Modern Vespa

Well as some of you may know I ride with the PGR (Patriot Guard Riders)


The foundation Homes for Our Troops asked the PGR to do an escort ride for a young man named Jonathan who had lost both his legs in Iraq.

The mission was in a town about thirty miles away so we met at about 7 am this morning and headed out.

Of course I get the usual "funny" comments from some of the riders who have never ridden with me before as we were waiting for everyone to show up.

(it's funny how much shit some people talk before the ride and how little there is after the ride, mostly a lot of Damn's I can't believe he keep up)



But let me tell you it was cold, that's the only word to use.

COLD.

But anyway,


The mission itself was from the hotel that Jonathan was staying at to the Nationwide Custom Homes plant that was building his new home.

As we were all standing outside the inn, Jonathan came out to talk with us and turned to look at the line of bikes and said "Man that's so cool" - "Look motorcycle, motorcycle, motorcycle, motorcycle, scooter, motorcycle, motorcycle, motorcycle, motorcycle."

A couple of the folks I had rode up with looked at me and kind of smile, I of course had a huge shit eating grin on my face by then.


Jonathan looked at us and said "What".


I just looked at him and said "I'm the scooter."


So he looks at me "So you ride a scooter and wear a beret - that makes you the intellectual of the group right"

Yeah, something like that.


As for the rest, 16 motorcycles (and one scooter) escorted Jonathan to the plant to meet the people who were building his new home, heard some speeches, meet some very proud and friendly people and then headed home.


After meeting Jonathan, hearing his story and seeing his great attitude about life this song kept going though my head on the ride home.

Which was good, cause the ride back home was just as cold.




A footnote


I highly recommend riding with the PGR.

They don't care of you're a Hawk or a Dove.

Or what you ride.

Their mission is simple "Standing For Those Who Stood For Us"

Good story, agree with al the sentiments.

Nice job!

Cheers,

Gianni

Way to go Messy!

Good on ya', sir.... Thumbs up!

So you're a Mighty Mighty Bosstones fan too.

Thanks for posting! I'm gonna look up PGR sounds like a great cause.

I am both an American Legion member and a Veterans of Foreign Wars member. I've never gone out with the Patriot Guard but before I bought a GTS they had been bugging me to ride with them forever. Out here in KS the Patriot Guard goes out to funerals and parks in between protesters led by Fred Phelps and revs their motors so as to block out the noise made by the protesters. This is of course is done by the wishes of the deceased vet's family. I've never asked them to ride since I picked up my GTS and none of them know that I own one (I rarely go to meetings). I don't think that any of them would mind or say that much. Most of the American Legion members (at my post at least) have little to no combat experience. I am asked constantly to go out and speak about my experiences to the public. That is great to hear that there is a scooter rider is out there riding with them. I may have to go pick up some flags and start riding with them.

Intellectual, artist, Renaissance man. Good going, messy!

Ok, I don't want this thread to turn into a religious debate, I'm simply answering El Josh AKA Ruby post.





El Josh AKA Ruby,

I've known about Phelps and his group for years and have some personal experience with them.

They protested the graduation program of the university I work at a couple years ago and made what should have been a joyous occasion for some into a three run f**king circus.


At the time they were still focusing mostly on gays and I was not surprised to see the mainstream Christian denominations shy away from denouncing him.


But when they started protesting at military funerals I thought that at last the mainstream Christian denominations would step up to the plate and make a stand.

Sadly, I was once again disappointed in my fellow believers.


Because while the Wikipedia link you posted stated "Christians of virtually every denomination" is true. The leaders of said groups have been sadly quite.


I'm all for religious freedom, and can accept another's choice of belief or disbelief, that's a personal journey.

But Phelps and his group are an evil abomination.


Ok stepping off the soap box.



As for the PGR I would say yes, do it - I don't always see eye to eye with some on certain subjects. But I can safely say I have never seen a group of men and women with bigger hearts.




PS

El Josh AKA Ruby - thanks for your service



messy

I was surprised one day when I went into a pretty liberal, college, rocker, hippie bar* and I saw the owner (RIP Steve who died this year) handing out buttons that said "Phuck Felps" I didn't get one because I had just come back from Iraq and didn't know anything about it. I wish I would have grabbed one now. That jerk is pretty well hated here and from the Wiki article (I know about wiki but...) it claimed that of the 71 members of his "church" 60 of them were related to him. If I go on a funeral ride I will take my gf's ducati. It's much louder!

*note: I have nothing against the bar or the patrons with in. In fact it's one of my favorite places to go. I just tend to see things differently than most of the crowd there.

Yeah the group was about 10 in number if I remember right, sadly 1/3 were kids under 16.

It's sad really sad -

Re *note:

yeah it's a shame that we can't look past our different points of view more often - I think we would find that in the end we all pretty much the same.


messy