No matter their background, political views, or careers, Patriot Guard Riders have one thing in common – respect for U.S. veterans, Debi Fuller told a small group Thursday evening.
“We don’t care what you ride, or if you ride,” she said of the motorcycle brigades. “We don’t care what your political views are, or whether you’re a ‘hawk’ or a ‘dove.’ It’s not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your income is. The only prerequisite is respect.”
Fuller, a ride captain with the Patriot Guard, spoke about the group’s mission, its history and other vignettes at Allen County Community College as part of the college’s “It Happened In Kansas” speakers series.
Fuller, Emporia, was the final speaker of the series. Her speech, like the others, revolved around Sarah Smarsh’s tome “It Happened In Kansas,” to celebrate the state’s sesquicentennial this year.
PATRIOT GUARD Riders began in 2005 as an outcry to the Fred Phelps family and its Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church and their protests at military funerals.
Family members of fallen soldiers typically request the riders at the funeral.
From there, a coordinated response is planned “with typical military precision,” including route maps and where they are to be stationed.
At the funeral site, the riders stand silently beside a large American flag in long rows, an effective barrier between grieving family members and any protesters, Fuller said.
“We started as a means to block the protesters,” she said, “but any more, I think we almost protect the protesters as much as anything” by preventing angry citizens from otherwise taking the law into their own hands.
“I want the protesters to say what they have to say, then get out,” she said.
Since its formation, the group has expanded its types of missions, such as providing send-offs and welcome-home greetings and to escort veterans as they embark on honor flights to Washington, D.C.
They also are active with “random acts of patriotism,” Fuller said, by participating in parades or other ceremonies.
Missions are available for any military serviceman or emergency personnel, such as police, firefighters or ambulance personnel, she said.
The group also has begun its HOTH (Help On The Homefront) missions by visiting wounded personnel at Veterans Affairs hospitals or other facilities, then assisting the wounded as they attempt to get reacclimated to civilian life.
FULLER’S involvement with the Patriot Guard started in early 2006, when she heard about a planned Westboro Baptist Church protest of a fallen firefighter in Emporia.
The daughter of a veteran and mother of a firefighter, Fuller, too, was appalled at the thought of protesters interrupting what was to be a solemn occasion.
“That’s when they told me about the Patriot Guard,” she said.
Watching the riders left a definite impression. Since joining, she now is responsible for coordinating mission routes and supplying flags for the riders who show up for missions.
She recalled one memorable scene in particular when former President Bush spoke at commencement ceremonies in tornado-ravaged Greensburg in May 2008.
The Patriot Guard, and its 400 flag-toting riders, was joined by other groups just as large or larger to welcome the president.
“You never saw so many flags in your life,” she recalled.
A slide show depicting scenes form Patriot Guard missions accompanied Fuller’s speech. It also included photographs of the 69 Kansas servicemen killed in action since 2002.
IOLAN DAVID Fontaine joined Fuller on stage following her hourlong presentation. He, too, is a ride captain for the Patriot Guard.
They spoke briefly about the patches the riders wear and the warm welcome they received during their various missions.
Fontaine recalled one mission in which he was asked by a reporter in Springfield, Mo., about why he chose to ride.
“My response was that we should have been doing this years ago,” Fontaine said. “Every soldier deserves this.”
