Published: May 11, 2008 01:54 am         

Standing Tall and Silent: Honor, respect drive Patriot Riders

PALESTINE, Texas — They come from all over East Texas to voice their support for the military, law enforcement and firefighters — silently.

Sometimes they leave home before dawn to ride to a funeral hours away, stand guard outside the funeral with their American flags, ride with the flags to the cemetery, then return home well after dark, all to stand tall and silent in respect and thanks for those who gave their lives in service to their country.

Saturday, more than 100 Patriot Guard Riders converged on Palestine, not to accompany a fallen soldier on his last ride home, but to get together to ride for fun and to raise money in advance for fuel that will be used during the upcoming months for a support truck carrying the group’s large American flags and for drinks and ice for those who stand in sweltering heat to hold those flags.

“We set up our flag line and that’s our job,” said Doug Smith, Patriot Guard Riders deputy state captain, East Texas area, who lives in Palestine and works at one of the local prisons. “We’re not there for any fanfare or good wishes toward us. Those kids who were killed, they’re the heroes.”

Riders were present for the funeral of World War II war hero Norman Mollard in late October and for the April 2007 burial of Corporal Ryan Bishop of Tyler in Strong Cemetery near Slocum.

“It’s a tough thing to do,” Smith said. “Some of us have never been around that much loss. But you feel like you need to be there.”

Not all their missions involve funerals. Groups of Patriot Guard Riders also have accompanied returning soldiers, disabled soldiers and family members. Locally last April, riders attended an awards ceremony at the Palestine Public Library for Freddie Martin, who served during the Korean War but never received his medals.

Not all ride motorcycles, though most do. Many riders have military backgrounds, whether from personal service or through the service of family members.

Andrew Morell, a Patriot Guard Rider from Sulphur Springs, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1990-94, including Operation Desert Storm.

“Most of us are vets. We do it because we understand the brotherhood of soldiers,” Morell said. “We don’t want any soldier to be disrespected.”

Senior ride captain Robert Young of Kilgore, who served in the U.S. Army stateside from 1969-70, said Vietnam-era veterans especially wanted returning soldiers to be honored for their service.

“It’s different for us,” Young said. “Most of us who served in the Armed Forces during Vietnam, we saw guys come back and get nothing but injustice for their time spent.”

When the Patriot Guard formed in October 2005, Vietnam-era veterans saw it as a chance to make sure their experiences were not relived by current servicemen and women, he said.

“Never again,” Young said. “Never again will we let a service person be dishonored when they finish their tour.”

One of the reasons the Patriot Guard came about was to provide a wall of silent support buffering the grieving family members from war protesters, he said. But as he and others became involved, their reasons for participating shifted.

“Back in the day, there were protesters who would come,” Young said. “But when we got to the service and saw what it was really about, the protests became a non-issue.

“It’s a matter of honor and respect. The protests motivated us initially but now it’s honor and respect.”

Smith, whose father had been a prisoner of war in World War II, felt similarly.

“They really did us a favor,” Smith said, referring to protesters. “They woke up a group silent for too long — people who really support America, the troops.”

The day’s fund-raising events succeeded thanks to the generosity of local merchants who donated goods and services to be raffled and auctioned off, and to the Knights of Columbus for allowing them to use part of the building on the same day as the K of C’s 100th anniversary celebration, according to senior ride captain Louis McGinty of Joaquin.

“It means we’ll be able to put gas in the truck and ice down water and Gatorade for when we’re standing in the flag line,” McGinty said. “We’ve spent as much as $100 to get that truck somewhere.

“Not that the numbers matter,” McGinty said, “but we’ll be OK this summer.”



Beth Foley writes for Herald-Press in Palestine, Texas. Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com