A Daughter's Gift

Last week, we were requested to do a mission for the re-interment of James Rhame by his wife Mary and their four daughters. James Rhame joined the Navy when he was 17 right out of Stillwater High School, Stillwater, Minnesota. He was on the USS Ticonderoga Carrier Air Group 5 - one of the first air craft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin at the beginning of the Vietnam War.

James passed away suddenly in 1995, at 51 years of age. His wife Mary said, "This was such a shock to all of us. At a time like this, a person doesn't always make the best or the right decision. There was pressure to have him buried with his grandparents and this is what I did. I knew right away that I had made the wrong decision in not burying him at Fort Snelling. As you know, it just takes the right timing for changes to happen. I feel that burying him at Fort Snelling will bring him the honor he deserves and will bring me closer. I know in my heart this is the right thing to do."

After the re-interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with full military honors and many members of the Patriot Guard in attendance, SE Metro Ride Captain John Thompson (better known as "Indian John") received the following note:

Dear John,

My daughter Christina was so moved by the attendance of so many "Patriot Guard" members at her father's ceremony (James Rhame) that she was moved to write this poem. This poem is her gift to you and all the "Patriot Guard" members for your dedication and commitment to the veteran community. Please forward with her deepest gratitude.

Thank you,

Mary

VETERANS "ANGELS"

The FREEDOM they have to ride and play,
these men and women choose Fort Snelling this day.
Bikes and cars that's how they arrive,
with Honor, Dignity, Respect and Pride.

They stood so still on this Special Day,
with their Presence known in a wonderful way.
What a beautiful sight to drive upon,
ALL standing in honor one by one.

There must have been thirty those ANGELS I say,
as we lay down flowers and begin to Pray.
Memories come back that are so deep,
I hug you in Thanks and start to weep.

Consoling words from a Guard in my ear,
make all my tears soon disappear.
The MISSION they have is to family and friends,
while VETERANS are honored from beginning to end.

Beloved VETERAN'S and HERO'S
In God's Hands they'll be,
Their Service Honored by Guards
May They Rest Peacefully.

Passion and Commitment in their hearts they carry,
rain or shine whatever's necessary.
Who are these unselfish Men and Women you ask?
The "MINNESOTA PATRIOT GUARD" who have a task.

So please SALUTE them
As you see them ride,
with
"HONOR, DIGNITY, RESPECT and PRIDE."

Dedicated to the Men and Women of the "Minnesota Patriot Guard"

Written by Christina Mondry-Rhame
In Loving memory of my Father James Warren Rhame
US Navy-USS Ticonderoga-Carrier Air Group 5
© 6-17-2008

The Face of the Patriot Guard

Remember Karl Malden doing those ads for American Express? "Don't leave home without it!" was his catch phrase and for quite some time, he was the "face" of the company.

One of the neat things about the Patriot Guard is that we don't have any particular "face" that the general public knows us by. For us as members, the faces we look for at missions are those of the Ride Captains - they are the ones who have the details of what we're doing that day. Some of us look for new faces, to welcome them. As many of us have become friends, we now look for each other - and we look out for each other.

But when we hear from military members, their families or the general public they never say "when I came up the street, I saw John, Karla, and Paul standing there." What we always hear is, "I turned the corner and saw all those FLAGS." Sometimes they add, "...and I felt so safe when I saw them."

That's really the face of the Patriot Guard: Old Glory. The flag of the United States of America. What better face could we possibly have? We're lucky that we don't depend on any one personality to represent us - but even though our face doesn't need a nightly dose of Oil of Olay or botox injections, HOW we show that face matters a lot.

This week, several members spent quite a while talking about flag etiquette and flag protocol with members of state leadership - how far we've come, and where we'd like to be. At early missions, it was pretty common to see flags held at all sorts of angles. Today, it's much more common to see them held straight up, as it should be. The US flag is never dipped.

We're not a military organization, and we're not an official color guard - but we are holding the flag lines in the presence of the military and in honor of those who serve. Every effort we can make to get it right, we should!

If we were to follow military ceremony protocol, we'd all be holding the flag in our right hands, never our left. However...when we're standing in heat, cold, strong winds and driving rain or snow for a few hours or longer, it's not always possible to perfectly emulate a color guard. As one member put it, the US Flag Code doesn't exactly address that length of time in those conditions, or the fact that some of us might have physical impairments that make it impossible.

Obviously, we all know the flag should never touch the ground - but another member made a comment that some of us might not even think about when we're finishing up at a mission:

"I can't stand it when someone walks with a flag over their shoulder like it's a sack of laundry. It should always be treated with RESPECT, not casually."

Even if we can't do this perfectly, one of several things we all agreed on is that we can never be "too respectful" of our flag, or give out "too much" information on protocol. It represents so much - and when we are standing in a flag line, we are holding it in honor of those who serve our country. All too often, it is in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

Right now, our flag protocol is a little buried on the website under "Member Documents." We're talking about expanding the information and making it a little more visible on our website. One of our Ride Captains pointed out that the Kansas Patriot Guard has a great page on flag protocol on their website - click HERE to see that page.

One thing I should point out about flying flags from bikes: In addition to flag protocol, we will not be flying any flags if we're over 30-35 mph....for both safety reasons (dodging poles is no fun), and so we do not see any flags laying on the roadside because a grommet let loose or a flag pole failed at highway speeds.

We'll continue to hold them upright, with respect....because it makes a difference.

A week ago, several of us were gathered at a gas station prior to a Welcome Home escort when a car with Veteran license plates pulled up and stopped. A young woman got out and walked over, saying, "Are you guys all Patriot Guard Riders?"

We all nodded and she said, "I'm one of the Red Bulls that you welcomed home last summer. That was just incredible! I can't tell you how much it meant to us when you escorted our bus - and when we got to the armory and saw all those flags, we just couldn't believe it. Have you ever realized how beautiful our flag is? The colors are so bright and beautiful!"

It was a pretty neat conversation, especially when she realized why we were gathered at that particular gas station; we were headed out to welcome home another group of National Guard soldiers. I must say that it was also a little bittersweet, because she told us she will be deployed to Iraq again this coming January. We'll be there when she leaves....and again when she comes home.

And it won't matter specifically who is there, because no matter who is holding it...the face of the Patriot Guard will be there, with her colors as bright as ever: Old Glory.

YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The next time you wonder if you really make a difference in a military persons life by taking a couple hours to stand on the flag line, rest assured YOU DO!

Lynn and I were privileged to represent the Minnesota Patriot Guard at the Freedom Salute Ceremony of the 147th Personnel Services Battalion, Minnesota Army National Guard at the Rosetown American Legion in Roseville, MN on Sunday 01 June 2008. I estimate that there were about 100 soldiers present, then their spouses and children, and in some instances, their parents. I believe that every soldier came over and shook my hand and told me how much they appreciated the Patriot Guard. I also believe that every parent present came over to thank us for what you our members do.

When Command Sergeant Major Robert J. Schreiner presented the Minnesota Patriot Guard with a Certificate of APPRECIATION the entire room stood and gave us (MN Patriot Guard) a standing ovation (the only one of the day). CSM Schreiner thanked us for showing up to sent them off to Afghanistan last year. He thanked us for sending them a Patriot Guard Riders flag that you had signed, saying it let them know that someone back home besides their families cared about them. Then we showed up to welcome them back and how much that meant to them. But, when we showed up at the MIRT (Monthly Individual Reintegration Training) classes they were blown away. They couldn't believe how much we actually cared about them and that it was more than just mear words. Your actions spoke much louder than your words did.

So rest assured that when you stand on that flag line it does make a difference to that young man or woman, and that they will never forget how special you made them feel. I know most of us believe that they are the heroes, but in their eyes, you are the hero. Thank you for making a difference.

It is an honor and a privilege to be associated with such a fantastic group of men and women as the Minnesota Patriot Guard.

George