When those who have vowed to protect and serve the citizens of the U.S. pass away or return home from service, they should have a proper and respectful ceremony.
That’s what the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) do.
The Patriot Guard Riders are an organization that attends funerals for members of the military, firefighters, and police officers.
They also protect those funerals from protesters and harassment. But they don’t stop there.
In addition to these good deeds, the Patriot Guard Riders pay their respects by attending funerals for indigent and homeless veterans. When they’re not busy with funerals, PGR performs volunteer work for veteran’s organizations and host homecoming celebrations for troops returning from overseas.
The organization welcomes anyone who wants to join with open arms. In fact, a person doesn’t have to be a veteran or motorcyclist to join their ranks. The only requirement, according to PGR, is a “deep respect for those who serve our country.”
Their website explains:
“We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove … It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride.”
“The only prerequisite is respect.”
PGR was originally created to protect mourning veteran families from the Westboro Baptist Church.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church would often protest and harass families attending veteran funerals, claiming that the soldiers’ deaths were “divine retribution” for the acceptance of homosexuality in America.
All in all, these protests were extremely disrespectful and hurtful to the grieving families – and, in an attempt to make a difference, PGR was born.
One day, PGR learned about Staff Sgt. Jonathan Turner.
Turner had served seven tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and had later died in California from combat-related injuries a year after his retirement.
Unfortunately, the 41-year-old veteran’s family lived in Georgia and was unable to attend his funeral in California.
So, the California PGR stepped in to ensure that Turner’s remains would make their way back to his family in a respectable manner.
“The California Patriot Guard Riders contacted all of the state captains from California to Georiga and explained the situation, that it wasn’t proper to ship this war hero home via FedEx,” Jeff Goodiel of the Georgia Patriot Guard Riders told Fox 5 Atlanta.
“Within days, a convoy was assembled with each state’s Patriot Guard Riders driving Turner’s cremated remains across their state and then passing those remains off to the next group of riders.”
The event organizers said it was the longest trip of its kind.
Hundreds of volunteers transported Turner’s remains more than 2,000 miles.
“It’s heartwarming, to see all these people here,” said Annie Glanton, Turner’s mother.
“I know that he was loved by a lot of people.”
The PGR said Turner was well worth the effort.
“Turner was a great leader who inspired his fellow Marines, both in the Corps and in daily life,” their website reads. “You were his friend if you knew him for five minutes or five years. He would give you the shirt off his back.”
Watch the heartwarming story in the video below.
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