Patriot Guard Riders website...

Found the link to the webpage for "Patriot Guard Riders". There are some great photos here and information about their efforts regarding the protesters at the memorial services... http://www.patriotguard.org/

Patriot Guard Riders...

Located the website for the Patriot Guard Riders and they have an impressive site with photos and info: http://www.patriotguard.org/

Standing up for our fallen Heroes...

I must apologize for the poor quality of this photo but it is a scanned image of an AP photo that appeared in a local paper showing a protester kicking a balled up American flag. Obviously it caught my attention and the text copy described a Kansas church group that goes to military memorial services for soldiers killed in combat to protest the soldiers. The name of the group is the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka and the leader is Fred Phelps who has a history of such protests over the years. Many of these protests are organized by Phelps daughter, Margie who states that the soldiers are being killed because "Westboro believes God is angry at America for it's tolerance of homosexuality. That's why soldiers are dying"

Phelps and his daughter even protested the funeral of President Ronald Reagan to bring attention to their cause...

To the rescue... They call themselves the "Patriot Guard Riders" and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter protest Phelps and the members of Westboro Baptist Church . They ride their motorcycles, only after being invited by the soldiers family, to the memorial service to show their support for the fallen hero and the family. Please follow this link to NewsMax: http://www.newsmax.com/popunders/mainpop_internal.htm?rnd=0.7228553036059492 for an outstanding article on these riders...

Since seeing the initial article on the Westboro Baptist Church and their protest, I had an interesting conversation with a dear friend on this subject. We spoke about how soldiers returning from their service are greeted with applause and sincere welcome and gratitude by those seeing them in the airport. Unlike when soldiers returned from prior wars and only to find abuse, both verbally and physical... We also spoke about how you do not see protesters now attacking the troops verbally or otherwise like in the past. It was mutually agreed that the reason you do not see these attacks now is probably not due to the protesters fearing the soldier, or even the soldiers family, but fear of those Americans who will now stand up for the soldier, the family, and the United States of America...

Pappy Boyington.... Tolerance of a Hero?

No Heroes allowed on campus....

It seems that the Student Senate at the University of Washington has voted down a proposal to erect a memorial to alumnus Gregory "Pappy" Boyington...

World War II veteren Colonel Pappy Boyington was a U.S. Marine fighter pilot and commander of the "Black Sheep" squadron that operated in the South Pacific. Boyington was responsible for shooting down 28 Japanese planes which made him a five-time fighter Ace and spent more then 18 months in a Japanese prison camp... http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/17/165356.shtml?s=icp

It seems that few of the students at the University of Washington actually knew who Boyington was and what he did in World War II. Some of the students questioned why the University should honor a person who killed others or honor a Marine. (Boyington was responsible for shooting down 28 enemy pilots, who may have inflicted incredible damage on the troops and or civilians. Anyone of these Japanese pilots could have gone on and sink a single troop transport in the south pacific killing hundreds of troops.) One student leader questioned why another rich white man should be honored on campus. The truth is Boyington was also part Native American with a Sioux ancestral background.

The local newspaper picked up on this issue and published a story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which resulted in many calls to the University by the public...

I fear, many have forgotten...

I fear many have forgotten what has happened...

I took a ride this weekend up to New Jersey to visit friends that I grew up with and had a nice ride getting back to the Jersey Shore and coast area. One of the most interesting things was how many American Flags are visible from the road when you get closer to the central\coastal Jersey area. You start seeing them here and there, but once you get up around Toms River and Point Pleasant Beach area it seems the flags on overpasses really pick up. I also noticed that along the roadway you will come along a construction area where the cranes and other construction equipment proudly display the flag... Along the NJ Parkway south of Toms Riverthere was a LARGE American flag that was flowing proudly for all to see suspeneded from the cable and about 100 feet up...

These flags were also new. Not their location but the flags themselves. I remember seeing some of the flag locations the numerous times I have been back to NJ since 9-11 and the flags are always new and standing straight. No fadded, torn, or damaged flags to be found and it is apparent that the locals are proud of these flags and what they stand for. Unfortunately in the area where I now live in Virginia and surrounding area it is possible to see flags that are faded and need to be repaired\replaced. I understand that the people flying these flags are proud to show their support but replacement of these faded, worn flags have gone to far.

Another thing I saw while in NJ was the numerous shirts, hats, and other items showing remembrance of 9-11 and the people lost. Again here you did not see worn, torn, or faded items. I saw new items and proudly worn. The 9-11 attacks truely touched many people in this area and everybody knows somebody directly tied to a loss during these attacks. On 9-11 I was working in New Jersey that day in the Atlantic Highlands area and we drove over to the Twin Lighthouses in Atlantic Highlands to look across from Sandy Hook towards Manhatten to see the smoke and destruction. Even from that far distance you could tell this was something that changed the world.