21 August 2006, Seattle, Washington.

Today was a simple and fulfilling day, doing a mission honoring our second fallen hero allowed to live a full life; SGT Albert Hostak, former World Middleweight Boxing Champion; US ARMY WWII Veteran; Former King County Deputy among many other accomplishments, both worldly and spiritually.

My day started at 0700 while I finished loading our new trailer for the mission. I was the sole NW WA rider and left when the ride briefing was supposed to start from our North End Marshalling area, solo. I arrived very early at Marshalling area near the church and met up with Diversteve. We were soon joined by Gunney, Professor, and Marlin. We waited the appropriate amount of time for others to join us (RebelCowboy hope you are OK?!) and left for the church on time. Mapquest took us to the rectory and not the church. However the church is the old school next door so if we had been 155mm rounds we would have been fired for effect. We were on site well before our appointed 1100 hrs mission time.

After just riding around the block and parking, we immediately met up with Lone Wolf and Bikerbabe from Battleground WA who had been on the road since 7am. We were 7; 5 solo on scooters, 2 in a cage; on time, locked, cocked and ready to rock.

We chose the area immediately outside the Church doors to spread the magnificant 7 and waited for Mr/SGT Hostak to appear. In the meantime the funeral director confirmed what, when, where and how the rest of the day was going to go down with me. All was good.

There was NO military presence at the church. When the flagcovered remains appeared, we came to "attention" and "present arms". After they passed we waited for the croud to disperse to the reception lunch and stood down.

A half hour later and after discussing our options with the escort service, we decided it best to head directly to the cemetery and liaison with the Army detail there. We traveled through the University of Washington campus on our route to the nearby cemetery. We went through that area at precisely the best time, as the services for "murdered" Officer Joselito "Lito" Barber, Seattle PD had begun and the traffic while heavy, was tolerable.  Several of us renderened honors to his MANY friends lining the roadway when we passed.

Upon arrival we spoke with the Army CAO NCOIC and then we took up our positions and waited about 40 minutes for the motorcade to show up.

Our Fort Lewis CAO NCO/PGR member, informed me of an upcoming (and subsequently canceled) mission and I invited him to lunch with us afterwards. In the true NCO fashion, he said, I'll have to check with my soldiers! GOOD MAN! Well Done Randy Main. They ultimately ate elsewhere.

The motorcade arrived about 15 minutes later than expected, and in my opinion was smaller than I expected considering the numbers at the service and reception at the church. I'm guessing the internment service was limited to family and very close family friends only.

Once the motorcade passed our positions, we moved 300m to the interment site and put our 7 flags on line until the service concluded. We appropriately recognized taps during the ceremony. We were thanked by the deceased's niece to the person. This was in addition to many unidentified attendees' taking the time to do the same thing after the church services. That is always a hard time for me-them thanking ME I mean. I was thanked by no less than 5 attendees; other PGR's, probably by more.

The internment concluded at approximately 1445 and we returned to our conveyances for a trip to a nearby lunch spot. I was held up talking motorcycles with a mesmorized cemetery attendee and then by trying to find an unobtrusive, trailer friendly, route out of the narrow gauge cemetery road network. I wanted to do this without disturbing the post internment family time, taking place by now. Ultimately I was successful and arrived at Lunch about 20 minutes after the others.

My tardiness was due inpart to my unfamiliarity with the area. I surveyed the HUGE parking lot twice, prior to finding my target-also it was a hot day on a major college campus...

Upon arrival, I was reminded once again of one of the MAJO reasons I love the PGR; which is the wonderful people. My beverage AND lunch had already been ordered and we were all able to enjoy them, together. Thank you my brothers and sisters; your kindness and consideration was not lost on me.

About 1530 we had eaten, re-hydrated, said our good-byes and the folks from Battleground (a town a couple hundred miles south of where we were) and the bikers headed our seperate directions. After about 30 minutes of stop and go traffic (University of Washington at 4pm!!) the bikers were on WA 520 eastbound (slightly over a mile and a half from where we started), once we hit I-405 I split off from my other four friends and headed north; they went south. I pulled into my driveway at almost exactly 1700.

Mission Complete SGT Hostak-job well done. Lead with the right, not with your shoulder! GOD BLESS YOU and thank you!! Respects and Honors to you, sir.

Pete/P8RE8