Yesterday, 23 Jan, I had the honor of being a part of the Patriot Guard Riders mission to honor a young Sgt Croft, who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, and his family in Plant City. Florida.
I departed at 07:50 to link up with another member and his wife. At 08:15 we hit the road for the 75 mile/121 Kilometer ride. The temp was a pleasant 53 F/11.7 C. I had dressed properly and was not cold at all. I had to layer because I knew the afternoon temps would be around 75 F/24 C. I was a pretty ride in the early morning with little traffic. We arrived in Lakeland to meet and have breakfast with 23 other riders coming from various parts of the state. After breakfast, I led the ride of 25 bikes to Plant City and to the church where services for Sgt Croft would be held.
Staging time wasn't until 11:00 and we arrived about 10:20 - to find that 40 riders were already there. It was beginning to look like we were going to have a good turn out to honor this young hero and his family.
Plant City is an agricultural community, famous for their strawberries, of about 32,000. Sgt Croft was the ninth casualty from this town since the War on Terror began. By contrast, populous Miami has suffered only three losses.
When I arrived at the funeral home for the escort to the church there were only three or four bikes there. By the time we departed, thirty minutes later, there were a dozen. We were met at the church by a dozen more riders. It was beginning to look like we were going to have a good turn out to honor this young hero and his family.
That thought turned out to be an understatement of the greatest magnitude. You see, by the time the service began at 13:00, there was a final tally of ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN bikes and over 200 folks on the flag line. There were six (that I counted) veteran MC's represented as well as other non veteran groups and many non affiliated riders present. Prior to the briefing by the ride captains and the forming of the flag line there were many bear hugs, smiles and the obligatory chides between the service branches represented by the many riders. Underneath it all flowed the river of sadness in the realization that we had all come together to honor the sacrifice of a young man who died defending our precious freedoms just four days before his twenty-third birthday and just two weeks before he and his unit was to rotate back to the states.
The family requested that ALL the riders sign the guest book. Needless to say many pages had to be added to that book.
When the procession to the cemetery pulled out it stretched for over a mile. every fire station we passed the fire fighters had pulled out one of their trucks and they stood at attention and saluted as we passed by. There were countless people lining the route, some holding flags, most all with their hands over their hearts in final tribute to the young man many of them never knew, but whom had died defending them.
I cannot describe my own emotions yesterday. They ranged from joy and meeting with old friends to abject sorrow at the sounds of rifle volleys, Taps, and Amazing Grace played by a bagpiper.
After eating dinner with PGR friends, we left Plant City just after sunset, in a subdued mood and all had a safe return home.
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I departed at 07:50 to link up with another member and his wife. At 08:15 we hit the road for the 75 mile/121 Kilometer ride. The temp was a pleasant 53 F/11.7 C. I had dressed properly and was not cold at all. I had to layer because I knew the afternoon temps would be around 75 F/24 C. I was a pretty ride in the early morning with little traffic. We arrived in Lakeland to meet and have breakfast with 23 other riders coming from various parts of the state. After breakfast, I led the ride of 25 bikes to Plant City and to the church where services for Sgt Croft would be held.
Staging time wasn't until 11:00 and we arrived about 10:20 - to find that 40 riders were already there. It was beginning to look like we were going to have a good turn out to honor this young hero and his family.
Plant City is an agricultural community, famous for their strawberries, of about 32,000. Sgt Croft was the ninth casualty from this town since the War on Terror began. By contrast, populous Miami has suffered only three losses.
When I arrived at the funeral home for the escort to the church there were only three or four bikes there. By the time we departed, thirty minutes later, there were a dozen. We were met at the church by a dozen more riders. It was beginning to look like we were going to have a good turn out to honor this young hero and his family.
That thought turned out to be an understatement of the greatest magnitude. You see, by the time the service began at 13:00, there was a final tally of ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN bikes and over 200 folks on the flag line. There were six (that I counted) veteran MC's represented as well as other non veteran groups and many non affiliated riders present. Prior to the briefing by the ride captains and the forming of the flag line there were many bear hugs, smiles and the obligatory chides between the service branches represented by the many riders. Underneath it all flowed the river of sadness in the realization that we had all come together to honor the sacrifice of a young man who died defending our precious freedoms just four days before his twenty-third birthday and just two weeks before he and his unit was to rotate back to the states.
The family requested that ALL the riders sign the guest book. Needless to say many pages had to be added to that book.
When the procession to the cemetery pulled out it stretched for over a mile. every fire station we passed the fire fighters had pulled out one of their trucks and they stood at attention and saluted as we passed by. There were countless people lining the route, some holding flags, most all with their hands over their hearts in final tribute to the young man many of them never knew, but whom had died defending them.
I cannot describe my own emotions yesterday. They ranged from joy and meeting with old friends to abject sorrow at the sounds of rifle volleys, Taps, and Amazing Grace played by a bagpiper.
After eating dinner with PGR friends, we left Plant City just after sunset, in a subdued mood and all had a safe return home.
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