PGR - Lt. Richard Cooley San Jose

From the RC:  I just arrived home from the mission to pay our respects to Lt. Richard Cooley. It has been an awesome two days with the first mission yesterday to escort the remains to the mortuary from the airport and today from the mortuary to the cemetery. Mrs. Cooley talked with us for a few minutes about her late husband. This was a very impressive man. A real fighter. He lost his right arm when he had to bail out of a P-38 in WWII. He was found badly injured on the ground by a French farmer and taken to a hospital. After the war he went back to Yale and won a championship in.....wait for it.......Squash!! One arm an with the left arm at that. He also played golf.

Took a few pics at the  mortuary, it was a short mission to the cemetery and we were waved off as the family wanted a private service.  They were very gracious and appreciated our escort very much, and it was an honor to be invited!  God Bless

Pics are top to bottom, click on a pic for a larger pic, text for a pic is under it....

I pulled up about the staging time and saw the scoots lined up at the sidewalk, and I put Gina into the line.

We were told to bring 'um into the parking lot so in we went.

Hearse at the ready.

Scoots lined up for escort 

Normal visiting before the escort.

Looks like SlickJohn was telling a big one...  GBG

I'll guess we had about a dozen scoots, pretty good for a real short notice!!!  Kirk Bertolet  was RC (Hopefully the next mayor of Morgan Hill!!!)  and did a great job.   Mike and Kirk led the hearse to the cemetery.

PGR/WWR - Gold Star Family Event Morgan Hill

 

Pics are from top to bottom, text for a pic is under it, click on a pic for a much larger one....

The Mission heading:

Warriors Watch Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, American Legion Riders and all other Military Support Groups are invited to the Gold Star Family event at Mark and Linda Keirstead Ranch in Morgan Hill. We attended this event a couple of years ago, the Gold Star families really were over joyed and thankful. Cliff Brunner will be setting up the flags along the drive way and we will also do a flag line to welcome all the families. Activities will be the Flag Line, greet all the families and lunch will be served.  

Cliff and Squeezer did their normal great job and all looked great!  Been a while since I've been out and I need to "fix" that!  Great to see old friends!  Dick A did his normal great job in organizing and leading this mission!  

It had been a while, and I needed to get Gina (my new to me scoot, '03 Kawasaki Voyager) and she got all embarrassed and bowed 'er backrest!!!  GBG  Raising the trunk lid pushes it forward, sigh....

Just taking pics...

Niner getting one of his "few" pics taken, GBG..... (Great Big Grin)...

We arrived at the ranch and they said there was parking for all, so we just put our scoots everywhere!

VERY nice ranch!!!!

Hopefully our new Morgan Hill Mayor Kirk Bertolet, was clowning with my camera, I asked him to take a pic of Squeezer and I while she earned 'er handle!!  GBG

Gotta get them great hugs!!!!  

Dick walking the line making sure all was OK....

I got a bunch of the flyover that was scheduled just for this event, and could not decide what to publish, so you can pick and choose!

Missing man formation...... IIRC   (If I Recall Correctly)

Folks eating it up!!!  The caterer they hired did a GREAT job!!!!  ALL was great!!!  Ate way too much, but when it's time to break "training", I do it up right!!!  GBG

Thanks again for doing a great job Dick A!!!!!!  Glad to see you back in action!

PGR - MSgt Roy Arms - SJVNC

 

The family of US Army (Ret) MSgt Roy Arms has requested the Patriot Guard Riders stand a flag line for their hero at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery (SJVNC) Santa Nella, Ca. on Thursday September 29, 2016. . The PGR is honored to do so.   

Roy was a member of the "Greatest Generation" of soldiers serving during World War II, Vietnam and the Korean War. MSgt Arms was awarded the Bronze Star among other awards and decorations. He is survived by his widow Comyard, son Bob and several other family members. The family requested NOT to have an escort from San Jose but instead asked to have a Flag Line at the SJVNC Committal site during Roy's services and military honors.  PGR members will arrive at SJVNC at 1400 hours, Thur Sept 29, 2016, receive a briefing, proceed on instruction to the committal location (B) to establish a flag line for our hero. Services are scheduled to commence at 1430 hours. At the conclusion of the services, the PGR will be dismissed. 

I led the hearse as I had a flag bike, we had 9 scoots, IIRC, and I got to do what we all fear, I mucked up joining the parking line, and laid Gina right up next to another scoot! New scoot and I caught my foot on something while stopping and my foot down..... didn't.... sigh. The owner was very understanding, and for that, many thanks!!!!! Didn't look to be any damage but we checked it out..... onward!