Ride Report
The morning began cloudy, damp, and dreary. As staging time drew close, the sky began to brighten and by mission time, the sky was blue and the sun shinning. A beautiful day to honor an American hero, SSG Robert J. Miller, United States Army Special Forces. SSG Millers' parents received the Medal of Honor on his behalf in November 2010. Today his new headstone identifying him as a Medal of Honor recipient would be unveiled.
Co-Ride Captain Gene Goss and I arrived at the cemetery at 08:00 for last minute coordination with Army representatives and cemetery officials. We learned that Governor Scott would be among the dignitaries attending. Riders began arriving around 9:15. And they kept coming. By 09:45, mission brief time, we had over 50 folks who gave of their time to honor SSG Miller and support his family. This number swelled to 76 by the time the ceremony started. We had at least 12 participants who had taken part in the original mission for SSG Miller in Jan & Feb 2008. At 10:00, with hawks calling from the treetops, we formed flag lines at the entrance to cemetery and at the grave site.
Shortly after 11:00, the ceremony began with a prayer and the National Anthem followed by a reading of the citation for SSG Miller's Medal of Honor. During a mop up operation in Afghanistan, SSG Miller and his Special Forces team were ambushed in the open by a well concealed superior force of insurgents. Deliberately and completely disregarding his own safety, SSG Miller charged the insurgents drawing their fire. Hit in the torso, he continued his charge killing a number of those insurgents. His actions gave his seven surviving team members and 18 soldiers of the Afghan Army time to find safety out of the kill zone. In the process he received a mortal wound. He deliberately sacrificed his life to save the lives of others.
Admiral Eric T. Olson, Commander, United States Special Operations Command, gave brief remarks and in his remarks he recognized the Patriot Guard Riders for their missions all across the US. Admiral Olson introduced Lt Gen John F. Mulholland, Jr, Commander, United States Army Special Operations Command, who conducted the ceremony. Following his address, He and Mr and Mrs Miller unveiled SSG Miller's new headstone. When a service member receives the nation's highest honor for valor posthumously, the government provides a new headstone identifying that member as a Medal of Honor recipient. The ceremony concluded with a prayer and the playing of "the Ballad of the Green Beret". An true American hero has been recognized and honored.
The morning began cloudy, damp, and dreary. As staging time drew close, the sky began to brighten and by mission time, the sky was blue and the sun shinning. A beautiful day to honor an American hero, SSG Robert J. Miller, United States Army Special Forces. SSG Millers' parents received the Medal of Honor on his behalf in November 2010. Today his new headstone identifying him as a Medal of Honor recipient would be unveiled.
Co-Ride Captain Gene Goss and I arrived at the cemetery at 08:00 for last minute coordination with Army representatives and cemetery officials. We learned that Governor Scott would be among the dignitaries attending. Riders began arriving around 9:15. And they kept coming. By 09:45, mission brief time, we had over 50 folks who gave of their time to honor SSG Miller and support his family. This number swelled to 76 by the time the ceremony started. We had at least 12 participants who had taken part in the original mission for SSG Miller in Jan & Feb 2008. At 10:00, with hawks calling from the treetops, we formed flag lines at the entrance to cemetery and at the grave site.
Shortly after 11:00, the ceremony began with a prayer and the National Anthem followed by a reading of the citation for SSG Miller's Medal of Honor. During a mop up operation in Afghanistan, SSG Miller and his Special Forces team were ambushed in the open by a well concealed superior force of insurgents. Deliberately and completely disregarding his own safety, SSG Miller charged the insurgents drawing their fire. Hit in the torso, he continued his charge killing a number of those insurgents. His actions gave his seven surviving team members and 18 soldiers of the Afghan Army time to find safety out of the kill zone. In the process he received a mortal wound. He deliberately sacrificed his life to save the lives of others.
Admiral Eric T. Olson, Commander, United States Special Operations Command, gave brief remarks and in his remarks he recognized the Patriot Guard Riders for their missions all across the US. Admiral Olson introduced Lt Gen John F. Mulholland, Jr, Commander, United States Army Special Operations Command, who conducted the ceremony. Following his address, He and Mr and Mrs Miller unveiled SSG Miller's new headstone. When a service member receives the nation's highest honor for valor posthumously, the government provides a new headstone identifying that member as a Medal of Honor recipient. The ceremony concluded with a prayer and the playing of "the Ballad of the Green Beret". An true American hero has been recognized and honored.
