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Patriot Guard Riders Forum
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RAYHOG2 
Posts: 710
MARTINSVILLE, IN.
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| 27 Sep 2007 5:38 PM |
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The Indiana group are all back home safe and sound. We started with four and came home with four. We all went the distance.
Four stout hearted bikers met at Camp Atterbury this morning, braving the rain and drizzle to take these HEROS home. We had three bikes and a trike. Left at 0830 on the nose. Made the exit #4 pit stop and picked up about eight more bikes from Illinois and four LEOS from the IL. SOS who escorted us on to Bloomington. What a flawless mission. They were great.
At first the CO did not want to stop but I whined enough he said OK but only for 10 minutes and no one gets off the bus. Enough time to get gassed up and the next leg planned with the IL. PGR.
We were there about a half hour and the buses were emptied in record time. We got to meet more of the HEROS and the CO was getting more relaxed with us. I understood his position. They wanted to get home. They were ALL glad to see us at Atterbury and moreso at the PILOT stop. Pictures galore. Thanks Captain Tarrow. i really mean that, sir. It meant a lot to everyone.
We were invited to be in the parade so we did that too. 'THANKS TERRY". It was great. At one point, a wife of the HERO in the car just ahead of me, ran out of the crowds and jumped in the car with him and held on for dear life. Made the dirt get in my eyes again. Beautiful to see that.
There were NO flags on the overpasses in Illinois. Not a one. At the time, it was kinda of dissapointing. After we got to Bloomington, I understood why. Every one was THERE. The Parade route was lined with literally THOUSANDS of people. And I do mean thousands. Looked like LOTS of thousands to me. New borns all the way to as old as you can get. What a sight. AWESOME.
Every single HERO should get a HOME COMING like this one.
Don, Hoss, Larry, THANKS FOR BEING THERE THIS MORNING. Paris, thanks for riding back with us. Anytime, brother.
I will let Terry Hicks finish this from the Illinois side.
All I can say is IT WAS A GREAT MISSION.
Thanks everyone and GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Ray Russell
IN. R/C
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Rayhog2
Professional FireFighter and ARSON INVESTIGATOR (ret)
Riding with PGR pride, honor and respect in memory of my Father, John C. Grieves, Lacon, IL. USCG, WWII, 1941/1945 and a friend, USAF SSGT Billie "SAM" Roth. Lacon, IL. Abandoned in SVN 27June65. He still waits to come home.
Standing at the ready to honor our HEROS of today, yesterday and tomorrow. Any time, Any where because IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. MISSION FIRST.
LIVE EVERYDAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST ONE. IT COULD VERY WELL BE.
IT IS FAR BETTER TO DIE ON YOUR FEET THAN TO LIVE ON YOUR KNEES.
In the words of President Teddy Roosevelt, "We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." 1907
This is still valid today.
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GrannieAnnie
Posts: 8
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| 27 Sep 2007 5:40 PM |
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| Members of the 33rd: Thanks for your service. Welcome home! I hope you felt our love and support.
Bloomington-Normal: Thanks. You welcomed these brave heroes home in style. What a wonderful reception!
PGR: Finally, I had a chance to see what you do ... and I understand more than ever why what you do means so much to you. You may have seen a middle-aged woman across the street from Kroger's with her thumb up as you passed.
It wasn't a hitchhiker (though it was tempting). It was just me saying "Thanks."
To my favorite patriot, my little brother: I am always proud of you. It was neat to see you showing your support.
Thanks to all who serve and all who honor those who do.
GrannieAnnie |
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LadySportyRider62
Posts: 8
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| 27 Sep 2007 8:19 PM |
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| Hello everyone. I'm so excited to have found this site. And what a wonderful first time experience I had this morning! Riding with fellow Patriot Guard Riders in welcoming home the 33rd Military Police Battalion from Bloomington, Illinois. To see the look of relief on our soldier's faces to finally be home and then to see the smiling faces of all the children & families lining the streets to welcome them home. I cannot begin to tell you how many folks I witnessed wiping the tears from their faces. The love & admiration I witnessed today will last for the rest of my lifetime. It was an HONOR to bring these fine men & women back home in style today. GREAT JOB BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL!!!
And last but certainly NOT least I say to our Soldiers....
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM! GOD BLESS EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU. WELCOME HOME!!!
LadySportyRider |
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greense96
Posts: 170
Stew "THE HAT" Illinois Ride Captain
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| 28 Sep 2007 10:01 AM |
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A TRUE HONOR TO RIDE WITH THESE GREAT HEROS. tHE PEOPLE OF BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THESE MEN & WOMEN. YOU TURNED OUT FOR THEM AND YES IT BROUGHT (DIRT) TO ANYONES EYES.
IT WAS WITH GREAT HONOR AND REPSPECT TO THESE HEROS. THANKS FOR ASKING US TO RIDE WITH THEM.
STEW "THE HAT" IN GILLESPIE |
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lynx36
Posts: 226
Galesburg, IL
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| 28 Sep 2007 10:08 AM |
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What a spectacular day this was. The people of Bloomington/Normal really came out to
welcome these Heroes home. A conservative guess would be that there were at least
5000 people probably more, lining the streets as the parade passed by.
We had 34 bikes and 4 cages from too many cities and towns to list. A huge THANKYOU
goes out Ray Russell for organizing the escort from Camp Atterbury to Bloomington, and thanks
to all who were there.
Thanks also to the cities of Bloomington and Normal for inviting us to take part in this Welcome home for our Soldiers.
Of course the biggest THANK YOU of all goes out to the 70 members of the 33rd Military
Battalionfor the service they gave to this Nation, and to their families who have been apart
from their loved ones for the past 15 months.
It was a great day and a fun day. We need more like this. The photos below are not very good
quality, but if you look closely you can see the throngs of people along the streets.
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Terry Hicks
West Central IL SRC
Vietnam 67-68
"We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and put
wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we
have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in." Colin Powell
LAND OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. |
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mold maker
Posts: 225
Marion, In
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| 28 Sep 2007 6:53 PM |
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| All I can say is WOW ,now this is how you bring troops home. Thanks to Ray for the Indiana side of this mission and the 2 other riders who braved the weather, yes that means u hoss and Larry.Thank you to the Illinois riders who met us at the pilot stop on i74. A big thanks to the LEO's for there escort and help,theses guys no the meaning of get-er-done on the interstate.Big thanks to Terry il. ride Cpt for a job well done. To those absolutely fantastic towns folk from Bloomington/Normal, U GUYS ROCK. Has to be the best turn out of patriotism and support I have witnessed since being in the PGR. More people than I could possibly count. Both sides of the streets were lined with folks some spilling out into the streets, I even seen one senior citizen handing out bottles of the bubbly to our heros. Even flowers and many many well wishers. The kids OMG the kids, were thick,standing out on the sidwalks with there teachers waving and screaming. It was very very difficult to ride sometimes cause it kept raining--=in my eyes. If you ever get a chance to bring a whole company of soldiers home,I highly recommend u do it. It gives u a much need lift. Thank you all again for being there, God Bless U all and our troops and the PGR. As the song says-I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!!!! |
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ivetret
Posts: 2419
Shermer, IL
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| 29 Sep 2007 7:03 PM |
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Awesome pictures Terry.
I was all ready to go right after a medical appointment that forced me to remain behind.
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“Lest I keep my complacent way I must remember somewhere out there a person died for me today. As long as there must be war, I ask and I must answer was I worth dying for?”
[Eleanor Roosevelt]
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Ron On The Rio Grande
Posts: 157
El Paso
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| 29 Sep 2007 9:17 PM |
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| A Texas size welcome home to the members and families of the 33rd. A Great job to the PGR from two great states. I get dirt in my eyes just watching the video. |
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Escort Funeral MSgt.(ret) Leon Schlensig, Alamogordo, NM - 20 Nov 06
KIA LCpl. Emilian Sanchez, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM - 10 Feb. 07
KIA Sgt. Matthew Apuan, Las Cruces, NM - 2 March 07
KIA Navy Corpman 1st Class Gilbert Minjarez, Jr, El Paso, TX - 7 March 07
KIA Sgt. Andrew Perkins, Roswell, NM - 17 March 07
Escort Home Wounded Warrior LCpl Travis Dodson, Deming, NM - 25 May 07
KIA PFC Henry G. Byrd III, Veguita, NM - 2 July 07
LEO LCPD Officer David Andrew Cordova, El Paso, TX - 1 August 07
Escort Funeral Charles Edwin Crayne, Korean Vet, El Paso,TX - 13 Aug 07
KIA SSgt. William "Daniel" Scates, Ft. Bliss, TX - 24 Aug 07 |
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