Some of the bikers in attendance were Michael’s brother bikers of the Combat Vets Association. Reed Oliver was there as a brother of the heart to Michael. The Combat Vets allowed Reed to wear Michael’s vest and to ride Michael’s bike in the missing man formation. Reed was honored to be allowed the privilege. Bill Davis of Post Falls is the Idaho President of the Combat Vets. He and his fellow members were glad to link up with the Patriot Guard Riders and ride together in honor of their brother-in-arms. In point of fact many of the Combat Vets are also PGR. They ride for the same reason, so it makes perfect sense.
Each time the call is sent through an e-mail to the Patriot Guard Riders, people who have affiliated themselves with this group answer. The call to attend funerals of veterans both from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as from the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the first Iraqi War. They attend the homecomings of the fallen and the survivors. They escort coffins from the plane to the funeral homes. They stand and hold flags. They say nothing. Sometimes, they cry. Big burley biker men and their ladies in leather, and sunglasses, holding flags with tears running down their cheeks, silent witness to a universal theme. It is why they answer the call. It is respect.
Speaking with John McCabe “Shooter” the Montana State Captain, one can hear why the Patriot Guard Riders became a reality. The idea was born in a VFW club in Kansas. As a group of men sat talking they found they all were enraged at the war protests being held at funerals of American Military men & women. The overwhelming disgust was for the total lack of respect for the sacrifices the families were making, for the ultimate sacrifice the soldier had made. It wasn’t right and it hurt, hurt badly in places and on levels they couldn’t articulate except in disgust and anger for anyone who would use a time of mourning for a platform to protest. Jeff Brown determined to make a difference, to provide an outlet for the showing of respect, to provide a guard for the families so they did not have to deal with the total lack of respect shown by protesters. He made several phone calls after that initial night of talk; one of the first was to John McCabe. John told him, “Oh yeah, you have to do this. I’m right with you.”
The initial vision was that nationwide they would have around two thousand members, and most likely have ten to fifteen, maybe twenty riders show up to a funeral. At ten thousand members, Jeff called John and asked if he knew what was happening! John reminded Jeff it was a good idea. There are now ninety thousand members, and the organization continues to grow. One doesn’t have to ride a bike to be a member, “cage” drivers are welcome as well. One doesn’t have to be a veteran. The PGR doesn’t get into politics, it doesn’t take a stand on the war, they merely show respect for the warriors, their families, their communities. They stand for the Warriors. They stand as invited guests of the families. They stand as a buffer between protesters and the families. They stand in respect for the service these heroes and heroines have given our country. They stand to proudly hold the American flag these Warriors have fought for, bled for, sacrificed for. They stand.
***written by Sunny Shreve and submitted to the Coeur d'Alene Press for possible print by request of the News Editor.
