What we did on our Thanksgiving Break, part 4

Up early Saturday. Bundled up against the cold and rode to Varnville, SC for the Patriot Guard Mission. The ride down took about 2 hours and we arrived in Hampton, SC about an hour before we needed to appear at the staging area.

Izzy & I took a stroll through Historic Downtown Hampton. Their town square nativity scene was already up--blond Mary & Baby Jesus included. I've read lots of articles about towns being faced with lawsuits over Nativity Scenes in their squares, but had not seen one in the center of a small town in years.

After a couple of coffee shop drinks, we rode a couple of miles and met 22 other bikers for our "Mission Briefing." Lots of these folks (mostly guys) are veterans, and all are very determined that those who have served this country be respected and honored at the ends of their lives.

We heard a bit about the soldier who had died, said the pledge of allegiance and rode to the church where the memorial service was scheduled.

We arrived, assembled flags, and formed up to create a flag line for mourners and family to walk through on their way into the church. The closest we came to a uniform were the Harley vests covered with POW/MIA, Vietnam service and Patriot Guard patches.

While we waited for the arrival of the family, a woman drove up, rolled her window down and asked "Patriot Guard?" When told that yes, that's what this group was, she told us that her husband was deployed to Iraq and he and his buddies had said lots of great things about this group. Folks got a bit choked up when telling her to thank her husband for his service. There were several other moments in the flag line and in the service (I went inside) that evoked tears.

It's not often you get a chance to do something good and meaningful for a complete stranger, and I'm glad we had this opportunity.