Colorado PGR Past and Present

In March, 2020, I was honored to be named the tenth State Captain for the Colorado Patriot Guard. Five months ago, I joined three former State Captains who served for two years, the most recent being Kathy "Rat" Goldstein. The time is approaching for me to step aside and make room for our eleventh State Captain. I am into my sixteenth year as a PGR member and have held a number of positions within this great organization. During my time as State Captain, much has taken place during what has been a challenging period. We had a new website created in March, 2020, and since that time, our COPGR membership has grown to almost 450 members. I thought I might share what I know about our Organization's history as well as some of my thoughts.

During the Summer of 2005, seventeen years ago, the members of a Topeka Baptist Church, with a warped sense of morality, began to protest and disrupt the services of Military men and women and First Responders who were Killed In Action. That Fall, members of an American Legion Post from Mulvane, Kansas decided that they needed to mobilize in order to help maintain honor and respect at these Services. This AL Post sent emails to groups such as the Legion Riders, VFW Warriors, Combat Vets, Rolling Thunder, Leathernecks, etc. in Kansas and surrounding States. The founding Mulvane AL Post began to be known as the American Legion Patriot Guard. A veteran from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma attended a KIA Funeral Service in Kansas in late 2005. He had a conversation with the Mulvane Legion Patriot Guard leadership and got a listing of those who were active participants. Approval was granted to the veteran from Broken Arrow to expand the "Patriot Guard" beyond the Kansas borders. He sent emails to "biker" groups in surrounding states. Early participating States were Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. A "rider" from Greeley, who was an IT specialist, registered the Domain name, patriotguard.org, and developed the initial National website. Membership grew so rapidly, nationwide, that the website was down frequently. I believe our National membership peaked at about 350,000. A PGR store was created to fund operations and an additional server was added to support the store. An "official" logo was created and the first slogan was "Riding With Respect". Other slogans that described our mission and who we are included, "Standing For Those Who Stood For Us", "It's Not About Us" and "Hero Down - Kickstands Up". A "Gathering of the Guard" took place in Sturgis during the Summer of 2006. At the GOTG, there was a healing field with American Flags flying with the names of each KIA since 9/11. The Colorado PGR was the honored recipient of 300 of those Flags and these Flags are the ones under which we have stood over the past sixteen years in order to honor thousands of "fallen" heroes and to show support for their families and friends.

Our organization has been invited to thousands of missions and events, all of which have been memorable and of great importance. Following are a few that I/we will never forget:

My first Service was on April 5, 2007. A fallen Soldier was being memorialized in Boulder. The protest group was there. Also attending his first Mission was a Gold Star father who had invited the PGR to his 22 year old son's Service, in Pueblo, just four weeks earlier. It was difficult to imagine the pain and anger the was being experienced, not only because of the combat death of his son, but, that the protesters were chanting and displaying signs with messages, such as, "God loves IEDs" and "Pray for more dead Soldiers". We have had several Gold Star family members stand with us over the years.

During our early years, Services at the Soldier's Chapel on Fort Carson, were frequent. There was one Service at which six fallen heroes were being honored at the same Memorial. During this period, it was so active in Colorado Springs with Memorial and Interment Services, as well as "Send Offs" and "Welcomes Home" that, at times, there were four or five Missions posted during a 24 hour period. An Air Force Academy Officer and her husband expressed interest in joining the Colorado PGR. Before they could participate, she died suddenly. At her AF Academy Service, her Cremains arrived on the passenger seat of one of our PGR member's motorcycles. Her first and last Mission were her own Service. During the ten years during which we were doing ice cream socials at the VA Hospital, we met a young man who was battling PTSD in an area of the hospital that was locked down. A couple months after we met him, we were invited to stand in honor at his Funeral Service as he was unable to fight off the demons.

Wanda and I attended a KIA Service in Spalding, Nebraska in 2007, at which the protesters were in attendance. This young man was wounded and hospitalized for five weeks. He died the day before his child was born.

In April 2008, several Vietnam Veteran PGR members were invited to to attend the Military Honors at Arlington National Cemetery for the last MIA Colorado Air National Guardsman. The lost Guardsman was an observer on an O-1G Bird Dog that was shot down on April 3, 1969. He was listed as missing for almost four decades. He was laid to rest on April 3, 2008, 39 years after he and the pilot had gone missing. Our participating members were transported on a Warren AFB C- 130 out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. I believe that our members were among 20 to 30 veterans and active duty military that were transported to the Ceremony at Arlington. I know this event will never be forgotten by those who were honored to attend.

On the Western Slope, our members are invited to participate in virtually every Military Interment Service that takes place at the State Veterans Cemetery in Grand Junction. The Western Slope Patriot Guard also has led the effort, for many years, to insure that every grave gets sponsored WAA wreaths during the Holiday Season.

For more than ten years, our HOTH group participated in Ice Cream Socials and Ping Pong Tournaments at the VA and Fitzsimons Nursing Facilities and the PTSD Program site. During this period, we had nearly 40,000 contacts with our Veteran community. Our support was uplifting to the residents, staff and our PGR members.

In addition to the coins and pins that are presented to families at our Missions, many members purchase and carry "Thank You" pins that they present to the Military, Veterans and First Responders that they meet. Since the COPGR was established, more than 65,000 coins and pins have been presented.

A number of years ago, the PGR was invited to the Departure Ceremony for the 993rd Medical Detachment. They were presented with a PGR Flag that travelled with them to Iraq. When they came back home, they returned the flag that they carried with them to war. It is among our most prized possessions.

I mentioned our 501(c)(3) status. It is important to know that each of our members has a responsibility to operate in such a way as to not jeopardize our standing. Primarily, this status requires that we maintain an apolitical position. Although we sometimes have friendly banter when we gather for Missions, we must appear to be non-political. Both the National PGR and the Colorado PGR are tax exempt. We were reminded just over a year ago, by our National President that we should not display PGR patches, decals or magnets on our vehicles or members if a non-PGR event, in which they participate, will be or may turn political. At this point in time, there is very little that is not political. We recently received a rare complaint from a family member who was at a service to which we had been invited. This family heard a comment that they felt was disrespectful to our current US President.

We have all been challenged, such as dealing with Coronavirus impacts to our missions and the social unrest that occurred in some of our Colorado communities and the ultimate impact these issues had on how and if we responded to mission and event requests. During the early effects of Coronavirus policy, there were significant limits on attendance at National Cemeteries. As I recall, for almost three months, there was a limit of ten attendees. Our attendance was not limited, during this period, nor was there a limit on the All Veterans Honor Guard, Military Honor Guard or Honor Bell team. There were times that the "Honors" groups had participation at a rate of two or three times of that of the family and friends. I know this show of support was especially important to the families during that period. Recently, one of our members posted, on Facebook, that the Colorado PGR was nothing like it once was. True, very few things are the same as they once were. Our group was formed within four years of the 9/11 attacks during which nearly 3000 innocent people were killed, including 415 First Responders. During the first few years of our existence, nearly 1,600 Service Men and Women were dying, annually, while in Service, many of whom were Killed In Action. Our Nation was united then and support for the Military and First Responders was universally strong. Fortunately, the number of KIAs for whom we have stood over the years has been greatly reduced and we have not seen the protest group for the past twelve years, both of those are positive changes, even though we never had greater participation than we had for those Missions, sometimes more than a hundred attendees. Sadly, over this period, forty irreplaceable members have died and twenty have moved away from Colorado. Fourteen of our members have died within the past two years, including two Coronavirus deaths. Many of those helped shape who we were and who we are, today. For almost two years, we have had to manage operations during a period of restrictions associated with a pandemic. There was civil unrest in Denver in 2020 which affected our operations. We never needed the support of our members and leadership team more than we did during this challenging period and most stepped up to provide that support. I stand beside true Patriots, three or four times a week, and I have never been more proud and honored to be associated with the Colorado PGR and the long term members who have not wavered and newer members who have joined in order to support our mission, a mission that means so much to the families and friends of the heroes that have earned our support. Certainly, things have changed, some for the better and some very tragic and difficult to accept.

I appreciate the continued support during these challenging times. Added impediments have been elevated fuel prices and the monetary impact to our members. In addition to Services at our Veterans and local cemeteries, we have had members travel far and wide to such locations as the Abbott Church/Cemetery in Lindon, missions in Arriba, Bayfield, Roggen, Snyder, Deer Trail and most recently, Ignacio. We have rarely had to decline a mission regardless of the location within the State.

Our active participants have declined in numbers over the years, for many reasons. Our group is aging and medical issues are increasing. Priorities change over time and our mission can be emotionally draining. This past Memorial Day, we had 27 members at an event. Three days later, I attended a Mission with one other member. Whether 27 or two, the fact that our organization is willing and able to support almost all requests is what really matters for those who have requested our services. We also are grateful for the commitment of several members for stepping up to take on the the duties and responsibilities of Ride Captain. For those not able to attend Missions, we continue to appreciate the simple act of posting condolences. These words of appreciation mean a so much to the families.

Since late December, we have been blessed and appreciative of the financial support that our organization has received. During this period, we have received approximately $12,000.00 in donations, which included the largest single donation, from one of our members, during our sixteen year history. This will insure that we remain solvent for the next several years.

I have mentioned our history, previously, but, would like to make a point about how we were perceived initially, particularly, at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Those who don't know "bikers" don't fully understand the lifestyle. In our early years we were dealing with cemetery Representatives that were "senior" and all were retired Military. The Reps averaged at least 30 years of Federal Government Service. When we arrived on the scene, we were not readily embraced. We were the only "Honors" group that did not have an official uniform. Certainly, over a brief period of time, we became accepted and appreciated. A couple of years ago, the Senior Leadership team made a recommendation that our members avoid the sleeveless look at our missions. We have very few requests of our members, but, felt this was reasonable. Your continued cooperation is appreciated.

The PGR is truly a brotherhood and sisterhood of like minded patriots. Many of us spend more time with our PGR family than we do with family members who live outside our homes. There are no more honorable people than those that share a passion for honoring fallen heroes and supporting their families and friends. Something that means so much to me is that we can differ in our party affiliation while still performing our important and patriotic Mission. I respect the fact that we both pray and pledge our allegiance at each Mission. I am truly grateful for the support that I have received for almost two and a half years. Continued thanks to our Assistant State Captains, Ride Captains, Website Moderators, Chaplains and our valued members.

Jim jwherst@aol.com

303-518-8790