From mission at txpgr.org Sun Mar 1 16:59:31 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 16:59:31 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - Forrest E. Walling, Jr. Message-ID: <006801c99ac1$6204d7e0$260e87a0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of Mr. Forrest E. Walling, Jr. has asked that the Patriot Guard participate in the final services for this proud member of the United States Marine Corps during World War II. His funeral will be on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 10:00 AM at the First Free Will Baptist Church in Duncanville with interment following at DFW National Cemetery at 11:30 AM. Details are being arranged and a final itinerary will be published as soon as those details are set. Let's stand tall and silent for this member of the greatest generation. Thank you. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 2 15:51:33 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:51:33 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Forrest Edwin Walling, Jr. - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Message-ID: <00d601c99b81$0d989640$28c9c2c0$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Forrest Edwin Walling, Jr., Corporal United States Marine Corps; World War II Mission Date; March 3, 2009 Ride Captains: Steve "Badger" Lucas, 940-206-4196 (c); pgrlucas at charter.net Mr. Walling served in the United States Marine Corps from 1943-1946 and participated in campaigns on Okinawa, Guadalcanal, Ryuku Island, and the occupation of China. HE is survived by his wife of 55 years, Ann, two sons, two grandchildren and a great grandchild. Part 1 - Funeral and Escort: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - 10:00 AM; Free Will Baptist Church Staging - 9:00 AM; Briefing - 9:10 AM Free Will Baptist Church 1415 W. Wheatland Road (at Clark) Duncanville, TX 75116 972-780-1608 Map - http://tinyurl.com/cqkfj6 We will set up a flag line prior to the funeral service and stand the line to receive family and guests as they arrive. Once the service begins we will break down the flag line and prepare to ride in the procession to the cemetery. I was told that the service is scheduled to last about 45 minutes and that we should be ready to leave between 10:45 and 11:00. Clark Street, which runs adjacent to the church, becomes Spur 408 and the total trip to DFW National Cemetery is approximately 6.3 miles. An escort company has been hired to provide traffic control. As we arrive at the cemetery, big flag bikes please remain with the procession as it stages at the visitor center and all other bikes/cages please continue on to the area below the shelters for staging and assistance with flag setup. We will learn shelter assignment while at the church. Riders not participating in the escort portion of the mission please see Part 2 below. Part 2 - Interment Service: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - 11:30 AM; DFW National Cemetery Staging - 10:45 AM; Briefing - Upon arrival of escort DFW National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 214-467-3374 Map - http://tinyurl.com/6xvnw7 Riders not participating in the escort portion of the mission please check the announcement board at the visitor center for shelter assignment when you arrive and please proceed to the parking area below the shelter for staging and briefing. We will use flags stored at the shelter and set up as soon as possible following the service prior to Mr. Walling's. I will be coming to the shelter area as soon as the procession arrives. Due to the close time proximity between this mission and the mission for General Lawrie we will dismiss as soon as possible following this mission. We will NOT, however, rush through this mission or in any way show haste in the presence of Mr. Walling's family or guests. There will be plenty of time to get to the other mission and each and every person who has served our country deserves our full respect, honor and undivided attention. Weather: Forecast is for mostly clear skies with a high of 69 degrees following an overnight low of 30 degrees. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot from the greatest generation and his family. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. Due to the limited duration of the mission and the fact that we already have flags at the cemetery the support truck will not be requested. Please make arrangements to have your own water and/or sports drink(s) available. Respectfully Submitted, Steve Lucas North Texas Deputy State Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 2 22:52:44 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 22:52:44 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - Donald Wayne Hall - Thursday, March 5, 2009 Message-ID: <009d01c99bbb$e47b5f50$ad721df0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of Donald Wayne Hall has asked that the Patriot Guard participate in the final services for this veteran of the United States Navy. The funeral will be Thursday morning at 10:00 AM in Weatherford with interment at 1:00 PM at DFW National Cemetery. Details are being worked out at this time and a final itinerary will be published as soon as possible. Let's stand tall and silent for this American Patriot and his family. Thank You. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 2 23:44:52 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 23:44:52 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Donald Wayne Hall - March 5, 2009 Message-ID: <00b301c99bc3$2cfaed20$86f0c760$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Donald Wayne Hall, Petty Officer First Class United States Navy; Veteran Mission Date; March 5, 2009 Ride Captains: Cathy Cannon, 817-594-7501 (c); catherine.cannon at texashealth.org Mr. Hall was born in Weatherford and was a long time resident of there. He honorably served in the United States Navy and is survived by his wife, son, three grandchildren and two sisters. Part 1 - Funeral and Escort: Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 10:00 AM; White's Funeral Home Staging - 9:00 AM; Briefing - 9:15 AM White's Funeral Home 130 Houston Avenue Weatherford, TX 76086 817-596-4811 Map - http://tinyurl.com/cfkzfz We will set up a flag line prior to the funeral service and stand the line to receive family and guests as they arrive. There will be no formal procession to the cemetery following the service. Family and guests will break following the service and meet again at the cemetery. However, 4-6 big flag bikes have been requested to stay behind to escort the hearse to DFW National Cemetery. The hearse is scheduled to leave the funeral home at 11:15 AM for the approximately 45 minute trip. Riders wishing to remain and escort the hearse should have time to break upon reaching the cemetery to get something to eat and return before the service. Other riders, following the dismissal of the flag line, will be dismissed until time to stage again at the cemetery for Part 2 of the mission (see below). Part 2 - Interment Service: Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 1:00 PM; DFW National Cemetery Staging - 12:15 PM; Briefing - 12:30 PM DFW National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 214-467-3374 Map - http://tinyurl.com/6xvnw7 Big flag bikes please stage at the visitor center in preparation for escorting the funeral party to the shelter. All other participants please park and stage below shelter A for briefing. We will use the flags in storage at the shelter for this portion of the mission and will set the flag line as soon as possible before Mr. Hall's scheduled service. Our service should be the first one after the cemetery lunch break. Weather: Forecast is for partly cloudy skies with a high of 84 degrees. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. The flag/water truck will be present in Weatherford. At the time of this posting it is unclear if the truck will also be present at DFW National Cemetery. Just in case, please make arrangements to have your own water and/or sports drink(s) available at that location. Respectfully Submitted, Cathy Cannon North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 5 00:15:57 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 00:15:57 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Mission Update - SFC Raymond J. Munden, KIA Message-ID: <003601c99d59$d9464100$8bd2c300$@net> Ladies and gentlemen, In just a few minutes the final itinerary for the KIA mission for Sergeant First Class Raymond J. Munden will be published. I would like to respectfully remind everyone, especially the newer riders among us, that this mission is being treated by us as a KIA mission in every sense of the term. SFC Munden was buried in New York, but his mother and step-father, his brother and his family, and many other relatives live right here in our area. The only difference in this mission and a "traditional" KIA mission is that we will not be welcoming and receiving SFC Munden home as part of the mission. SFC Munden's wife and his 4 children will be attending the memorial service, as will the rest of the family. This will be the first time that his many friends and neighbors from our area will be able to pay their respects to him and to the family. The community will also be there to pay their respects, also. While it's true that the PGR treats all of our military with great respect and honor and that all who put on our nation's uniform are very special to us, be they 18 years old or 118 years old, a member of our military who has recently been killed in action holds a special place for everyone. I had heard a little bit of confusion about this and felt compelled to say a word about it. I ask as many of you as possible to attend, as you would any other KIA mission. Just as you will for the mission for Staff Sergeant Jeremy E. Bessa, KIA in Afghanistan. That mission is Monday and Tuesday of next week. You will be very glad you did. Thank you for your time. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 5 00:19:14 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 00:19:14 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Raymond J. Munden - March 7, 2009 Message-ID: <004101c99d5a$4ed37c30$ec7a7490$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Sergeant First Class Raymond J. Munden KIA Afghanistan, Afghanistan and Iraq Veteran Mission Date; March 7, 2009 Ride Captain: Lisa "Gran" Wallace, 214-226-7504 (c), 214-688-4924 (w); lisa.wallace at tx.rr.com SFC Munden was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) out of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He was a Bronze Star recipient and a very highly decorated soldier. He joined the Army in August of 1991, and continuously volunteered for Special Forces assignments. SFC Munden was on his sixth tour of duty when he was killed. His base, FOB Tillman in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, was attacked by insurgents. He died February 16th 2009. SFC Munden was three weeks away from the completing his tour, after which he was looking forward to becoming an instructor at West Point. He leaves behind his wife Kelly, sons Gaven and Garrett, daughters Sydney and Kailey, mother Billie Clark and her husband Dwaine, brother Brad Munden, father Ralph Munden, grandmother Sybil Gowin and scores of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Memorial Service: Saturday, March 7, 2009 - 1:00 PM; Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church Staging - 11:00 AM; Briefing - 11:30 AM Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church 9810 La Prada Drive Mesquite, TX 75228 972-279-6944 Map - http://tinyurl.com/cley7b At 11:45, I will be leaving for the family home, along with the big flag bikes. We will be escorting the family from home to the church, leaving the house at approximately 12:25 PM. We will set up our flag line after the 11:00 AM briefing. Members and flags should be in place no later than 12:30 PM so we can be standing tall and silent for the family and guests as they arrive for the service. Between briefing and setting up our flag line, there will be time for a short break. We will break down the flag line after the family departs the church. Weather: Forecast is for partly cloudy skies with a high of 74 degrees. The flag/water truck will be at the location. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot. Respectfully Submitted, Lisa "Gran" Wallace North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 5 22:12:03 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 22:12:03 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Ivan Campbell - March 8, 2009 Message-ID: <00e901c99e11$b4a42a20$1dec7e60$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Ivan Campbell, Private First Class United States Army; Korean War Era Veteran Mission Date; March 8, 2009 Ride Captains: Ted "Mudder" Beauchamp, 254-522-5141 (c), 254-559-8035 (h); tedb at classicnet.net Funeral and Escort: Sunday, March 8, 2009 - 2:00 PM; Melton Kitchen Funeral Home Staging - 2:00 PM; Briefing - 2:30 PM Melton Kitchen Funeral Home 415 W. Williams St. Breckenridge, TX 76424 254-559-3311 Map - http://tinyurl.com/c2eg3j The family has requested the PGR to stand a flag line at the funeral home, then escort to Breckenridge Cemetery. Flag line will be set at 2:30 PM at the funeral home. Please help us stand tall and silent for this family. Wife is deceased and daughter Transie is nearest relative. Weather: Forecast is high of 79 degrees with a 20% chance of rain. Bring rain suits just in case. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. We will have water and flags. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot. Respectfully Submitted, Ted (Mudder) Beauchamp North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 5 23:29:07 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 23:29:07 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - Allen B. Richardson - Monday, March 9, 2009 Message-ID: <013601c99e1c$78eb01b0$6ac10510$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of Allen B. Richardson has asked that the Patriot Guard participate in the final services for this 20 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. The service will be an interment at DFW National Cemetery on Monday, March 9, 2009, tentatively set for 2:30 PM. The day's mission for Sgt. Bessa should be completed well before then and give us plenty of time to honor Master Sergeant Richardson. Details are still being completed and a final itinerary will be published as soon as possible. Let's remember to stand tall and silent for this career Marine. Thank you. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Fri Mar 6 00:03:51 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 00:03:51 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Info. only - Bataan Memorial Death March - White Sands Message-ID: <016201c99e21$53142bb0$f93c8310$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, This year our own North Texas PGR member John "Ghostrider" Blase will be participating in the 20th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Any riders interested in joining John in participating or just making the trip should check out the event at http://www.bataanmarch.com/ . There will be survivors of the original Death March present and you may see some of our friends we met at the Lost Battalion reunion there, too. Please check out the web site. Folks interested in going along can contact John at blase02 at sbcglobal.net. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Fri Mar 6 00:44:16 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 00:44:16 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - SSG Jeremy E. Bessa - March 9-10, 2009 Message-ID: <017a01c99e26$f8660070$e9320150$@net> Final Itinerary Staff Sergeant Jeremy E. Bessa United States Army; KIA Afghanistan Mission Date: March 9-10, 2009 Ride Captains: Dewey "Diehard" Dyer, 214-316-8730 (c); dgd4758 at sbcgloba.net Rick Crabb, 972-937-6508 (h); rjcrabb at sbcglobal.net .................................... Staff Sergeant Jeremy Bessa, 26 was killed by an improvised explosive device while conducting a mounted combat reconnaissance patrol. He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha Team communications Sergeant assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in January 2009 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. Bessa earned the coveted "Green Beret" in March 2007 and was assigned to 1st Bn., 3rd SFG (A) at Fort Bragg, NC., as a Special Forces communications Sergeant. Bessa's military education includes the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Warriors Leaders Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course. His awards and decorations include the Joint Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, Combat Medics Badge and Special Forces Tab. Bessa is survived by his wife Lindsey and their son Carson of Fayetteville, N.C.; parents Ted and Julie Bessa of Whispering Pines, N.C. and brother, Christopher L. Bessa of Fort Carson, Colo. .................................... Part 1- Escort: Monday, March 9, 2009 - 9:20 AM Staging - 8:00 AM Briefing - 8:20 AM Addison Police Department 4799 Airport Pkwy. Addison, Texas 75001-3321 972-450-7100 Map - http://tinyurl.com/d8go96 We will stage in the parking lot of the Addison Police Department on the west side of the building. .................................... Part 2 - Funeral Service: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 12:00 Noon Staging - 10:30 AM Briefing - 10:45 AM Flag line in place by 11:00 AM Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home 7405 West Northwest Hwy. Dallas, TX 75225 214-363-5401 Map - http://tinyurl.com/dc9qgm We will be staging at parking area east of the Chapel. The Chapel is located in the building directly to your right as you enter Sparkman/Hillcrest. At the conclusion of the funeral ceremony we will escort SSG Bessa and the procession to DFW National Cemetery for the interment service. .................................... Part 3 - Interment Service: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 2:30 PM Staging: Escort riders - upon arrival at the cemetery. Riders not participating in the escort please stage below shelter at 1:30 PM. DFW National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 214-467-3374 Map - http://tinyurl.com/d63der On arrival at the cemetery, big flag bikes will remain at the visitor center with the procession and remaining bikes will proceed to the area below appropriate to assist with the preparation for the service. A short briefing may be provided at that location. We will use the flags in storage at the shelter for this part of the mission. .................................... Weather: Monday - Thunderstorms with a high of 76 degrees. Tuesday - Isolated Thunder storm with a high of 77 degrees. The flag/water truck will be at both locations. Iron horses if you can, cages are always welcome and appreciated. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this Hero and his family. .................................... Respectfully Submitted, Dewey "Diehard" Dyer Rick Crabb North Texas Ride Captains -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Fri Mar 6 23:27:27 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 23:27:27 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Mission Reminder - Medal of Honor Events, Gainesville, TX Message-ID: <018d01c99ee5$6766a790$3633f6b0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, I know things are hectic right now, mission wise, but I wanted to send a reminder about our mission on April 1 and April 4, 2009 to honor at least a dozen recipients of the Medal of Honor who are coming to Gainesville, TX for their annual 4 days of events in that fair city. The PGR will participate in escorting these gentlemen from DFW Airport to Gainesville on April 1, 2009, most likely late in the afternoon. We will be met in Gainesville by a flag line set up by our Gainesville PGR contingent to receive these heroes in true Texas PGR style. Outside of the annual national reunion of MOH recipients or a special event like a Presidential inauguration, this is likely the largest gathering of Medal of Honor recipients in one location that exists, and I know you don't want to miss it. Included in the recipient list of attendees, and scheduled to be in the escort on April first is John Finn. Mr. Finn will be 100 years old this year, the oldest living recipient, who received his award for action in the face of the enemy on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Please remember, there are only 98 living recipients of the Medal of Honor remaining. On Saturday, April 4, 2009 there will be a parade in Gainesville honoring the recipients. The PGR is participating in this parade. I have been attending the meetings of the board of directors planning all of the events for the recipients for the week of this celebration and recently the board told the police department that this year's parade may take over an hour. I politely reminded the police department that it might take an hour just for the PGR!! If we have enough big flag bikes on hand who are interested I have advised the board that we would like to have a big flag bike on each front fender of each recipient vehicle as it goes through the parade. So far, 12 recipients have confirmed. That's.wait.24 big flag bikes at least if we have the interest. More recipients, more big flag bikes needed. More big flag bikes who want to participate, we may even put one at point of each recipient, making 3 bikes for each recipient vehicle. That's.wait.math.lots of flag bikes, and that's just with the recipients. Not counting the PGR parade entry itself. Following the parade, the PGR and the active duty military will be sharing duty as page turners during a 2 hour book signing. Members of the community will be able to purchase books, etc., and have the recipients sign them as they meet the recipients. Somebody will need to be at the tables with the recipients to turn the book pages to the pages that highlight that particular recipient so their recipient can sign and to help keep things moving.plus get to hang out with a Medal of Honor recipient for a while. An Air Force Major told me last week we may have to wrestle with them for this privilege. My comment back was, "No problem, Major." I think we may have to share this duty in shifts depending on how many PGR members may want to hang out with a Medal of Honor recipient for a while. How about that for a photo op, Bobby?? Ladies and Gentlemen, I know that we consider all of our military veterans and current military personnel great patriots and heroes. The men we will see during this weekend, though, have done something - perhaps more than once - that has distinguished them from the rest. Their action not only had to be reported through a chain of command but it also had to withstand a rigorous investigation to see if it stood up to the highest standards of conduct. Only then, and sometimes years after the actual event, were they recommended for the highest award for valor in the face of the enemy that this country can bestow - the Medal of Honor. These men and others who have now passed have been coming to Gainesville for the past 7 years. This is the first year that the Patriot Guard has been invited to honor them. John Finn may not be able to come back for another. Others may not, either. Their ranks are dwindling and this is our first chance to show them what the PGR in North Texas and the surrounding area thinks of them and how we honor our heroes around here. To a man, these recipients will tell you that they aren't heroes, and they mean it. They will tell you that the heroes are the ones who are forever young.the ones who didn't return. They will tell you that they wear the medal for them and those like them through all wars, and for those fighting for our country today. To hear them speak will inspire you. Their actions were put under a microscope and they came out with flying colors. Now it's our turn in the PGR to thank them as only we can. By doing what we do. Additional details will be coming out very soon as to the particulars of the times and locations. Please start making your plans to be in the escort, the parade and at the book signing. That's Wednesday, April 1 for the escort and Saturday April 4 for the parade and book signing. Be on the lookout for more information soon. It's only a few weeks until the event. Let's show them a huge turnout. Thank you all for everything you continue to do. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sat Mar 7 20:59:30 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 20:59:30 -0600 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Allen B. Richardson - Monday, March 9, 2009 Message-ID: <001801c99f99$e68aab70$b3a00250$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Allen B. Richardson, Veteran United States Marine Corps Mission Date; March 9, 2009 Ride Captain: Mike "Gunner" Lambert, 817-368-9076 (c); mikelambert2 at aol.com Mr. Richardson served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and then another 20 years in the Department of Defense. Interment Service: Monday, March 9, 2009 - 2:30 PM; DFW National Cemetery Staging - 1:30 PM; Briefing 1:45 PM DFW National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 214-467-3374 Map - http://tinyurl.com/6xvnw7 This mission will consist of an interment service for Mr. Richardson. Big flag bikes please assemble at the visitor center to escort the family and other attendees to the shelter. The shelter designation is not known at this time. Please check for the proper shelter upon arrival at the cemetery and all other riders and PGR participants please then proceed to the proper parking area below the shelter for parking and briefing. We will use flags stored at the shelter and set up as soon as possible following the service prior to Mr. Richardson's. Weather: Forecast is for an isolated thunderstorm with a high of 80 degrees. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot and his family. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. Due to the short time period of this mission the support truck will not be requested. Please make arrangements for your own water/sports drink(s) as required. Respectfully Submitted, Mike "Gunner" Lambert North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sun Mar 8 14:09:08 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 14:09:08 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Missing Keys??? Message-ID: <003801c9a021$5b5e9560$121bc020$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, I just received a message from the pastor of the church from yesterday's mission. One of the men from the church found some keys attached to a lanyard with Navy Reserve printed on it and they thought it may belong to a PGR member. If anyone is missing these please let me know at pgrlucas at charter.net. Thanks! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Wed Mar 11 13:16:09 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:16:09 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Worthwhile Cause Message-ID: <009a01c9a275$73bfc1f0$5b3f45d0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, One of our riders has passed information to me and asked that I, in turn, share it with you. I believe it is very much related to our PGR mission because it is about local law enforcement officers who have fallen in the line of duty and paying tribute to them. Over the long history of the Dallas Sheriff's Department, 19 members of that Department have lost their lives in the line of duty, yet no memorial exists to their sacrifice. Now, the members of the Dallas Sheriff's Office are working to build a memorial to those officers near the John Neely Bryan cabin in downtown Dallas and a ride has been put together to raise funds for that purpose. There will not be an official PGR mission for this but I would ask anyone who is interested to please visit the web site, Honor 19, based on the 19 who have fallen, at www.honor19.com and click on the memorial motorcycle ride link for more information. Thank you all for your continued contribution to the families of the fallen. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 12 21:44:06 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:44:06 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard March Meet and Greet Information Message-ID: <029c01c9a385$93ce04a0$bb6a0de0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, For those who may have missed the initial information, Wendy Ingersoll is now in charge of the monthly meet and greets and we are going to do our very best to have them regularly scheduled on the third Saturday of the month starting at about noon so that everyone can mark their calendars in advance. The information will be on the calendar, surprise Harold (I'd forgotten to mention this to him), on the national PGR web site in the Texas forum and posted here. We will be spreading them around so that as many folks as possible can have a chance to get together and have a good time and to bring in as many prospective members as possible. The message below is from Wendy about the meet and greet for this month. I look forward to seeing everyone there. Our monthly Meet & Greet will be on Saturday, March 21 at Duke's Roadhouse in Bedford, TX. The address is 2250 Airport Freeway (183/121), in Bedford, TX. Heading east or west on 121/183 you'll exit Central Drive. Duke's is located south of the highway and east of Central. If you click here you will be taken to the website where you'll be able to look at the menu, as well as a map to the location. As usual, start time is around noonish until whenever. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 12 21:53:55 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:53:55 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard FYI - Scholarship Fund in the name of CPL William David O'Brien Message-ID: <02b201c9a386$f365ccd0$da316670$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Some of you may remember riding in the mission for CPL William David O'Brien in Rice. Army Cpl. William David O'Brien, 19, of Rice, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Baghdad, Iraq Born March 30, 1988 - KIA March 15, 2008 A scholarship golf tournament has been established in his name. For anyone interested in participating or in finding out additional details please go to http://www.obrien-scholarship.com/ . Thanks to PGR National Board member and Texan Tom Hoffman for making this information available to us. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sat Mar 14 00:41:23 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:41:23 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Making A Difference Message-ID: <00af01c9a467$82ddcad0$88996070$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Our esteemed webmaster, Harold Tranter, was diligently pursuing his duties in researching where the visitors to our web site come from and otherwise going through the daily/weekly web statistics and came across a web site forum that mentioned the North Texas PGR quite favorably. It's a professional soldiers web site, entitled "Home of the Quiet Professionals" and displays the logo/motto of the Green Beret. Mentioned in one of their forum discussions is our recent mission for SSG Jeremy Bessa. One of the quotes from that discussion is as follows (I removed the names of the posting parties since I don't have permission to use any of this): Originally Posted by View Post A friend of mine rode the escort from Addison Airport to the Funeral Home today. He said that it was the LARGEST turnout for an initial escort that he has seen!! 70+ Bikes. I'll be riding with the procession tomorrow, but also plan on mixing with our Brothers. Will take some pics and report tomorrow evening. Later. I made the Ride today. There were 80-100 Bikes, and it was unreal. This was my first run with The Patriot Guard, and they are a CLASS ACT!!! I spent some time with the SF guys that were there, the SF guys sorta collected/gathered in one area. BG Repass, his Command and the 3rd Group folks, came over to the "Collection" of FOGs that were present from Chapter 31 here, along with some AD folks that attended, and were most hospitable......I felt like I knew them all!! So, until I see'ya on that FINAL DZ,..........Jeremy...Hang Tough and we'll see'ya on the other side!!!!! I want to share this with you in order to continue to demonstrate as best I can that each and every time you put on your Patriot Guard vest or gear, and every time you get on your bike or in your cage and it's marked with a PGR banner, flag or other identifying insignia, you are being identified. You are well known and getting better known by the public every day. You have a reputation with this organization as a - in capital letters with 3 exclamation marks - "CLASS ACT!!!" I compliment you all. This kind of praise is not just thrown around, it's earned. It's earned through hard work and dedication. Once a reputation like this is earned, it's even harder to maintain and improve upon. You can all stand tall and be very proud of what you do for these patriots and heroes and their families. When units such as the Green Beret, the 82nd Airborne, Marine Honor Detachments and others are proud to mix and mingle with you and impressed with what you do for their brothers and sisters in arms, you must be doing something right. When the families, as far as I know without exception, take extra time on the saddest day of their lives to go to the ride captains and express their thanks and admiration for what a difference the Patriot Guard has made to them, you have done a very good thing. No matter whether the mission is for a KIA or an elderly veteran, it makes no difference. To that family, it's likely their first and maybe their only experience with the Patriot Guard. The mission you're about to start may be your 500th, but it's their very first and maybe their very last, and there is absolutely incredibly important to them and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. The riders in North Texas do a wonderful job in making that day special for them and for their guests. There are days, and have been recently, where we have done several in a row at DFW National, and have done several in different locations in one day. And you have stepped up like the heroes each of you are, without complaint, and been there for every family. I have heard your leaders marvel at your dedication, your steadfastness, and your stamina. I have heard military officers and enlisted alike say the same things. "We see y'all everywhere. Do you ever sleep?" I'm not kidding! We've gotten to know some of these military people pretty well from seeing them so many times. I think there are many among us who could easily fill in for the personnel at DFW National Cemetery and who among us could not do a very good impression of Al saying - "I would like you now to prepare yourselves for 3 volleys of rifle fire." Am I right? My point is, you are noticed. Not just on a mission, but everywhere you go. People know who the PGR is in North Texas and it's because of your wonderful work. This is demonstrated by the snippet from the discussion forum I pasted above. Have we "arrived" yet? Is it OK to get the big head? Not by a long shot. There is still much we all have to learn and much we all can improve on. But as the Deputy State Captain for North Texas I am very proud of all of you. And I'm not leaving out our brothers and sisters in the Sherman area, the Gainesville area, the Wichita Falls area, the Breckenridge area, the Mineral Wells area, the Waxahachie area, and everywhere else where missions occur on a regular basis outside of the metroplex. Believe it or not, I hear things from folks all over the place, and we can be proud of everyone in the whole region. The PGR is the only organization who does what we do. I think that's because it's very difficult. It's physically demanding to do this year round. It's hard to see all that grief. Your ride captains have to be magicians to make all the connections with families, funeral homes, escort companies, flag people, water people, cemetery people, etc., and do it all extremely fast - and then have it all change 3 or 4 times - and make it come out looking like it was a piece of cake.and do it for every mission. Yes, what the PGR does is very difficult.on everyone involved. It's not easy standing in that flag line and anybody who says it is hasn't stood in one. I'm very honored you allow me to serve you and to serve with you. You are the PGR and you make a difference. I've tried to show you just one small example of that in this message. OK, it was a long message - so shoot me.no, wait. I know how many of you carry weapons. I don't get to shake everyone's hand at every mission, and not everyone can attend every mission. So to everyone this message reaches, and who had the patience to read this far, please consider your hand shaken, a hug given, and allow me to express my personal thanks for your service to the patriots and heroes, their families, and your fellow PGR members. Be safe, everyone. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 54 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sat Mar 14 01:24:55 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:24:55 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Medal of Honor Weekend FYI Message-ID: <00bb01c9a46d$9756d2d0$c6047870$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, I have information on something that will be going on during the Medal of Honor recipient's weekend in Gainesville that is not a part of the PGR events but is nonetheless interesting and something some of you may want to take part in on your own. On Saturday night, there will be a movie premier in Gainesville. The movie is directed by a two time Emmy award winning director and was made from footage of last year's Medal of Honor celebration in Gainesville. The premier will be a red carpet event in Gainesville. Black tie, spotlights, limos, the whole thing. It is professionally done in every sense of the word and the movie is already being courted by HBO, The History Channel, Disney and others for distribution and broadcast rights. The recipients will, of course, be in attendance, as will other important people from the movie business, etc. Tickets are on sale now for the premiere on the merchandise page of the movie web site. The movie features Medal of Honor recipient John Finn, a veteran of WWII, who received his medal for actions at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Below is a link to the theatrical trailer for the movie. It also takes you to the movie's web site where you can click on the links at the top of the page for additional info. By the way, the movie company set the price of the tickets, not the Gainesville people. You will see 99 year young Mr. Finn in the trailer for the movie and Mr. Finn, barring a medical episode of some sort between now and then, will be at this year's event and will be one of the recipients we will be escorting from the airport on April first. You may take a look at the trailer, it only takes a couple of minutes, at: http://www.heroswelcomemovie.com/Trailer.aspx. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sat Mar 14 23:34:17 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:34:17 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - John David Latimer Message-ID: <009701c9a527$4d514890$e7f3d9b0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of John David Latimer has asked the Patriot Guard to participate in the final services for this World War II Veteran of the United States Navy. Mr. Latimer was a Lieutenant Commander and fighter pilot who flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat off of the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet in the Pacific in 1943 and 1944. This mission will consist of a flag line prior to the memorial service, scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM on Eagle Ford Drive in Dallas, followed by a short escort to the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery for an interment service, scheduled for 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 18, 2009. A final itinerary will be posted as soon as details are determined. Let's all stand tall and silent for this member of the Greatest Generation. Thank You. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 16 15:54:13 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:54:13 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - John David Latimer - March 18, 2009 Message-ID: <005401c9a679$5d104210$1730c630$@net> FINAL ITINERARY John David Latimer; Lieutenant Commander United States Navy; World War II Mission Date; March 18, 2009 Ride Captain: Dewey "Diehard" Dyer; 214-316-8730 (c); dgd8730 at sbcglobal.net John David Latimer, born on September 7, 1918, at Bogata (Mauldin School House), Texas, died at home in Richardson, Texas, on March 12, 2009. Mr. Latimer served his country proudly as an officer and World War II fighter pilot in the United States Navy. He flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat in the Pacific off the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet in 1943 and 1944. Part 1 - Funeral and Escort: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 1:30 PM; Mountain Creek Church Staging - 11:30 AM; Briefing - 11:45 AM Mountain Creek Community Church 5950 Eagle Ford Drive Dallas, TX 75249 972-296-8919 Map - http://tinyurl.com/dcaz5g >From the 5900 block of Eagle Ford Drive you will turn onto a private road called Prayer Mountain Lane and go up the hill to get to the church. The family and guests have been invited to begin arriving at the church at 12:30 PM. We will set up a flag line prior to the funeral service and stand the line to receive family and guests as they arrive. Once the service begins we will break down the flag line and prepare to ride in the procession to the cemetery. The church is located very near Mountain Creek Parkway, which will take us straight to DFW National Cemetery, less than 6 miles away. An escort company has been hired to provide traffic control. As we arrive at the cemetery, big flag bikes please remain with the procession as it stages at the visitor center and all other bikes/cages please continue on to the area below the shelters for staging and assistance with flag setup. We will learn shelter assignment while at the church. Riders not participating in the escort portion of the mission please see Part 2 below. Part 2 - Interment Service: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 3:00 PM; DFW National Cemetery Staging - 2:15 PM; Briefing - Upon arrival of escort DFW National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 214-467-3374 Map - http://tinyurl.com/6xvnw7 Riders not participating in the escort portion of the mission please check the announcement board at the visitor center for shelter assignment when you arrive and please proceed to the parking area below the shelter for staging and briefing. We will use flags stored at the shelter and set up as soon as possible following the service prior to Mr. Latimer's. Weather: Forecast is for mostly clear skies with a high of 79 degrees. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot from the greatest generation and his family. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. The flag/water truck will be present. Respectfully Submitted, Dewey Dyer North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 16 23:20:47 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:20:47 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Medal of Honor Update Message-ID: <003601c9a6b7$bf47ceb0$3dd76c10$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some more information to share on the upcoming Medal of Honor mission. The escort from DFW Airport to Gainesville is scheduled to depart the Airport at 5:00 PM on April 1. Details are still being worked out but we will have law enforcement support all along the way. Our likely staging area will be the American Airlines Cargo Terminal parking lot, located on the northbound airport service road. Again, this is still in the planning stage but the time of day is fairly certain. I hope this will help you make plans. We'd like a big showing for this. The more bikes the merrier, including big flag bikes, of course. Let's give these men a first class welcome to North Texas, PGR style. The list of recipients who will be attending is now pretty well set. They are: John Finn Don Ballard John McGinty David McNerney Bob O'Malley Richard Pittman James Taylor Mike Thornton Woody Williams Clarence Sasser Bob Ingram Joe Marm There is a book with the Medal of Honor recipients listed in it, with a brief biography of each of the recipients who were still alive at the time of its publishing. It also gives a summary of what they did to be awarded the medal. It's called "Medal of Honor - Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty." It's something of the "official" book on the recipients. It has a 90 minute DVD inside that contains video interviews of the recipients, first person accounts, archival footage, etc. This book, as well as some books by some of the recipients who will be in Gainesville will be for sale at the book signing to have the recipients autograph. The Medal of Honor book is a very large book, with a foreword by former President George H.W. Bush and essays by Senator John McCain, Victor Davis Hanson and Tom Brokaw. It sells for $50 and is tax deductible if bought at the book signing (as opposed to a book store) because the Medal of Honor committee is a 501(c)3 organization. The book and other items bought there are also tax deductible as a contribution to the extent allowed by law.check with your tax preparer. The rule (for everyone, not just us) for having things signed at the book signing is that you may bring 2 items to have signed (hat, t-shirt, helmet, camo, field jacket) unless you buy it there. If you come in and buy 7 books, you can have all 7 signed. If you buy it there, you can get it signed. If you don't buy it there, limit is 2 items. The parade on Saturday, April 4, will step off at 10:00 AM. The book signing will begin at Noon and last until 2:00 PM. Details are still being worked out on all of this but this should help you with planning. This is the latest as of a meeting tonight. I hope this helps. When additional details are known, you'll know them. A formal itinerary will be coming out closer to the time of the events. I hope we can have outstanding participation on Wednesday and on Saturday and show the patriotic spirit of the PGR in our area and to have some fun and share great camaraderie. Thanks to everyone for all you continue to do. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Mon Mar 16 23:51:46 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:51:46 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard North Texas PGR Benefit Fund Raiser Message-ID: <004101c9a6bc$13af5550$3b0dfff0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, I am humbled to announce to you that the Patriot Guard Riders of North Texas have been given the great honor of being chosen to be the honorees and recipients of a benefit and fund raiser. James and Nancy of J&N Motorcycle Leather, The American Legion Riders of Post 569 and the Born Again Ministries Riders have chosen to hold a benefit and donate the proceeds to the North Texas PGR. So please mark your calendars for Sunday, April 26, 2009 and plan to be at 3420 B. Roberts Cut Off Road (just off of Hwy. 820) in Lake Worth (that's James and Nancy's shop) for a wonderful event. Those coming back from Koyote Ranch, pack it up and get on the road - time's a wastin'!! Plans include a motorcycle rally and fun run (formerly called a Poker Run), Bike and Trike Show, live music by Todd Boyer, etc. Most everyone knows Ollie (The Patch Lady) - She will design a special patch for the event. B.A.C.A. will have a booth at the event along with others selling candles, picture frames, Mary Kay, food and drink, etc. There will also be some "special guest" family members from American Heroes we have helped to honor. There has been a request made that the PGR stage off-site and do a "ride-by" where everyone will be out by the street welcoming us to the event. More information is still to come regarding the event with staging times and locations, etc. Our liaison for this from the beginning has been, and still is, Steve "Ghost" Hirtzel. Any questions can be directed to Steve at 817-371-8498. As most of you know, it's a rare time when I'm at a loss for words. I'm not at a complete loss right now, but pretty close. I cannot think of the words right now to adequately express my thanks to the people who would go to the trouble to organize something like this for us. But I will try in the coming weeks. Words also seem to fail me right now in expressing how proud I am of all the PGR people in North Texas. It's because of YOU that people in the community are taking the time and trouble to reach out like this. I sent out a message recently about how YOU make a difference. Now I get to say 'I told you so'. Personally, this inspires me. It inspires me to work that much harder to serve. It inspires me to make that next mission in the cold or in the heat. It inspires me to try and do my job better than I did it last time. Again, I thank all of you fine people for allowing me the privilege of standing in the flag line with you. Now, what do you say we have some fun with these fine people on April 26!!!!????!!!! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Tue Mar 17 03:35:46 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:35:46 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Medal of Honor Info. Message-ID: <007a01c9a6db$5e8c9550$1ba5bff0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, One item of information I forgot to tell you about the parade for the Medal of Honor recipients on April 4. We had initially planned on trying to put big flag bikes as outriders on the recipient's vehicles during the parade - at least on the front fenders of the vehicles. That duty has been given to active duty Air Force personnel, who will be marching at the 4 corners of each vehicle. Maybe next year. Semper Gumby. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 19 15:23:03 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:23:03 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Need Gainesville Escort Information Message-ID: <004701c9a8d0$819a5950$84cf0bf0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, We've been asked by the law enforcement personnel who will be providing our safety escort from DFW Airport to Gainesville on April 1, to estimate how many bikes we might have in the procession. This is important to know so they can estimate the amount of their resources will be necessary to safely get us from one place to another. We will be going through several law enforcement jurisdictions and you can imagine that coordinating this is a complicated task. Our good friend Deputy King, who has taken care of this in the past for us is again working on this. Everyone please thank him and shake his hand when you see him at the airport. Given the time of day of this event, the law enforcement agencies who are volunteering their time to help us need all the info. they can. I told Deputy King that I was pretty sure we would have something a bit less than 1000 bikes. I'll not repeat what he said to me in this more-or-less public forum. J So..if you are planning on being in this wonderful event from DFW airport to Gainesville on April 1, please send me an e-mail at pgrlucas at charter.net as soon as you can so I can give them an estimate. If you are representing a group, such as a chapter of American Legion riders or Freemason Riders you can just e-mail me with an approximate number instead of each rider sending me a separate message. Cages, too. I think it would be great to have a couple hundred bikes in this escort, or more. The same for the parade on the 4th. It is a great honor to be invited to escort these heroes and a great opportunity to see this many of these men gathered together in one place at the same time. What an opportunity to give them a welcome they will never forget. So.please let me hear from you. I'll keep that mail box empty as best I can. Let's have lots and lots of riders. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 19 23:11:03 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:11:03 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Meet and Greet Message-ID: <019401c9a911$e2e29c90$a8a7d5b0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Just a quick note to remind everyone about the N. TX meet and greet this Sat. at Duke's Roadhouse in Bedford, starting around noon. Please be there and bring your friends for a great time. All the info. can be found on the N. TX web page at www.txpgr.org. Looks like it's going to be fine weather for a ride. Thanks! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sat Mar 21 02:28:25 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:28:25 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard April first Update Message-ID: <001a01c9a9f6$9f703630$de50a290$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Just a quick update about the response to the request for responses for riders for the April 1 ride from DFW Airport to Gainesville. Many, many thanks to all of you who have responded so far. There is no way I can e-mail each of you personally but thank you all very much for taking the time. We are at something over 90 responses and counting. Please don't stop responding, even through next week and beyond. If you find out you can come on this escort, please let me know at pgrlucas at charter.net. As our numbers grow, law enforcement needs to know. It's directly related to our safety and the safety of the travelling public. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. Time for the escort to leave the airport is still 5:00 PM. We will be escorted by law enforcement the entire way. Those of you who rode the mission where we escorted the KIA to Oklahoma will remember that ride. This will be very similar, but with more traffic between the airport and the interstate. Deputy King, the same man who set that up, is also in charge on this one. Wouldn't it be exciting if, after all that these recipients have seen and done, WE were able to make a memory for them that lasted them a life time? What a great opportunity and what a great honor. Please let me keep hearing from you as your plans firm up if you plan on being there. Thank you all, very much for taking the time to do so, and thank you all for everything you do to make all of our missions a success. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Tue Mar 24 03:39:38 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:39:38 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard New Rider Message-ID: <008d01c9ac5c$11872cd0$34958670$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Pardon the interruption but we have a new rider who lives in the Springtown/Azle area who would like someone to ride along side to the escort from the Airport on April 1. If anybody is going from that area and would like to extend a hand to a first timer for this big event his name is Rupert "NamVet69" Harrell and his e-mail address is harrellcwby1948 at aol.com. This is not the kind of message I'll make a habit of but for a new rider with a distance to ride I thought I'd make an exception. Thanks for your patience. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Tue Mar 24 10:56:31 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:56:31 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Gainesville Medal of Honor Events Message-ID: <006601c9ac99$1969fd00$4c3df700$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Medal of Honor Celebration DFW Airport and Gainesville, Texas Mission Dates; April 1 & 4, 2009 Ride Captains: Dewey "Diehard" Dyer; 214-316-8730 (c); dgd8730 at sbcglobal.net; Gene and Sharon Faulk; 940-284-1147 (c); quawanna at aol.com The North Texas Patriot Guard Riders have been invited to participate in this year's Gainesville, TX Medal of Honor Host City Program celebration. This year, 12 Medal of Honor recipients will be hosted by the city of Gainesville and the Medal of Honor Program for many varied functions in and around town. The PGR will participate in an escort for the recipients from DFW airport to Gainesville when they arrive in Texas on April 1, 2009, and in a parade and book signing in their honor on April 4, 2009. It is a great honor to be asked to salute these men in this manner and we are proud and humbled to do so. Part 1 - Escort: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - 5:00 PM; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Gainesville, TX Ride Captain - Dewey "Diehard" Dyer Staging - 3:45 PM; Briefing - 4:00 PM It is very important that you attend this briefing. Miss the briefing and you may not be allowed to ride. American Airlines Cargo Terminal Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Northbound Service Road - North of Crossunder #2 The cargo terminal does not have a physical address that is recognized by Mapquest or Google Maps. If you pull up "DFW International Airport" on either Mapquest or Google Maps and go to the aerial view, you can see the cargo terminal on the north end of the airport, on the east side of the main north/south roadway going through the airport. It is opposite the large parking lot on the west side (shaped like a terminal) and it's the last set of buildings you see before you exit the airport on the north end. Approaching the north airport entrance (heading south) take the service road exit before entering the toll booths. Take the second cross-under (the have signs on them), U-turn and head north on the opposite service road. The AA cargo facility is the second to the last building on the right. We will be in the north end of the parking lot. >From the south airport entrance (heading north), take the service road exit before entering the toll booths. Continue traveling north on the service road. The AA cargo facility is the second to the last building on the right. We will be in the north end of the parking lot. There is a Shell gas station at the south end of the airport, on the airport facility. Please either plan to gas up there or shortly before you get to the airport. There is no gas, food or water facility at the staging area, very limited access to rest rooms, and we will not be stopping once we are on the way to Gainesville. The ride to Gainesville is about 70 miles. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Medal of Honor recipients will be arriving at the airport throughout the afternoon and will be spending time with the troops at the USO area. When all of the recipients have arrived and are ready to leave, the delegation from Gainesville and the recipients will be brought to our location and we will immediately depart for Gainesville. Our PGR brothers and sisters in Gainesville will have a flag line set up at the hotel to greet the recipients when we arrive. There is no scheduled event or greeting at the hotel. The mission is the escort itself. The recipients have a private event scheduled for shortly after they arrive at the hotel. Our part of the mission will conclude when the recipients are inside the hotel. There is a Cracker Barrel restaurant right next door to our destination and an Applebee's in the shared parking lot a short distance away. We will be about 5 miles away from downtown Gainesville where there are multiple places to eat. For the GPS junkies among us, our destination is: Hampton Inn 4325 N I-35 Gainesville, TX 76240 (940) 612-4300 (Exit 501) Traffic will be very heavy at this time of day and a well disciplined formation will be critical for our own safety, particularly while we are on Highway 114. This is serious business and must be treated as such. Your safety and that of the riders around you depends on being focused and paying close attention. Please be on time for the briefing prior to this escort. Part 2 - Parade: Saturday, April 4, 2009 - 10:00 AM; Downtown Gainesville, Texas Ride Captains - Gene and Sharon Faulk Staging - 8:00 AM; Briefing - 8:15 AM Old Gainesville High School Football Stadium Parking Lot 100 Block E. Hird St. Gainesville, TX 76240 Map - http://tinyurl.com/cugsqm For those coming northbound on I-35 you can see that exit 496A, the Weaver Street exit, takes you almost right to the staging area. For those coming from other directions, please avoid Weaver Street, which runs north & south off of Hird Street and approach from the east side of the staging area if possible. Denton Street and Lindsey streets are good alternatives and both cross Hird St. The rest of the parade will be staging in the area of the baseball field you see located near the intersection of Weaver and California and this area will be very congested. You may also find California Street blocked in certain areas, as California street is the main parade route. Please just take your time and work your way to the staging area. We will stage with big flag bikes in front and others following. We have only a VERY limited space to put cages in the parade. If you want your cage in the parade, decorate it in a patriotic manner. This is a parade, after all. Folks who don't ride motorcycles and cannot walk the half-mile parade route (and then the approximately other half-mile to the book signing location) can ride in a truck that we already know will be in the parade with us. We will work this out in the staging area. Depending on the number of bikes we have, we may go down the street 3 or 4 abreast. Semper Gumby. We'll only be able to go as fast as the Marine Corps color guard will walk so this will work out fine. Since the parade is in the morning and it's still early in the year, heat shouldn't be a problem for the riders or the bikes. We'll smile and wave to the folks and have a great time. The parade line up at the time of this posting has a police vehicle leading the parade, then a Marine Corps color guard, the Fort Sill Army Band, an Army Recruiter, David Hall and the Liberty Bell, then us, followed by the VFW color guard and float, then the recipients, the Grand Marshall, etc. We will have a reserved designated parking area at the First State Bank building at the end of the parade where the bikes will be lined up side by side as a show of patriotism. Details will be given at the briefing. Part 3 - Book Signing: Saturday, April 4, 2009 - Noon to 2:00 PM; Ride Captain - Sharon Faulk and designee(s) Staging - Immediately After Parade; Briefing - Same Post-parade parking area The book signing will be in the First State Bank Conference Center, right next door to the First State Bank building where we are parking following the parade. Briefing for this event will be held as soon as we are parked and can muster for the briefing. We have a limited number of spots for page turners. We will be sharing 9 recipients among us over a 2 hour period. For everyone who wants to get a chance, we will need to cooperate well together. PGR members ONLY will be page turners, please. Sharon will be coordinating this. The good news for everyone is that all of the riders will be arriving at the book signing location ahead of just about everyone else so we should be at or near the front of the line to go in. Weather: Advanced weather forecasts are for good weather for all events and temperatures in the 70s as highs for those days. It's early yet for predictions to be accurate so please be prepared. Our mission is to honor these Medal of Honor recipients. We will not be honoring them if the focus is not on them the entire time. Whenever we have 200+ motorcycles gathered in any one place, we are bound to attract attention and that's OK. But whenever we have 200+ bikes gathered in any one place we also have a recipe for a disaster of large proportion. Accidents happen and we all understand that. Bikes break, flat tires happen and things unavoidable sometimes just creep up on us. But if our own inattention to what we are responsible for causes a 20+ bike wreck, then the focus is no longer on the recipients and the headline in all of the newspapers and on the news is not about these brave men and their accomplishments, but it is on the big bike wreck. Plus, the all important possibility of injured riders. So let's please all double check everything mechanical on the bikes, double check your flag mounts and poles, make sure you have plenty of gas for the escort and the parade, that you are dressed appropriately, etc. Please make sure you are on top of your game at all times. Even forgetting to put down a side stand while parking could set off a chain reaction of 75 bikes that could cost a lot to fix and maybe trap somebody in the domino effect if they happen to be standing nearby. No water truck(s) are being specifically requested for any of the events in this mission. There may be something available but with the number of bikes anticipated, we are simply not set up to accommodate the demand. So.please plan on being self sufficient for water, sport drink(s), snack, sandwich, whatever you think you will need. Anything above that is a bonus. For all events please be sure to bring your cameras for plenty of photos, including with the recipients when the opportunity presents itself. Let's have a good time, be safe, and make a great memory for the fine men and great American heroes. Respectfully Submitted, Dewey "Diehard" Dyer Sharon "Quawanna" Faulk Gene "Walking Eagle" Faulk North Texas Ride Captains -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Tue Mar 24 11:45:39 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:45:39 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Gainesville Mission Itinerary Correction Message-ID: <00c001c9ac9f$f6d1ec60$e475c520$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The e-mail address for ride captain Dewey Dyer is INCORRECT on the itinerary. It should be dgd4758 at sbcglobal.net Please make this correction on your copy. That mistake is mine and I apologize. Dewey does know his own e-mail address. I made the error in transcription. I beg your indulgence. Thanks! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain (who is wondering about his own sanity right along with the rest of you) North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Wed Mar 25 18:44:06 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:44:06 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - March 27, 2009 - Ed Batte, Sr. Message-ID: <016401c9ada3$96034140$c209c3c0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of Mr. Ed Batte, Sr. has asked that the Patriot Guard participate in the final services for this veteran of the United States Navy. Mr. Batte served as Machinist's Mate aboard the USS Robert E. Lee from 1962 to 1966. Mr. Batte was an avid motorcyclist and was killed by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle to work. The funeral will be at 3:00 PM in Midlothian with a procession to a private cemetery and a graveside service immediately following. As soon as the details are confirmed a final itinerary will be posted. Let's stand tall and silent for this American Patriot. Thank you. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Wed Mar 25 22:47:46 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:47:46 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Active Duty Death - Saturday, March 28, 2009 - Joshua David Pollock Message-ID: <019001c9adc5$a05530f0$e0ff92d0$@net> Final Itinerary Sgt. Joshua David Pollock United States Army Mission Date March 28, 2009 Ride Captain: Randy "Coach" Roberts, 940-390-6243(c); rkroberts127 at hotmail.com ....................................... Joshua David Pollock, age 21, of Frisco, Texas passed away on March 21, 2009 in Austin, Texas. He was born on January 16, 1988 in Washington Court House, Ohio to John David and Ruby Ann (Huddleston) Pollock. Joshua was a Cavalry Scout in the United States Army. Joshua was a member of the Texas National Guard. He was a veteran of the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign, serving from May 2007 to May 2008. He was currently on active duty with the United States Army, and was training soldiers at Camp Swift in Bastrop, Texas in preparation for their deployment to the Middle East. Joshua was slated to be deployed to Afghanistan in October 2009. ....................................... Service: Saturday March 28, 2009 - 11:30 AM Staging 10:00 AM; Briefing - 10:30 AM First Baptist Church 841 N. Preston Road (appx. 7800 blk. N. Hwy 289) Celina, Texas 75009 (972) 382-3171 Map: http://tinyurl.com/cmda4p We will set up our flag line and stand tall and silent as the family and guests arrive for the service. Once the service begins we break down the flag line and prepare to ride in the procession to the cemetery. Procession: Following the funeral service we will ride in the procession from the church to the cemetery for the interment service. Interment Service: Ridgeview West Memorial Park Just North of 8000 County Road 710 Frisco, Texas 75034 Map: http://tinyurl.com/c5qtzs On arrival at the cemetery we will set a flag line as friends and family arrive for the interment. ....................................... Weather: Saturday - Partly cloudy with a high of 60 degrees. The flag / water truck will be at both locations. We will need big flag bikes for the procession. All bikes will ride in the procession to the cemetery. Iron horses if you can. Cages are always welcome and appreciated. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall and silent with honor and respect for this Hero and his family. .......................................... Respectfully Submitted, Randy "Coach" Roberts North Texas Senior Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Thu Mar 26 00:02:33 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:02:33 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Final Itinerary - Edward Glenn Batte, Sr. - March 27, 2009 Message-ID: <01cf01c9add0$12eec310$38cc4930$@net> FINAL ITINERARY Edward Glenn Batte, Sr.; Veteran United States Navy Mission Date; March 27, 2009 Ride Captain: Dewey "Diehard" Dyer; 214-316-8730 (c); dgd4758 at sbcglobal.net Mr. Batte served as Machinist's Mate aboard the USS Robert E. Lee from 1962 to 1966. Mr. Batte was an avid motorcyclist and was killed by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle to work. Part 1 - Funeral and Escort: Friday, March 27, 2009 - 3:00 PM; Midlothian Funeral Home Staging - 1:30 PM; Briefing - 1:50 PM; Flag line in place by 2:00 PM Midlothian Funeral Home 200 East Avenue E Midlothian, TX 76065 972-723-9884 Map - http://tinyurl.com/cpvl3q We will set up a flag line prior to the funeral service and stand the line to receive family and guests as they arrive. Once the service begins we will break down the flag line and prepare for the procession to the cemetery. Following the funeral service we will ride in the procession approximately 7.8 miles to the cemetery for the interment service. Part 2 - Interment Service: Friday, March 27, 2009 - Sardis Cemetery Immediately following funeral services Sardis Cemetery Appx. 6180 Honeysuckle Road Midlothian, TX 76065 Map - http://tinyurl.com/c3cmjz Riders not participating in the funeral or escort portion of the mission please plan to arrive at the cemetery no later than 2:30 PM in order to assist in setting up flags for the interment services. Weather: Forecast is for an isolated thunderstorm with a high of 59 degrees. Please keep an eye on the weather and dress accordingly. Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, silent, and with honor and respect for this American patriot. Iron Horses if you can; cages are always welcome and appreciated. There is a procession associated with this mission so bikes and flag bikes would be a plus if possible but if the weather is bad please take no unnecessary chances. The flag/water truck will be present. Respectfully Submitted, Dewey Dyer North Texas Ride Captain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Fri Mar 27 21:35:45 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:35:45 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Gainesville Patch Message-ID: <003701c9af4d$e5d42d00$b17c8700$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, We have just gotten word that a patch is going to be made by the host city program in Gainesville. Riders might like to have one of these to commemorate the upcoming mission. The patch will not be ready in time to get one at the mission but I have attached an order form to this message that has a very good depiction of the patch on it. Instructions on how to obtain the patch are on the form. Personally, I plan on owning more than one of these. You might want to look into it, too. The form is here for your information. See you there!!! Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Medal_of_Honor_Host_City_Patch_Order_Form.doc Type: application/msword Size: 305664 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mission at txpgr.org Fri Mar 27 22:48:35 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:48:35 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Gainesville Public Schedule Message-ID: <00a201c9af58$129928e0$37cb7aa0$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, Some have been asking where they may be able to see the Medal of Honor recipients other than at the parade and book signing and when we deliver them to the hotel. Below I have pasted a tentative schedule of everywhere I know they will be that is open to the public. You can see that the banquet is already sold out. The only thing that costs any money is the movie premier and it is a formal event. The school programs, with the exception of Lee Intermediate, will be held at the North Central Texas College Center for the Performing Arts on their Gainesville Campus, near the library. It not far off of I-35 to the west, at the California St. (Hwy 51) exit. I've not been over there but it's a domed building at the front of the campus and I'm told you can't miss it. I'm not sure where the tree planting is, but I can find out if there is interest. The premier is at the Grand Theater in downtown Gainesville, with red carpet, search lights, the whole package. The schedule is below. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR Tentative Public Schedule Thursday, April 2, 2009 9:00 AM- 9:45 AM - School Program (Public Invited) - North Central Texas College Center for the Performing Arts 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM - School Program (Public Invited) - North Central Texas College Center for the Performing Arts 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Tree Planting Friday, April 3, 2009 9:00 AM- 9:45 AM - School Program (Public Invited) - North Central Texas College Center for the Performing Arts 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM - School Program (Public Invited) - North Central Texas College Center for the Performing Arts 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM - School Program, Lee Intermediate School (Public Invited) - Currently Standing Room Only Banquet; 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM - SOLD OUT Saturday, April 4, 2009 10:00 AM - Parade, Downtown Gainesville Noon - 2:00 PM - Book Signing - First State Bank Conference Center 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM - Movie Premier - State Theater - Black Tie, Advance Tickets on line at http://www.heroswelcomemovie.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mission at txpgr.org Sun Mar 29 20:59:05 2009 From: mission at txpgr.org (Mission Information For North Texas PGR) Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:59:05 -0500 Subject: PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Confirmed Mission - Friday, April 3, 2009 - Harold M. Smart Message-ID: <008f01c9b0db$1b473e30$51d5ba90$@net> Ladies and Gentlemen, The family of Harold M. Smart has asked that the Patriot Guard participate in the final services for this veteran of the Army Air Corps in World War II. The services are currently scheduled for Friday, April 3, 2009 at 1:30 PM at DFW National Cemetery. This is subject to change, however, due to notification being this early in the week so please look for possible changes when the final itinerary is posted. Let's stand tall and silent for this member of the Greatest Generation. Thank you. Steve Lucas Deputy State Captain North Texas PGR -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: