One of my Patriot Guard friends started this troop care package drive 3 years ago. She got support from Bumpus Harley Davidson of Murfreesboro, Tn, AnySoldier and the Patriot Guard Riders. Susan pours her heart and soul into supporting our troops and I hope anyone from this area could stop by Bumpus in […]

Remember on this July 4th - Freedom isn’t Free.

Today there is a family in Clarksville, TN who will be burying their son, SPC Joshua L. Plocica.
SPC Joshua L. Plocica, 20, of Clarksville, TN, died June 25, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. […]

Last week Patriot Guard did a rather harrowing escort for the Wounded Warriors Project in downtown Nashville. It was the start of the CMA Music Festival so there was just a little bit of traffic for afternoon rush and with 30 or so motorcycles, 3 cages and a bus making stops at hotels without a […]

Patriot Guard was invited to participate in the unveiling ceremony today for the statue bust of Staff Sgt. Marcus A. Golczynski, USMC. When Heather Golczynski (widow of SSG Golczynski) asked her son, Christian, what she should say about his Dad today he told her “Daddy was a great Marine”. SSG Golczynski’s family focused […]

Last October the Tn Patriot Guard (PGR) gave mid-tour send off for the 1175th Transportation Company, yesterday we welcomed them home after a year tour of duty. All 300 of the 1175th Transportation Company returned and PGR was at the Smyrna Airport with flags flying high. In fact, the wind was so strong it […]

Last Saturday Patriot Guard Riders had the privilege of escorting the Veterans for Freedom Heroes Tour bus around town. This event was something I had wanted to participate in as soon as I read the tour was going to stop in Nashville. It was a fabulous day with the tour starting at VFW […]

I’m jazzed about this tour because it’s coming through Nashville and Fort Campbell. I’ve been in contact with VFF and it looks like Patriot Guard of Tennessee will be doing an escort across the state for this group of Heroes on their way to Washington D.C. They’ll be coming to Tennessee the last weekend […]

UPDATE - Tuesday evening: Since I was out this evening, dependable Sherri kept on the story. “Strength and Honor”Cpl Chris Mason’s dad - Garland Mason (USMC / US Paratrooper retired)————————————————————-
Rite Aid has agreed to a donation of $10,000.00 dollars to the “Wounded Warriors Foundation” in the name of Cpl. Christopher Edward Mason…. They […]

This story has been percolating on the Patriot Guard forum for a few days now.
Cpl Chris Mason

KIA November 28, 2006
MySpace Tribute
Rite Aid Corporation policy concerning Fallen Soldier Cpl Christopher E. Mason - “is no different than someone’s house burning down” (January 8, 2008)
Cpl Chris Mason’s mother told Rite Aid’s […]

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
Remember the fallen;
Honor those who serve;
Teach our children the value of freedom.

The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery.
Wreaths Across […]

Today the Patriot Guard had the honor to assist Gold Star Families with their journey on the Snowball Express.

CAN YOU EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE PAIN OF A 4-YEAR-OLD AFTER HER DADDY DIES?
The mission of Snowball Express, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, is to help create new memories and a few days of joy for lives […]

This poem was written and posted in the Patriot Guard forum.  It needs to be read by all.
I AM THE MOTHER YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOWI sit at the computer
It is ready to go,
I take a breath,
Do I really want to know?
The emails come upon the screen
And there is the one I wish I […]

If you live in the Benton, Ark. vicinity you can help an injured soldier.
From Patriot Guard:
In what could arguable be the saddest possible situation one has ever heard, the fact is…we have been called upon to serve one who has served his country. Spc. John Johnson was wounded in Iraq. He had been […]

With all the recent publicity around Oakland Airport and it’s shunning of our returning troops (btw - Michelle Malkin has news on changes for layovers from the DOD and Charter Flight Operators…hint - Oakland is out!) we were surprised to learn of some shunning at our own Nashville airport. This however wasn’t from the […]

It isn’t often I post about what we call “fun missions” in Patriot Guard but this welcome home was just so sweet. We had less than a days notice that LCpl Mosley was on his way to Dickson, TN. His wife Stefanie had been waiting for info from the Chamber of Commerce to […]

Proclaim Liberty - Ring the Liberty Bell!

Patriot Guard Tennessee had an escort mission yesterday for this replica Liberty Bell. Here’s the forum information :
Mr. David Hall, PGR member from Texas, will be bringing the last remaining traveling replica of the original Liberty Bell to Martinsburg, WV to participate in the HOTH mission honoring Mr. […]

Last evening Franklin, Tennessee hosted the Brentwood Exchange Club’s Flags of Honor ceremony. If you don’t know, Middle Tennessee has been in a severe drought and finally yesterday we got rain. It lightly rained for the hour prior to the start of the ceremony, just as the ceremony was to start the rain […]

This wounded warrior is at Walter Reed and is looking at a minimum of a year at WR. 
From the HOTH forum at Patriot Guard:
While my son Jeff’s platoon was on patrol several weeks ago in the Triangle of Death South West of Baghdad, they were hit with an IED. One of his squad leaders […]

A friend of the family of 1Lt Frank B. Walkup IV of Woodbury, TN sent this piece to Patriot Guard:
This I have known
I know the shape of a stranger’s lights coming up the driveway as I relax with friends. It has to be a stranger. He didn’t come all the way to the back of […]

Video tribute from a fellow Patriot Guard member:

Technorati Tags: Hero tribute, video, us miltiary, support the troops, patriot guard riders

On July 4th I attended the military funeral for 1LT Frank B. Walkup IV in Woodbury, Tennessee.  You can read about it here.  One of my fellow PGR riders set up a video cam on his helmet and he’s got the video uploaded for the ride from the church to the cemetery.  Dave did a […]

There are many different types of volunteerism.  My Mother used to volunteer as a Hospice worker.  She knew her patients were going to die yet there she was year after year supporting, aiding and giving of herself freely to a patient with an unknown length of time left to live.  I didn’t know how she […]

This post is in honor of 1LT Frank B. Walkup IV of Woodbury, Tn.
2nd Bn., 35th Infantry Regt.
3rd Bde Combat Team
I can’t think of a more fitting way to spend the July 4th holiday than honoring the duty and sacrifice of one of our heroes who fought and died in service to our country. […]

PFC Joshua Moore took his last ride through Lewisburg and Russellville, KY today.  Josh had been home on leave in May and purchased a new truck.  While home he had visited with some of the children at the elementary school.  Josh was very proud of his service to our country and told friends and family […]

At my recent visit to Walter Reed, Ted had some of the finished Eagle Canes to be distributed.  He brought them out to show Susan and myself.  The canes were beautiful.  Each Eagle Cane is customized per specification by the receiving Soldier.  The designs on each cane ranged from simple to intricate but all were […]