Rest In Peace, SGT Snyder - my first Patriot Guard Ride

It's taken me a few days to process my emotions from this day...

On Saturday, my husband and I participated in our first Patriot Guard Ride down to Cohocton, NY to pay final respects to US Army sergeant Devin Snyder.  SGT Snyder was a military police officer killed with three others in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan on June 4th.

When Dave and I talked about what his "20 Year Letter" (a form a service member receives after serving 20 years in the Armed Forces, indicating eligibility for retirement) gift to himself would be, we considered our desire to be involved with PGR.  When Dave picked up his motorcycle last fall (a 2011 Harley Davidson Ultra-Classic Electraglide Limited), we were anxious to get out and ride.  This PGR ride was the first extended ride we made together, which seemed fitting as both Dave and I are combat vets; he of Afghanistan, me of Iraq.

I felt a slight connection to SGT Snyder:  we are women who served in a combat zone not from "inside the wire", but going on dangerous missions nearly every day.  I also was in a vehicle that was hit by a roadside bomb, back on Thanksgiving Day 2005.  I survived with injuries which I deal with to this day.  I was sad that I survived but she, and countless others, do not.  I wish in terms of her final mission she was as lucky as I was.

Dave and I went to the meet-up point in Rochester early in the morning, where we were greeted by a fellow Rider named Dan (but he goes by "Gunny")  Gunny gave us a quick synopsis of how the organization works, what we do, how we hold our flags, etc.

As we were talking, someone riding a Vespa scooter pulled up to the group - a group full of Harley Davidsons and sprinkled with just a few Yamahas, Kawasakis and Hondas.  Gunny laughed quietly when he was the Vespa, and said "there's one on every ride."

At 8AM we left the staging point for the hour-long ride down to Cohocton; riding staggered, our group of about 100 stretched as far as I could see down the curves of Route 390 South.  Dave and I were staged a little towards the back of the group, as the Ride Captain asked for those with EMT or medical training to do so.  I tried to capture the moment on a camera phone, but there was no way to focus on how far the group stretched...

We arrived at the Wayland-Cohocton School complex at about 9:15 and found at least 200 more riders from other parts of NY, including a fellow soldier with whom I served in Mosul back in 2005-2006.  We listened to the briefing by the Ride Captain and were instructed that we were to stage only at the cemetery.  The family asked that the funeral be community based, which may make them vulnerable to any protesters but we were told that there were at least 50 PGRs within the community that would certainly take care of any business.

The Ride Captain made himself, and the PGR's mission clear:  Although Westboro Baptist Church members were not seen in the area despite their verbalized intent to show up, we were not to engage ANY protestors.  SGT Snyder's service drummed up enough interest that over 300 people signed up to join PGR in the past 24 hours, and the State Captain and Ride Captain were concerned that many did so that they may counter-protest (which is not the PGR's mission) Many municipalities in New York have recently passed resolutions expanding the "buffer zone" to nearly three football fields, nothing could be guaranteed...and particularly Westboro Baptist Church are well versed in their constitutional right to protest.

Knowing how passionate Dave is about stuff like this (especially since he is a State law enforcement official), I turned to him during the briefing and said "Dave, you aren't a cop today.  Remember that."

Interestingly, many of the members of WBC are attorneys - they know the law, know how to spit hairs with it, and often will have someone videotaping their protests in the event that anyone so much as says "boo" in their direction, so they can sue.  But what makes PGR so awesome is to see hundreds of hard, rough looking bikers who can kick anyone's ass simply turn their backs on these assclowns who call their organization a church (even though they are not part of any Baptist convention in the country).

We left the school complex and headed to the cemetery.  As we travelled through Wayland and Cohocton, citizens stood on their porches, sidewalks, and street corners.  They were waving flags, had their hand over their heart, or both.  These were cute towns, but I could see how an 18 year old would join the military to get out of it and see the world.  While I don't know much about the job opportunities there, I can see where the military may be a kid's only way out.

Zion Lutheran Cemetery sits along side the small access road and exit ramp Route 309 - what a sight for passing motorists to see - over 300 flags waving in the stiff breeze, and a caisson, bagpipes and Honor Guard from Fort Drum bringing SGT Snyder's body into the cemetery.  I wondered if they knew exactly what they were briefly witnessing.

The ceremony was as beautiful as I would only expect.  I've witnessed only one other military funeral in my lifetime; sadly that of a classmate when I was in the Army Practical Nurse School who died from complications of mononucleosis.  I was sad then, and I was sad now, especially seeing a Major General present the folded flag from the casket, "On behalf of a grateful nation", to SGT Snyder's mother.  I remember the tears that my mother-in-law shed when we buried my younger brother-in-law three years ago when he was killed in an auto accident.

I mourned this solder, but my heart ached for her mother.  No mother should outlive her child.

I encourage anyone - motorcycle or not, veteran or not - who wishes to be part of this organization, to do so!  PGR missions also need cars (or "cages", as the Ride Captains call them) as support vehicles on these missions.  You can join, for free, at http://www.patriotguard.org/ .  Once you join, please e-mail the state captain with the subject line "NEW MEMBER" so you can receive local updates.  PGR not only supports services for those killed in our current conflicts, but also veterans of past wars such as WWII, Vietnam, and Korea.  Thank you.