PGR Welcomed Home 2 American Heroes

[SoCalCruisin]

This past Thursday I had the honor to welcome home two American heroes. I do realize not everyone on this forum shares or understands my passion on this subject, but there's quite a few who do also. I just felt the need to "talk" about my experience Thursday.

Just before 1:30pm, I met up with some Patriot Guard brothers and sisters at the Los Alamitos Reserve Base right next door to my hometown. Army Capt Matthew Ferrara was coming home to his family in Torrance, California. Capt. Ferrara was killed in action on September 10th in Afghanistan. A top graduate of Westpoint, he was 24 years old.

There was about 40 bikes there representing the PGR and 2 members in cages. Quite a few soldiers from the base were at hand as well. We made a very impressive flag line as the charter jet landed and came to a stop just in front of us. After the casket was removed from the aircraft (with honors rendered from the PGR, the military, the base fire department and the civilian crewmembers of the jet), the family was given a few minutes alone with their fallen hero. Two of Matthew's brothers currently serve in the Army, and one is at Westpoint.

The casket was put into the hearst and we prepared for the escort to a cemetary in Palo Verdes. Law enforcement from Torrance and their neighboring cities had come for the escort also. There must have been at least 30 motor officers, and another dozen or so in cruisers. About half of us in the PGR have 3' x 5' American flags on our bikes for these missions, and it is quite a sight to see.

The escort itself was something else. The cops had closed off the northbound 405 freeway from Los Alamitos to the 110 freeway, and had that closed off to our exit in San Pedro. That was about 20 miles of clear freeway at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon in LA! Any southern Californians reading this know how amazing that had to be.

We stopped at the entrance to the cemetary as our mission was complete. While we were hanging out talking about the next mission, Matthew's older brother came over to thank us and tell us a little about his brother. He shook every one of our hands.

While we had been waiting for the plane to land, we received word that another hero was landing there at Los Alamitos at 5:00pm. Most of us were returning to do it all again. Army Spc Lester Roque was killed in action in the same battle Capt Ferrara was in. Lester had come to the U.S. in 2003 from the Philippines and joined the Army soon after. His fiance is still in the Philippines where they planned to marry in January. He was 23 years old.

I stopped at home on my way back and picked up my son. He's been on 5 missions with me, and I'm proud of how he handles himself and for his desire to be involved. We got back to the base just a few minutes before we formed a flag line for Spc Roque.

There were not as many of us for this one, but still a good turnout for such short notice. The base personnel and fire department were there again. The family spent more time with the casket, and their cries were heart wrenching. This time we did not have LEO escort, and we did road guard duty ourselves at some of the intersections. Fortuneatly we were only going to the neighboring city of Cypress, about 6 miles from the base to the cemetary.

I've done about 16 missions now. They don't get any easier, they're not often convenient to make. But for me, at least right now, it's the least I can do.

With Thanksgiving coming upon us, I hope that people all over this nation will take the time to appreciate and be thankful for what our young men and women in the military are doing for us. Same goes for our neighbors to the north who have their own young men and women in places far from home.

[ORBrit]

Thanks for sharing your PGR experience and thanks for honoring our heroes.

[LCA_koolaid37]

Regardless of my political slant, you are doing more in one event for celebrating what you believe in than many Americans do in a lifetime.

[4dtvman]

Thank you for sharing with us.. I've done 4 missions here in Rhode Island and your right it doesn't get any easier. I hate to say it but for that same reason I have not done more.

There must be a thing about PGR and Yamaha Venture. Eight of the guys here in RI ride them in the PGR.

[ChicsterMG]

It's great you take the time to honor these men. Makes me proud and reminds me why I do what I do.

We buried a soldier from my previous unit back in September. It was really impressive. The PGR came down from upstate New York and a few riders from Connecticut and RI becuase we do not have an active charter in our area. The fact they came down that far says a lot.

Thanks!

[POE-BOY SAMICH]

Great post.

Thanks for sharing and thanks for doing what you do.

[frostbitevinnie]

Nice to meet another PGR brother SoCalCruisin. My heart sinks thinking of our heros dying and their families left without their presence this holiday. I just wish there could be peace.

[SoCalCruisin]

Originally Posted by LCA_koolaid37

Regardless of my political slant, you are doing more in one event for celebrating what you believe in than many Americans do in a lifetime.

Thank you Adam. I certainly did not wish to start any kind of debate, or even discussion, when I wrote about that day. I appreciate your words.

[SoCalCruisin]

Originally Posted by ChicsterMG

It's great you take the time to honor these men. Makes me proud and reminds me why I do what I do.

We buried a soldier from my previous unit back in September. It was really impressive. The PGR came down from upstate New York and a few riders from Connecticut and RI becuase we do not have an active charter in our area. The fact they came down that far says a lot.

Thanks!

Chic, the thanks go to you for what you do. What I do on these missions is so small compared to what the men and their families have given.

[chrisan]

good for you doing all that, but in my opinion this poor man is dead, and all the flags and salutes are not bringing him back.
maybe all the parading is for the living so they feel less guilty.
I mean a perfectly healthy man is dead, and we are alive, enjoying life and riding bikes and having our families...
I can only imagine how his family feels the loss.
very sad!
Don't get me wrong, you do what you do, and I appreciate it, everybody has to take a stand in some way.
Maybe everybody who's afraid of the arabs is grateful to the soldiers fighting over there. I don't know.
This war is very complicated.

[SoCalCruisin]

Originally Posted by 4dtvman

Thank you for sharing with us.. I've done 4 missions here in Rhode Island and your right it doesn't get any easier. I hate to say it but for that same reason I have not done more.

There must be a thing about PGR and Yamaha Venture. Eight of the guys here in RI ride them in the PGR.

Carlos, I know how you feel. I've had to take a break a couple times. Try a welcome home mission when you get a chance. I hear it helps.

Regarding the Ventures, same thing out here. I rarely see another RSV on the road (course I happened to see one on my way in to work today), but there are at least three or four I can think of that I see quite often on local missions.

Hang in there with the missions when you are ready. You have seen personally how much it means to the families, and that's what it's all about. Thank you for being a PGR brother.

[4dtvman]

Originally Posted by chrisan

good for you doing all that, but in my opinion this poor man is dead, and all the flags and salutes are not bringing him back.
maybe all the parading is for the living so they feel less guilty.
I mean a perfectly healthy man is dead, and we are alive, enjoying life and riding bikes and having our families...
I can only imagine how his family feels the loss.
very sad!
Don't get me wrong, you do what you do, and I appreciate it, everybody has to take a stand in some way.
Maybe everybody who's afraid of the arabs is grateful to the soldiers fighting over there. I don't know.
This war is very complicated.

Well according to your words if you pass away no one should come to your furneral. I think it's called respect

[busa-boy33]

I think its awesome to pay respect to our men and women who fight, and give up their lives for this country. I just wish our government would do more for our military families esp. the ones who are wounded coming home from the war.