are going to be interred. I know a couple guys that ride with them. They lost one of their own a few days ago when he was hit by a driver that didn't see him. As I understand it he had stopped at an intersection blocking cross traffic while the funeral procession passed. When he started thru at the end of the line a lady made a left turn into him.

 

I believe he was also a veteran, but I don't know which branch.

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My condolences on the loss of your Dad.

 

https://www.patriotguard.org/content.php?162-PGR-History

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Sorry for your loss.

When working in law enforcement I had occasion to work with the Patriot Guard several times at funerals of military. Westboro Baptist church attended one and threatened to come to another.

 

The Patriot Guard is highly disciplined and well trained. They provide their own food, water and even toilets if necessary. They are instructed not to partake of a meal after the funeral so as to not burden the family or church of it's resources.

 

One of the funerals was in a small rural town of 400. We needed 50 Patriot Guard and 500 showed up more than doubling the population of the town.

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Thank you to you all for your expressions of comfort. We do remember the good things about him. He was hard growing up and often used his days as a drill sergeant as a means to train me as a child, which meant when I went to basic and beyond i just grinned and the ease and softness of the drill instructors. they were mild compared to him sometimes, for which I am extremely grateful. He helped make me the man I am today. He is why I could overcome my fear of heights to jump from planes and why i could crack jokes at the marines who out ranked me in jump school. His constant telling me i could never make it rang in my ears and got me thru. he would bounce quarters off my bed so when i got to basic i made the bed right. my locker was the same due to him. years later i told him i was glad he was the way he was

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Iwasn't aware you were a vet. Thank you also for your service.

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Sorry for loss Trigger Mike. Your father was a patriot and I'm glad that the Patriot Guard honored him. They honored my father in 2005. Myself and my brothers and sisters except one all rode. My sister is still riding with the Patriot Guard to this day. If you ride, you should look into the local chapter, its a way to continue to honor your father. Brothers in arms will always be, here and there in the after.

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Sorry for your loss. As a Vietnam Vet I hate to lose another brother. Thank you for your service. Your father would be proud of you and your service. The Patriot Guard is certainly one of the best groups I know of. So many of them silently stand and share your pain as they honor another fallen brother. God Bless.

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