This is a reprint of a email sent to members in January 2012. As of now, the trademark dispute is still ongoing. Patriot Guard Riders are waiting for a ruling from USPTO on our motion. Normally that would take about 2 weeks, it's been since Dec 2011. We have no way to push the USPTO to make that ruling. We are at their mercy and have to wait until they rending the decision. Once that is made we have 30 days to respond to the opposers filing, then the opposer has 15 days to rebut our filing. At that point it goes to the USPTO to make the final determination on who owns the name Patriot Guard Riders, the logo and service marks, one of which is: "People standing in the cemetery holding the American flag at a military funeral."
A great many of you are probably not aware of an ongoing lawsuit between the National Patriot Guard Riders and the first PGR Executive Director Jeff "Twister" Brown.
As a background... Jeff Brown took national the concept of the PGR after attending Missions run by our founders, the Kansas Patriot Guard. For that we owe him thanks.
What he did right before incorporating the PGR is incorporate his own for-profit store selling PGR Merchandise attached to the national website. People, like myself, bought merchandise from that store and had no idea the profits were going to him personally and not the PGR.
After this was discovered Jeff Brown resigned his position in the PGR and quickly the PGR established its own store so the profits would come to them and not to an individual.
In 2007 Jeff Brown brought legal action against the PGR through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is trying to own the Patriot Guard Riders logos and name so he can continue to profit from them by forcing all of us to buy from or through him.
I don't know how much the legal bills have been for the PGR as they don't tell us. I would guess in excess of $400,000 but again, that is only a guess. I know they are hoping that it will be settled once and for all this year but there are avenues for appeal as well.
Which brings me to the point of this email....
When you buy Patriot Guard Riders or MN Patriot Guard merchandise there are only two places to go that fully support our cause. We ask you shop only at http://patriot-guard-riders.hostedbywebstore.com/ for Patriot Guard Riders gear and http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/gear.asp for MN Patriot Guard gear. Buying from anywhere else is putting profit in the pockets of someone who is not supporting our cause.
If you buy from Twisters Store you are helping him in his pursuit of having the PGR become a for-profit store for him by his profits paying his legal bills.
If you buy from eBay or Craigslist there is a good chance they are counterfeit goods. I have found counterfeit MN Patriot Guard patches on eBay and forced the seller to pull them off.
As always we don't tell people where to shop or what to buy. As far as I'm concerned you don't have to wear a vest with patches or pins at all. It is an individual choice as to what you buy and wear. We only want to make sure you are making an informed choice about where you shop.
Doug Bley
Former Minnesota State Captain
President, Board of Directors
Minnesota Patriot Guard
Karla Richardson
Minnesota State Captain
Friday, November 9, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Veterans Day
With Veterans Day quickly approaching, we would like to take the opportunity, on behalf of the Minnesota Patriot Guard to say "THANK YOU" to all who have served. We are grateful for your service.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Hi MN Patriot Guard... we have a request of our PGR friends in MN even though it might not be popular.
There are many cool things to do in support not just of our military and but also of our country and other patriots. You should show your support for what your heart tells you to do, please just do it as a citizen and not a representive of the Patriot Guard.
If you are going to attend an event such as the Flag Rally recently held in Brooklyn Park.... please don't wear your MN Patriot Guard gear. It is very important that we be non political and wearing the gear to it makes us look like we are lobbying or protesting a decision made by the government. We are not a protest nor a counter-protest group.
Also...there are many events people hold that aren't Patriot Guard related though in support of our military. Please be very careful to not give the impression it is Patriot Guard related. We don't attend events where we are the "bunting on the stage", we are not honor guards, nor are we a "Flag Line" for hire.
The MN Patriot Guard has a Mission Scope which governs our group on what we do. All based on our mission statement on our webpage. We moderate when we have flaglines because we need to not let the meaning of them get so common they don't stand as honor, dignity, and respect for our fallen heroes any longer.
A few years somebody did a flag line for Lee Greenwood because he sings Patriotic Songs. Yes he does and he has made millions of dollars from them and he has never served in the military.
Somebody also did a flag line for Willie G Davidson because he is a patriot. Willie was an executive in a motorcycle company that still doesn't acknowledge the PGR and he never served in the military.
While we like and respect them for what they have accomplished professionally we don't think either of them has earned a PGR Flag Line.
Read our home page if you have any questions on our Mission Statement... http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/
The excitement and passion people feel for what we do is amazing and wonderful!! We just need to keep it tempered back to what we do while representing who we are.
Any and all of us are welcome to do whatever we choose as citizens.... we only request that you don't wear your PGR gear if it might create confusion or a question if we are involved in it.
Thanks!!!!
Karla Richardson
Minnesota PGR State Captain
Doug Bley
President, MN Patriot Guard
There are many cool things to do in support not just of our military and but also of our country and other patriots. You should show your support for what your heart tells you to do, please just do it as a citizen and not a representive of the Patriot Guard.
If you are going to attend an event such as the Flag Rally recently held in Brooklyn Park.... please don't wear your MN Patriot Guard gear. It is very important that we be non political and wearing the gear to it makes us look like we are lobbying or protesting a decision made by the government. We are not a protest nor a counter-protest group.
Also...there are many events people hold that aren't Patriot Guard related though in support of our military. Please be very careful to not give the impression it is Patriot Guard related. We don't attend events where we are the "bunting on the stage", we are not honor guards, nor are we a "Flag Line" for hire.
The MN Patriot Guard has a Mission Scope which governs our group on what we do. All based on our mission statement on our webpage. We moderate when we have flaglines because we need to not let the meaning of them get so common they don't stand as honor, dignity, and respect for our fallen heroes any longer.
A few years somebody did a flag line for Lee Greenwood because he sings Patriotic Songs. Yes he does and he has made millions of dollars from them and he has never served in the military.
Somebody also did a flag line for Willie G Davidson because he is a patriot. Willie was an executive in a motorcycle company that still doesn't acknowledge the PGR and he never served in the military.
While we like and respect them for what they have accomplished professionally we don't think either of them has earned a PGR Flag Line.
Read our home page if you have any questions on our Mission Statement... http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/
The excitement and passion people feel for what we do is amazing and wonderful!! We just need to keep it tempered back to what we do while representing who we are.
Any and all of us are welcome to do whatever we choose as citizens.... we only request that you don't wear your PGR gear if it might create confusion or a question if we are involved in it.
Thanks!!!!
Karla Richardson
Minnesota PGR State Captain
Doug Bley
President, MN Patriot Guard
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Minnesota Patriot Guard continues to be busy as we answer the call of families to pay honor, dignity and respect to those who have served and those who are serving. Thank you to each of you who makes this happen!
The Patriot Ride was a great success again this year. Over 2,000 came together to make it a memorable day. Yes, we got poured on again - same place as last year leaving the half way stop, and we know with the storms rolling across MN, some of you were not able to make it. But it was a great day of remembrance and rejuvenation. Kudo's to the Patriot Ride committee, all the volunteers, and to Dennis Kirk - they put in countless hours making sure everything falls in place!
Summer is now upon us. Some things to remember regarding heat, heat indexes and our members. In a state close to ours over the past weekend, 9 flagline members fell out because of heat - this can not happen!! Our leaders and members are precious, and I can't even imagine how a family we are standing alongside would feel if members were not taking care of themselves or put themselves at risk to be on the flagline. We are told to be self-sufficient at missions with food and drinks, but it extends further than that - we need to know when we individually need to step into the shade or a cool space.
There are several things you can do to help:
- review the "Avoid Health Illness Tips" in the member documents area at the state website. This is a quick overview of what to look for and what to do.
- come to missions hydrated and continue to keep yourself hydrated. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids that hydrate.
- watch out for yourself and each other at missions. If the person standing next to you needs to take a break, take their flag and tell them to go cool down. Keep in mind that if you are riding to a mission, some of your hydration will already be depleted before you even get on the flagline.
- if the RCIC asks you to seek shade or a cool space, don't argue and say you are fine. I've been "yes mom'd" more than once for telling people to come off the flagline to cool off. And that's OK - I'd rather that than have a member ill or worse. It would of course be preferrable if members identify themselves that they need to cool off, but our leaders will ask/demand if necessary.
- our vests - while they identify who we are - they are a heat/sun magnet! If they need to come off to allow for air circulation and cooling - do it! The flagline shows who we are and why we are there.
Be safe out there! Be smart, take care of yourself and each other!
The Patriot Ride was a great success again this year. Over 2,000 came together to make it a memorable day. Yes, we got poured on again - same place as last year leaving the half way stop, and we know with the storms rolling across MN, some of you were not able to make it. But it was a great day of remembrance and rejuvenation. Kudo's to the Patriot Ride committee, all the volunteers, and to Dennis Kirk - they put in countless hours making sure everything falls in place!
Summer is now upon us. Some things to remember regarding heat, heat indexes and our members. In a state close to ours over the past weekend, 9 flagline members fell out because of heat - this can not happen!! Our leaders and members are precious, and I can't even imagine how a family we are standing alongside would feel if members were not taking care of themselves or put themselves at risk to be on the flagline. We are told to be self-sufficient at missions with food and drinks, but it extends further than that - we need to know when we individually need to step into the shade or a cool space.
There are several things you can do to help:
- review the "Avoid Health Illness Tips" in the member documents area at the state website. This is a quick overview of what to look for and what to do.
- come to missions hydrated and continue to keep yourself hydrated. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids that hydrate.
- watch out for yourself and each other at missions. If the person standing next to you needs to take a break, take their flag and tell them to go cool down. Keep in mind that if you are riding to a mission, some of your hydration will already be depleted before you even get on the flagline.
- if the RCIC asks you to seek shade or a cool space, don't argue and say you are fine. I've been "yes mom'd" more than once for telling people to come off the flagline to cool off. And that's OK - I'd rather that than have a member ill or worse. It would of course be preferrable if members identify themselves that they need to cool off, but our leaders will ask/demand if necessary.
- our vests - while they identify who we are - they are a heat/sun magnet! If they need to come off to allow for air circulation and cooling - do it! The flagline shows who we are and why we are there.
Be safe out there! Be smart, take care of yourself and each other!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
MN Patriot Guard Members,
Whew - it's been a busy month! Almost 3,000 members of our MN National Guard were brought home and we continued to welcome them at the 30 Day MIRT's. We pay honor, dignity and respect to our military serving and veterans at missions, we just participated in Memorial Day events at our Veteran Homes, State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley, and the Ft Snelling Chapel Gold Star Service. We continue with our monthly visits to Veteran Homes. Thank you all for making this happen! Without your dedication and support we wouldn't be able to make sure all these things take place.
Speaking of missions, every now and then we get asked about where we can attend PGR missions, or what "no borders" means. Well ... it means that you are welcome to attend any MN PG (MN Patriot Guard) mission or MN PG event anywhere in the state (not just in your own sector). Expand that even further, you are welcome to attend any PGR mission across the nation. We have members who bring their flags on their vacations "just in case", and we have snowbirds who participate in missions in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other places south. Keep in mind that some states do some things differently and you will just follow the ride captain's direction just as in MN. Not all states do Veteran missions, but anything that is going on with the PGR, you are welcome to attend. For information in other states, the national site (www.patriotguard.org) is a good place to find out where missions are.
The Patriot Ride is almost upon us!! For those that haven't been able to attend in the past, it is an event that you will not regret attending. The pre and post ride programs remind us all of why we joined the Patriot Guard and do what we do. We get to spend the day with our Gold Star families and remember those from MN who have given all in the War on Terror, we have a special memorial for those fallen in the last year during the last mile to the mid-way stop. For those worried about the number of bikes - don't worry!! The ride heads out in waves, so you really don't realize there are so many bikes on the ride. It's a day of reflection, a day to never forget those who serve & have served, a day of celebration and a good re-charge of the batteries.
We have a special Guest Speaker - Rear Admiral Sean Pybus. RADM Pybus is responsible for Naval Special Warfare Command which he assumed on June 30, 2011. He is a career Naval Special Warfare (NSW) SEAL officer with multiple Joint Special Operations duty assignments.
We also have the honor of the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Association (CVVA) bringing their Memorial Wall to the Patriot Ride. Over 30,000 Canadians joined the US military branches, over 12,000 served in Vietnam as US military. 121 were lost with 7 POW/MIA's - those names are on this Memorial Wall. There will also be a special wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Wall at 10:00 a.m. the morning of the ride, hosted by the Military Salute Project, and all are welcome to attend.
Our friends from the Minnesota Military Radio Hour (who feature the MN Patriot Guard once per month) are taping their Fathers Day special at the ride with many guests from the ride.
For more information please go to www.thepatriotride.org.
Thank you for all you do and be safe out there!
Karla Richardson, MNPG State Captain
Thursday, May 3, 2012
MN Patriot Guard,
To keep you informed and make a request....
An incident took place at one of the Welcome Homes that put our safety and relationship with the Military and Law Enforcement in jeopardy. This is a reminder of why we conduct missions and escorts with the guidelines and policies we have in place. Those guidelines and polices have been built based on the thousands of miles, missions, and hours of experience from doing them with ZERO incidents until this year. We need you to help us keep you, the military, and the public safe.
The incident could have had a tragic outcome had it not been for a police officer's training and quick reflexes.
On an escort a group of motorcycles other than the MN Patriot Guard hopped in behind the bus. Somewhere close to the pick up point for the fire, police and MN PG escort something happened with one of the motorcycles jumping in. The motorcycle rider swerved into the left lane illegally cutting in front of the police squad (possibly to illegally block traffic is what is thought) and causing a Law Enforcement vehicle to go in the ditch to avoid an accident with the bike (no damage to either vehicle - shallow median).
Unfortunately this also caused the Law Enforcement vehicle for that town from being in front of the bus as part of the procession. The squad car had to bring up the rear after waiting for everyone to get by and drive out of the ditch. Although not the fault of the MN Patriot Guard in any way, the RCIC (Ride Captain In Charge) of the Mission said he was going to make apologies to the involved Police Department and Mayor and will explain that the other group was not the MN Patriot Guard. He will also offer an apology for any inconvenience that the other unauthorized group caused.
I wish I could say this is an isolated incident - it's not. We also know there have been several situations where bikes are sitting along highways hopping in front of buses surprising the bus drivers. Other situations that cause concern with Nat'l Guard are flag lines that appear to be Patriot Guard when they hadn't invited us.
What can you do?
No matter what group many of us belong to; when you are wearing your MN Patriot Guard gear you are representing the MN Patriot Guard. Please make choices that don't put all of us at risk with the Military by making it appear the MN Patriot Guard is at an event that has not been formally requested by the Military. As the proud and trusted MN Patriot Guard we wouldn't do that.
Thank you for your support in giving our Military the honor, dignity, and respect they deserve
Sincerely,
Karla Richardson, Doug Bley, and Tim Leonhardt
MNPG State Captain, MNPG President, and MNPG Assistant Sate Captain
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hey everybody,
Our relationships with the military is based on trust and our integrity to deal with sensitive and privileged information. They know when they give us their expectations of where, when, and how we listen. They also know that we will follow their protocols and meet their expectations they have given us without question. This is very important to what we do and we need to stay that way.
All Missions, including Deployment and Welcome Home cermonies, are at the clear invitation of the Military. During the Red Bull return they have, up to this point, been very clear... "do not publicize or post troop movements and no flag lines at the bus stops." Any flag lines or other Welcome Home Activities not listed on the calendar were not at the invitation of Military Leadership and were not MN Patriot Guard Missions.
As you are aware, the military is very serious about protecting troop movement information. We need to remember that anything we post or email is public and can be seen around the world. Even though the media and other groups have publicized the details we have needed to be careful in what we post.
As of this morning, we have now been given permission by the National Guard to post daily bus stops and estimated arrival times for our Red Bulls, as long as the information is in the news. YAY!!!!
We will not have this information in time to send out emails, so it remains important to check the Mission Calendar before you leave. We will be adding the stops and approximate times to the calendar as we get it. We will get the information hopefully the night before, but most likely will be the day of. Keep in mind that schedules do change. Starting in the next few days, we will be very busy with almost daily arrivals, so any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Now that we have this permission we are able to conduct flaglines at the local Armories and it will feel more like our traditional welcome homes. We will still be doing the bus escorts to the first stops as they were worked out with the military. Anything beyond that is not a MN Patriot Guard mission nor can it appear to be a MN Patriot Guard mission. We expect that people DO NOT try to intercept buses and try getting in front of them. The bus drivers are not prepared for that and something tragic could become of this uninvited, unwelcome, and illegal action.
Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for your support in giving our Military the honor, dignity, and respect they deserve
Sincerely,
Karla Richardson
Minnesota Patriot Guard State Captain
Our relationships with the military is based on trust and our integrity to deal with sensitive and privileged information. They know when they give us their expectations of where, when, and how we listen. They also know that we will follow their protocols and meet their expectations they have given us without question. This is very important to what we do and we need to stay that way.
All Missions, including Deployment and Welcome Home cermonies, are at the clear invitation of the Military. During the Red Bull return they have, up to this point, been very clear... "do not publicize or post troop movements and no flag lines at the bus stops." Any flag lines or other Welcome Home Activities not listed on the calendar were not at the invitation of Military Leadership and were not MN Patriot Guard Missions.
As you are aware, the military is very serious about protecting troop movement information. We need to remember that anything we post or email is public and can be seen around the world. Even though the media and other groups have publicized the details we have needed to be careful in what we post.
As of this morning, we have now been given permission by the National Guard to post daily bus stops and estimated arrival times for our Red Bulls, as long as the information is in the news. YAY!!!!
We will not have this information in time to send out emails, so it remains important to check the Mission Calendar before you leave. We will be adding the stops and approximate times to the calendar as we get it. We will get the information hopefully the night before, but most likely will be the day of. Keep in mind that schedules do change. Starting in the next few days, we will be very busy with almost daily arrivals, so any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Now that we have this permission we are able to conduct flaglines at the local Armories and it will feel more like our traditional welcome homes. We will still be doing the bus escorts to the first stops as they were worked out with the military. Anything beyond that is not a MN Patriot Guard mission nor can it appear to be a MN Patriot Guard mission. We expect that people DO NOT try to intercept buses and try getting in front of them. The bus drivers are not prepared for that and something tragic could become of this uninvited, unwelcome, and illegal action.
Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for your support in giving our Military the honor, dignity, and respect they deserve
Sincerely,
Karla Richardson
Minnesota Patriot Guard State Captain
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