JayDub:

Thanks for the welcome. I've heard goods things about this group  but I want to learn more so I guess I've got some reading to do.

JayDub,

Hey there, so good to see you here!!!! Let us know if you have any questions...me, Lisa, Kat and Susan can help you with anything.

For all of you AS junkies, JayDub is a very important part of the Georgia Patriot Guard Rider's team. He was one of the first PGR members I met and I can't say enough about him. My grandfather is still talking about him and all of the PGR he met that day. And his certificate is hanging proudly on his wall.

JayDub:

SusanMK:

JayDub:

Hello folks. I'm new here and just wanted to stop by and say Hi since this is apparently where all my cagers are hanging out.

 JayDub!!!  :)  It's nice to see another Georgia face added to the mix.  Thanks for joining us here on the forums.  It's good to have you.

Hopefully you'll get to see my smiling face in Georgia again soon! 

 

Hey Ohio Breeze I hear on the rumor mill you may want to grow up and be a Georgia Gust.

Good to hear from you 

I'm so happy to have you here JayDub!  It's nice to see my Georgia family popping up!  Hope all is well. 

You'll see me soon. 

This morning was my FIRST mission with the PGR.  Great Learning Experience.  1)  Forget about the pictures you see of all the bikers standing around visiting out in the sunshine.  2)  Remember WHERE you live - it is warm in California, but I live in Wisconsin. Bikers aren't stupid.  They don't RIDE their bikes in the MIDDLE of WINTER.  3) Don't believe what the internet weather report tells you.  When they say "Sunny with a Hi of 31" that does not mean WARM.  It was 12 degrees with a windchill well below that.  I could barely hold on to the flag due to the gusting winds.  4) Don't even THINK about being feminine.  Those black silk "Cuddle Duds" long underwear with the lace are for wearing in a chilly office, not in -5 degree weather with the wind blowing at 50 mph.  5) Give thanks for a wonderful Ride Captain who comes over to you and asks if you are too cold because he sees your flag pole shaking violently and offers you a chance to go inside.  I answered that I'd stay outside because the soldiers would have to endure much worse.  He told me that was just the answer he was looking for - but to remember I COULD go inside.  6) Enjoy the honor of meeting some Nam Vets who still have a sense of humor and while standing next to you have the gall to complain about how HOT it is out.  7) Listen to the Vet on the other side of you as he tells you he has SIX layers of clothes on OVER his Thermal Long underwear.  He swore he had no lace on his underwear.  8)  Feel the HONOR of  standing along the roadside as the busses loaded with soldiers head towards the highway.  Listen to the older gentleman next to you who walks with the aid of a cane and is very quiet and meek as he shouts out the orders for saluting the buses as they go by and realize that inside that older gentleman is a 6 ft tall Marine with a voice of steel.  What a thrill to stand with my hand over my heart, holding the flag proudly as those wonderful men and women passed by us. 

I  just can't say enough good things about my experience this morning.  Next time, however, I will be a little more realistic about the weather.  I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I dressed for this thing in northern Wisconsin this morning.  I thought I was going to freeze to death.  One of the PGR members told me that Shaking from the cold is okay.  It's when you stop shaking that you need to get help.  Geez. 

Thanks Lisa, for pointing me toward the PGR.  I LOVE IT.  Anyone can join.  I'm a 62+ grandmother. 

Mary 

Mary,

I loved reading your post. Welcome to the PGR family!!!! There is really nothing like it.

Mary, I loved reading your post as well.  It made me laugh. 

Welcome to the PGR family.  Thanks for stepping up.

(hugs!)

Hey Mary,

I loved you story, I glad you had a great experience though cold... Welcome to the PGR!

Love Lisa

JayDub:

Hello folks. I'm new here and just wanted to stop by and say Hi since this is apparently where all my cagers are hanging out.

Hey JayDub!  What a surprise lol!  JayDub is GA's best RC.   Hopefully the other RC'S won't jump on here they might get jealous...  He handles missions with a confidence like no other..He is a very cool dude!

Love ya JayDub!  Thank you for all you do!

Lisajan/PK

JayDub:

Hello folks. I'm new here and just wanted to stop by and say Hi since this is apparently where all my cagers are hanging out.

Hey JayDub and welcome!  The PGR's are an awesome group. I've only had the privlege of standing with y'all once so far and to be able to stand in honor of a fallen warrior hero, to be there to support the family, well, it was just very emotional and humbling experience. The escort to the gravesite was beautiful with cars and people stopping in honor. This soldier's gravesite isn't far from where I live and I still go by from time to time and continue to pay my respects. Thanks for all you do......

Hey all!

I see we have some Patriot Guard Riders amongst us and I just wanted to tell them a big "Thank You"!  

One of my friends came home from Iraq to Twentynine Palms, CA a few days ago.  I went to greet him because he's from Georgia and so none of his family or friends from home would be there to welcome him.  I was surprised to find out that a group of Patriot Guard Riders were there to escort the 4 buses of Marines through town and onto the base.  (For anyone unfamiliar with the area, Twentynine Palms is in the middle of the desert and a good hour away from the rest of civilization.)  Once they drove on base, the PGR waited for seriously almost 4 HOURS while the Marines turned their guns and gear in at the Armory (then spent several hours looking for "missing" equipment that wasn't really missing).  After that, the Marines got back on the buses and the PGR, who had patiently waited all that time, escorted them to the field where all of the loved ones were waiting.   What an incredibly generous, kind-hearted (and patient ) group of people!

On another not-so-happy occasion last summer,  I was driving past an Air Force Base here in southern CA where most of our military flies in/out of for deployments... sometimes Fallen Heroes from the war are flown into this base as well.  Soon after I passed the base, I noticed 2 bikers passing in oncoming traffic- one of them had a big American flag attached to the back of his bike and I smiled at the thought of the bad-ass, patriotic, biker guys (my dad is into motorcycles too, although more the dirtbike kind).  Then I saw a bunch of police cars, a hearse amongst them, and dozens and dozens more motorcycle riders.  I realized then it was the PGR escorting a Fallen Soldier and his family to where he would be buried.  I had heard about the PGR a lot on the news (protecting families from the "Westboro Baptist Church") but man, oh, man... it's something else to see in real life!  I had a few tears right there on the freeway.

Anyways, God Bless those of you in the PGR because what you do is incredible!  All the time that you volunteer out of the goodness of your hearts- it really means a lot- to our troops, their families, and even regular civilains like myself!
 

Thanks Callie for your kind words.  Yep the PGR is made up of some wonderful people just like y'all here on AS..

Lisajan

Patriot Guard Riders

GA Mentor Team

Georgia Patriot Guard Riders, Part of it...Proud of it!

Hey CaliGirl, you went to welcome home your friend that's what its all about.  You did good.  That's how it starts.  I'm a 60 year old grandmom and I cage it, you can too!!    Thank you for your post and your recognition of the PGR.  Joyce (Jazze Girl)

Joyce:

I'm a 60 year old grandmom and I cage it, you can too!!   

Hey, if you know any single, young, PGR biker guys- I have been looking for one so that I can join the PGR!! LOL!

Caligirl, sent you a PM   jz

I just wanted to share this:

I went to my 2nd PGR Mission today. This was a Welcome Home for a MN National Guard soldier who was wounded in Iraq last May, and has been at Walter Reed ever since.

I almost didn't go, because it was snowing really hard this morning, but it cleared off, so I decided to go and welcome this Hero home. His hometown has a Veteran's Home, and they had all of their flags flying - it was a lovely sight! There were flags all over town, actually, along with yellow ribbons and Welcome Home signs everywhere.

It was a great mission!

EDIT: I almost forgot this part: I gave out 3 AnySoldier cards to people who had never heard of it, and they all said they were going to go home and check out the site! (I think all 3 were Veterans, so they thought it sounded pretty cool.)

 Greetings AS Junkies,

Today was my first mission with the PGR.  The family asked us to come inside and attend the funeral.  I felt so honored to stand with the family both inside and outside the church.  I am forever changed.

For those of you curious about whether to join because the emotion of losing a loved one is still raw, I can tell you that this is a great place to keep your loved one's memory alive.  Tears and those shedding them are not rejected by the Patriot Guard, but rather you will be embraced.  You will have a band of family to share your joyful stories of your lost loved one with at the PGR.

For those of you undecided about whether or not to join, all I can say is you will never be sorry for joining and standing in support of grieving families or in sharing the joy of a welcome home mission.  The PGR members are super nice and happy to instruct newbies on what to do at a mission. 

I can't wait for the next mission!

Best,