|
14 Completed Missions
(click a mission below)
Sat 24 Jun 2006
Laurel, MS
SFC Clarence D. McSwain
U.S. Army
Wed 12 Jul 2006
Ft. Campbell, KY
Eagle Remembrance Ceremony
U.S. Army
Sat 15 Jul 2006
Dyersburg, TN
Pfc Kevin F. Edgin
U.S. Army
Sat 26 Aug 2006
Memphis, TN
LCpl. Adam R. Murray
U.S. Marine
Sun Oct 15 2006
Germantown, TN
Capt Robert M. Secher
U.S. Marine
Mon 16 Oct 2006
Union City, TN
Welcome Home Ride 913th Engineer Co.
U.S. Army
Tue 12 Dec 2006
Finger, TN
Sgt. Dustin M. Adkins
U.S. Army
Sun 22 Apr 2007
Florence, AL
Spc. James T. Lindsey
U.S. Army
Sat 28 Apr 2007
Dickson, TN
LCpl. Jeffrey A. Bishop
U.S. Marine
Sat 19 May 2007
Tishomingo, MS
Sgt. Jason W. Vaughn
U.S. Army
Sat 23 Jun 2007
Nashville, TN
SrA William N. Newman
U.S. Air Force
Fri 20 Jun 2008
Clarksville, TN
SFC Gerard M. Reed
U.S. Army
Tue 13 Oct 2009
Memphis, TN
PFC Brandon A. Owens
U.S. Army
Patriot Guard Website
Other Tribute Sites
Fallen Coalition Heroes
Iraq/Afghanistan
War Heroes
|
|
|
Click the jet just above this to hear, see and shake as some jets that you choose do a flyby. If you want to know about the Patriot Guard, Click Here
How to use my mission log
The PGR organizes "missions". The term is not meant to be disrespectful or insensitive. You can check out my notes on the missions that I have attended by clicking a mission link on the left side panel. They are listed in chronological order.
My 1st mission was on 24 Jun 2006, Sgt. Clarence D. McSwain of Laurel MS. I will never forget him and pray for his family often. If you're interested in joining the Patriot Guard and wonder what the first time is like, then you should read this mission first.
Mission Date: Sat 19 May 2007
 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Jason W. Vaughn, 29, of Iuka, Miss., died May 10 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Vaughn was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.
I had driven through Iuka, MS 4 weeks earlier when I went to Spc. James T. Lindsey’s funeral in Florence, AL. Iuka’s right on Hwy 72 in Northeast Mississippi. Tishomingo is about 12 miles south. It’s about 154 miles from me. Since this mission was on a Saturday I made plans to attend.
I made it down a little early and stopped and ate in Iuka. The service, at the Gospel Lighthouse, was scheduled to start at 1PM. We were to stage between 11 and 11:30 just down the road. I pulled up early and a few PGR’s were already there. I parked and walked over to them. They were on bikes. By 11:30 there were around 35 to 40 bikes. Some had two riders. It was time for the ride briefing and they called us together. The captain began with a prayer. Afterward he asked who was PGR and who wasn’t. He talked about the PGR and encouraged the non-members to join. Then he went over the itinerary. We’d move up the road to the church and form two flag lines, bordering both sides of the entrance to the church. Once the service started, a couple of cages would ride on to the cemetary with the flags and be ready for the bikes to arrive and get the flags passed out quickly. After the service was over, the bikes would join the procession to Oak Grove Cemetery in Iuka for the burial and military honors. The Ride Captain asked if anyone had questions. Then he gave us the order to mount up.
 Since I’m a cager, I’m always behind the bikes when we travel. That’s ok though, the bikes are what everyone expects with the PGR. There were 3 or 4 cages. One brought lots of flags. We pulled out behind the bikes and made our way up the street. The church was less than a half a mile away. It didn’t take long to get there. We started pulling into the parking lot. The police had a small area for the bikes to park. Once the cages started pulling in they started stopping us and asking who we were. I told them and showed them my flags. They let us in and we had to park tightly next to the bikes, leaving a way for the two of us going ahead to get out. There was already quite a turnout. We grabbed our flags and started forming our lines. We stood 5 or 6 feet apart and our lines stretched out well into the parking lot. The hearse and some other vehicles were already parked up close so we weren’t in anyone’s way. The Fire Dept. was shuttling people from another parking lot to where we were. They started passing the word that Maj. Gen. Harold Cross, the Adjutant General of Mississippi’s National Guard, was on his way.
We stood and talked for a while as the mourners entered the church. General Cross showed up and walked our line and thanked us for coming. Of course the honor is all ours! Around 1 the service started and we found some shade. They came out and told us that there were refreshments inside and we were welcome to come in and help ourselves. We did and after a short time it was decided that myself and the other truck with the flags would go on to the cemetery and get setup for the bikes when they arrived.  I had looked at a map and knew where the cemetery was. The other vehicle didn’t know so I took the lead. We headed up to Iuka and I missed a turn. I caught another street and had to stop and ask a policeman where the cemetery was. We were only a block away. Some leader I was! We pulled into the cemetery and they parked us out of the way were the bikes would park.
We found some shade and waited. It was almost an hour before the procession arrived at the cemetery. The bikes parked and we had the flags ready for them to grab. I went on up to the grave site and stood with some other PGRs. The service started fairly quickly and was conducted by the military. A General with the 101st Airborne conducted the ceremony. They had two flags already folded and they had the ceremony with taps, a 21 gun salute and the honor guard folded the flag that was draped over the coffin. The General would take each flag and had 3 fired casings for each. Each time he would hold the first casing up and say "Duty". Then the second one he’d say "Honor". The last one he’d say "Courage" as he tucked each casing into the flag. The he would present the flag. The three flags were for his father, mother and wife.
 After the service was over I hung around. We were parked in the back so we weren’t going anywhere soon. I took the opportunity to tell service members in attendance that I appreciated their service and words could not describe the pride I have in them. After 15 minutes or so the crowd started thinning out and I decided to leave. The PGR was invited to attend a luncheon in town. I needed to get back home so I declined. I hopped in my truck and headed back to Brighton.
Thank you Sgt Vaughn for volunteering to defend us. I will remember you and your family’s ultimate sacrifice. God bless America and our troops!
|
|
|
