PGR_NTX Patriot Guard Medal of Honor Escort Mission

Wed Apr 1 22:55:51 CDT 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please share this with those who rode today who are not on our mailing list.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who were able to ride in
today's Medal of Honor escort from DFW Airport to Gainesville.  Thank you
for your attendance, your patience, your camaraderie, your good humor, your
obvious preparation and your skills.  All of this went into making this a
wonderful expression of our respect and honor for these fine patriots and
heroes.  I was able to speak to a number of the recipients after the arrival
at the hotel and they were grinning from ear to ear about the escort and
couldn't have been more gracious and more full of thanks to all of the
riders and cagers who participated.

I have a personal message from 99 year young Medal of Honor recipient John
Finn, who received his Medal of Honor for his actions at Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941.  Mr. Finn asked me to pass along his "personal thank you
to each and every motorcyclist who participated in today's ride" and to tell
everyone that he, too, is a biker from way back.  He wanted me to tell you
that he still has his own bike that he got in the 1930s when he was in
China.  Mr. Finn was very impressed with the turn out and would not leave
the lobby until he could tell someone responsible for the escort to thank
everyone personally for him.

There are just too many people who were involved in this to thank
individually here, I would surely leave some out, but I would like to thank
Ride Captain Dewey Dyer for his hard work in making this happen, as well as
all the other Ride Captains who worked very hard today to make all the
pieces of this big puzzle fit together.  I would also like to acknowledge
Deputy Constable Douglas King of Denton County Precinct 4, who gathered up
all of the law enforcement officers who assisted us today and who made it
possible for us to get to Gainesville safely and without incident.  Next
time you want to curse one in your rear view mirror, think about the time
and expertise they volunteered for you and the recipients today.  They are
good folks working hard.

Again, my hat is off to all of you for a very successful mission.  I told
the Gainesville organizers that we wanted to make a memory for the
recipients.  Something they could take home with them in their minds as a
moment they would remember.  I was assured that we made a very good memory
for them today.  There were a number of what I think I will call "God Bless
America" moments along the roadways today as we made our way along.  Moments
when Americans stood along the side of the highway with their flags to say
thank you to the recipients, and they even had a wave or two left over for
us as we went by.  I don't know how they found out what was happening.  But
we all saw them.  A family here, a couple there.  A man standing in his
driveway on the other side of the service road by himself saluting these
heroes.  If that doesn't move you.check your pulse.

God bless America and God bless each of you for what you did today.  You are
each Patriots.  Stand tall and be proud.  I hope to see you at the parade
and book signing on Saturday.  The forecast is for good weather.  Ride
safely, everyone.

Steve Lucas

Deputy State Captain

North Texas Patriot Guard Riders
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