Patriot Guard Mission Los Alamitos

Christopher G. Singer, Corporal US Marine Corps. KIA Afghanistan 2011 age 23.  Arriving Los Alamitos Reserve Air Base, today-Tuesday- January 31, 2012.  Patriot Guard is providing escort from arrival to Funeral home in Laguna Niguel.  The turnout is quite large including Sheriff and police escorts, news media and close to 200 riders from Patriot Guard, American Legion, STAR and a number of other groups and individuals.  No one in the Patriot Guard group is getting paid, it’s all a volunteer commitment on every ones part, as a way of letting the parents and family know that we care.   

We arrive at the air base and form two long lines of attendees holding flags or standing at attention like me.  Due to the sun and my back problem I have to go back and sit out the last few minutes after arrival but we all get ready for the escort duty to Orange County.

 Three intrepid STAR members

We form a column of two motorcycles behind the hearse, family and missing man formation.  The entire group stretches for about ½ mile when we get on the freeway.  With police escorts all traffic is blocked at on ramps and we proceed down Interstate 405 to Laguna Niguel.  Most amazing is that virtually every overpass has at least one fire truck and another emergency vehicle with its crew members standing at attention as we pass underneath.

I understand his father is in the Sheriff's Dept. but no idea how the fire departments were so involved.

Our mission is complete as the casket is brought into the funeral home and we depart.

Baron's new vest

Baron is my nephew Scott and his wife January's 3.75 year old son and he has a new electric motorcycle toy, a Ducati. It is totally rideable and after seeing a photo on his blog of him sitting on it, decided he could use a motorcycle vest.  Ordered one on-line from Jafrum Leather and when it arrived we made a trip to visit with his Mom, Dad and new sister Juliet.  I brought my STAR vest to show him how to put pins on it when he goes to Disneyland or other trips.  He opened the package and saw the vest but decided for some reason that he would not really wear it for now.  We tried and did get him to put it on for a brief second or two but that was it.  His future as a motorcyclist is still in development.  His sister wore it instead.  We tried.

 Juliet, just toooo cute!

Ride to eat-Molly Brown's Victorville

It’s Wednesday morning 8:30 AM and 4 of us meet up on Imperial and the 57 Fwy for a ride to Victorville and Molly Brown's for breakfast.  John R., Carolyn, Johney and me.  I did not have to twist anyone’s arm to get them to go especially John.  If there is breakfast involved he is ready.  The ride up is a bit nippy temperature wise but I am totally ready for it.  Johney followed in the truck as he had a customer visit scheduled out in the area so it was three motorcycles. Probably the best French toast, egg and bacon breakfast I have had anywhere.  Tip Top down in Carlsbad does not come close.  Our very friendly server gave us a free breakfast roll covered in frosting big enough to split 4 ways, but naturally I did not take a picture.

On the return trip coming down the Cajon Pass I smelled brakes burning and looked to my right to see if I could spot the truck but did not see anything until a little further and there was a big rig heading for the runaway ramp with it's front tires billowing smoke and also smoke coming from the trailer wheels.  Probably a rookie driver. 

If you are not on my mail list for short notice rides, just let me know and I will add your e-mail to the list...my e-mail is rider67 @ Gmail.com You have to copy, paste in your address line, and then squeeze it all together, but you knew that.

Patriot Guard Riders 1/11/2012

We honor another fallen hero- Staff Sergeant Noah M. Korte  at East Hills Community Church in Riverside where we provide a flag line for the arriving family and friends at the church service. The final military ceremony concludes at the Riverside National Cemetery.  This Wednesday morning was the second part of the mission, with the first part on Monday providing an escort from Ontario Airport to Lake Elsinore area.  I did not do the Monday mission.  There was no casket as this was a cremation.

Services started around 11:00 AM and then we proceeded to provide an escort to the Riverside National Cemetery around 1:00 pm.

 A supercharger on a Harley

 Some interesting examples of motorcycles and gadgets

 I find it is too dificult to take any pictures as his wife with a 2 month old baby plus another child, family and friends arrive to go into church for services or as his Urn is brought in or out.  We render a salute or "Present Arms" each time we provide the flag line when he is moved. 

 March Air Reserve base is just a couple miles away and this transport plane was doing touch and go maneuvers and would fly right over the church.

 Johney provided this and a few other photos.  These soldiers are from the same unit Johney served in at Ft. Hood a number of years earlier.

We provide additional escort for the family and friends in a procession to the Riverside National Cemetery which is just a few short miles from the church plus the flag line as the Urn of SSG Noah Korte is brought in to the family group for a final ceremony  I had never been in the cemetery for a military service, this was my first one.  There they completed the military portion of services with bagpipes, Taps and a rifle party consisting of an odd number of service members of 7, and fire a three-volley salute (size varies according to the rank of the deceased).