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| Honoring A Fallen Soldier |
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| News - Osawatomie | |||
| Written by Travis Perry | |||
| Wednesday, 21 October 2009 07:00 | |||
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When members of the Rev. Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church and other such groups protest at soldiers’ funerals, it can be emotionally devastating for the friends and family gathered to mourn their loss. One group has had enough. The Patriot Guard Riders, an organization of motorcyclists who attend funerals by invitation, do their best to block protestors from the view of funeral attendees.  Bruce Hurt of Osawatomie has been a Patriot Rider for two years and went on his first “mission” Friday at the funeral of Army Sgt. Aaron M. Smith at Fort Leavenworth. “We stand shoulder to shoulder, and the family and everybody is protected by us,” Hurt said. “(We do it out of) respect and honor. We gotta give the servicemen back something they well deserve. They gave the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their life for us — so we can give them a little time.” He said the experience was heartwarming, and he was proud to be there. “If you’ve never been to one, you oughta go,” he said. “Anybody can be in one of these. It’s free to join, and you don’t have to have a motorcycle.” The only requirement is to have respect for mourning families and friends of fallen soldiers. Part of the group’s mission statement says: “Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heros as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives: 1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families and their communities. 2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors. We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and nonviolent means.” Hurt attended the Smith funeral with two other motorcycle-riding Osawatomie residents, Rodney Cunningham and Osawatomie police officer Ted Bartlett, whose son, Alex, is serving in the Army; Bartlett’s fiancee’s son, Gabe Castel, is serving in the National Guard. “Deaths in the Army are a little closer to home than they used to be,” Bartlett said. “I think this is a great way to show respect.” He also stressed that what they were doing was minimal compared with the actions and sacrifices of soldiers. “We did nothing,” Bartlett said. “The person who did something in all this is Sergeant Aaron Smith.” Cunningham said he’s a Patriot Guard member because he wants to give back to the men and women who sacrifice for U.S. citizens. “I don’t understand them,” he said of the protestors. “I don’t understand where their heads are at.” Bartlett said he thinks everyone has a right to his or her own opinion and a right to express it, but a funeral is not the place to do that. “I find it somewhat ironic,” he said, recalling something a soldier said on television: “The protestors are protesting the soldiers who protect their right to protest.” They plan to attend more funerals. “Definitely, until I’m not able,” Cunningham said. Hurt shared a similar sentiment. “You’re honoring the family; you’re honoring (the soldier),” Hurt said. “They shouldn’t be forgotten; they’re American heroes.” For more information on the Patriot Guard, go online to www.patriotguard.org.
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