Tears of Sadness, Tears of Joy

Yes, I shed a few of both at a Patriot Guard mission this morning for a veteran with no family to claim his remains. Sadness because this poor soul had no one on the entire planet that came forward to collect his remains. Joy because of the incredible honor it was to stand a graveside flag line with my brothers and sisters of the Patriot Guard in his honor in place of family. From the mission notice:

"Patriot Guard and Associates;

Sadly, we have been requested to stand a Flag Line for Mark White, US Navy and who is unfortunately, an unclaimed Veteran with no family.

We do not have any further information on this Hero but we do know there is no family and students from Xavier High School will serve as pallbearers."

Xavier High School is an all boys Catholic institution. Six smartly dressed students in school uniform jackets and ties were there with a male advisor.

Little is known about Mark's service. His DD214 is blank except his E-3 pay grade. A theory was raised that he may have died during basic, but no one really knows.

I showed up in time for the 9:15 staging in the CT State Veterans Cemetery with over 20 fellow P.G.R. members. The Navy Honor Guard and state military rifle team arrived next. The boys from Xavier arrived as well as 10 people from the general public that heard about this burial. We assembled our flag line near the freshly opened grave and were in place when the hearse arrived. There was no clergy to perform religious services. The military rendered honors and the folded flag was presented to one of our P.G.R. members, who then laid it on top of the casket. The funeral director closed out the ceremonies with a very nice prepared speech, and individually thanked the different groups in attendance. The entire proceedings took 18 minutes.

That worked out well for me, because there was a P.G.R. mission in MA with staging at 12:30. I would have time to run home and let the dogs out before heading to Agawam. I arrived early giving me time to down a snack and a good drink of cold water. I always carry ice cold water on my bike in one of these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a Swiss Army cargo strap attached to the inside of the bike's trunk to keep it upright and out of the way. The water stays cold all day long.

The service was scheduled for 2 PM and we were done before 2:30. I made the rounds visiting the 5 family graves that includes my parents and headed towards home and lunch. My usual lunch spot in that area is Chick-Fil-A and I got to try the new Honey Pimento chicken sandwich. I recommend the spicy version. SO GOOD! The rest of the ride home included a gas fill up and was uneventful.

The Wall That Heals

It is a 3/4 scale replica of the actual Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. that travels around the country. This stop in Manchester was put together by the Manchester Elks Club. Unfortunately, Goolag or Blogger or YouTube is being stupid and won't let me embed the video I wanted to place here, so I have a link to it instead.

The Wall That Heals - Visitor Experience

On Tuesday the 17th, I was part of the very large motorcycle escort from the staging area at the defunct Enfield Square Mall, to the wall's destination at Charter Oak Park in Manchester. This first photo is from the middle of the motorcycle group on I-91 southbound by exit 45. You can't see the truck hauling the wall far ahead in the distance. Me and the two guys I rode with are ahead in the group somewhere. There were lots more bikes behind the photographer. CT State Police closed the highway so everyone could get on, and then ran blocking for us for lane changes and interchanges. The ride went I-91S, to I-291E, to I-384E, and then we got off at the Main Street Manchester exit. We got a little jammed up getting on I-384 due to crossing traffic, but everyone made it through safely.

This part of the event was meant to also act as a homecoming parade for the Vietnam vets. Main Street in Manchester was full of people and there were tons of school children from the local schools cheering and waving flags. Someone shot this video of the parade and posted it on the town's Fakebook page. I lifted this picture of yours truly rolling by on The Beast from about the 1:45 mark.

We rode all the way up Main Street to the intersection of East Center Street, turned right on East Center, and then right again onto Spruce Street riding all the way south back down to Charter Oak Road. That put us directly across from the entrance to the park and our final destination. When everyone parked and dismounted, we gathered by the truck for a group photo and thank yous from the organizers and town officials. Afterwards, everyone mounted up and rode a few blocks back up Spruce Street to Bissell Street and the Elks Lodge for a fantastic complimentary meal. Needing to do some yard work later on, I chose to just head home instead of riding more with some of my co-workers that are members of the "Riders of Fire" motorcycle club.

Wednesday was the day they assembled the wall. I had a 24 hour shift at the FD so I could not go to lend a hand. This is pretty cool; members of Gold Star Families in attendance get to help carry the panel containing the name of their loved one that was KIA.

There was a coastal storm spinning around in the Atlantic off the coast of Cape Cod and the weather forecast was for rain Wednesday night and showers on Thursday. Instead, the high pressure system to the northwest kept it all away. Thursday morning was bright and sunny so I decided I needed me a dose of wind therapy. I decided to head down to the wall for my own private visit. That bright and sunny turned into hot and sunny, and temps that were supposed to be in the low 70's pushed up to 89. I arrived just before 11 AM and the whole place was packed with people and cars with the lots full. But as usual, there is always room for motorcycles, so I got parked and started walking down to the crowd. All of a sudden, a C-130 screamed overhead at about 500' and I realized that was the flyover for the official opening ceremonies! I went down to the seating area just as it was starting and stayed for the whole thing which lasted a little over an hour. Afterwards I thought I would get my visit in but there were too many people in my way. My wife and I had a meeting with a financial planner the next day and planned to visit the wall after having lunch.

So that's exactly what we did. Went to our meeting first, had a yummy lunch at Hana Sushi, and then went down to Charter Oak Park. The crowds from Thursday were gone, and we had our choice of where to park and see what we wanted when we wanted.

I only know one name on the wall, Whitney T. Ferguson III. He was from the town I used to live in and a school chum of another Vietnam Vet I know personally. The first thing we did was find what panel he was on. Its 29W, Row 7. When I tried to get a picture of his name on my visit to The Wall in D.C. it was up so high I had to blindly hold my camera as high as I could standing on tiptoe. It had taken several tries to get a decent shot. I was easily able to photograph his name on the 3/4 scale wall.

I have not seen this display since 2002 when it was set up at Coventry High School on the athletic field. I forgot it was engraved stone like the original. For some reason I thought it was laser etched or just printed on metal. This allows visitors to do rubbings just like the full scale memorial. The visitor guides were walking around with pads of paper and pencils for anyone desiring one to do their own rubbing.

Here is a panoramic shot I took of the entire length of The Wall. Click it to big it.

There is more to see than just the wall. The trailer the wall comes in is also a Vietnam War museum. There are windows on the sides of the trailer containing artifacts and displays. One thing that was on display was this 1970 draft lottery numbering system table. We plugged in my birthday and I would not have been drafted if I were draft age. My baby brother, on the other hand would have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This plaque was set on the ground in a small cordoned off area. It is a duplicate of the one in D.C.

The last thing I photographed was the most touching. It is the empty seat set at the dinner table for those MIA's or POW's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wall will be going to Bridgeport next. The escort will go from staging in Westport to Bridgeport. I will not be doing that escort run. It's well outside of my normal PGR A.O.

 

I apologize for not getting this post up sooner. I started it on Saturday the 21st while on duty at the FD, but got hit with ambulance calls and never got back to it. Sunday and Monday were days off which were booked up with stuff to do. I am back on duty today and finally got it done.

 

7 Days of X Jail

 Earned by this simple little post:

Which has been deleted in order to start the clock to have my account unfucked. But it will live on forever here thanks to me screenshotting it before deletion. It will end up back on X as a photo in a post when I am back on.

Can you imagine... being suspended for simply advocating what was once U.S. Military doctrine and the stated position of the United States? Even though I was in the Army Reserves assigned to a rear echelon medical HQ unit, everything I was taught or did was based on the destruction of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact and the killing of Commies. Had the Soviet armor rolled west through the Fulda Gap towards western Europe, we were to be deployed to England to coordinate front line field hospitals and all other medical facilities in our A.O. Across the globe on the Korean Peninsula, my brothers in arms were keeping Kim Il Sung in check at the 38th parallel, but still on alert and ready for killing Asian Commies.

Oh well, fellow blogger Matthew W. at the Bacon Time !!!!!! blog will be glad I'm gone for the 7 days so he doesn't have to endure my pro-Miracle Whip postings. 😂  I have another post in progress that will be up in the next day or so about a kayak outing with My Honey.

Three P.G.R. Funeral Flag Lines

Yesterday I reported for Patriot Guard duty at the CT Veterans Cemetery in Middletown for two funerals back to back. Staging time for the first one was 12:00 and the second one was set for 13:00. I arrived on "The Beast" early as usual, with my first stop at the admin building to use the restroom. I spotted the area in the cemetery where the others were gathered and moved over there to park. There were three freshly dug and readied graves for cremains right in a row nearby. While we were just hanging out the funeral director shows up and informs the Ride Captain that there is a funeral prior to the two we are there for, and the family is asking if we would stand a flag line for their loved one as well. Now the P.G.R. will never just show up, or come on hearsay, we must be officially invited by immediate family of the deceased. Since we were already there and the mission kinda met the criteria, we assembled our flags and got in place just as the procession was arriving. There were only 12 mourners but about 20 P.G.R. members, and the family was extremely happy with what we did. It was a little unusual because the urn was a his & hers side by side holding two sets of cremains. Therefore, because the husband was the veteran but the wife wasn't, no military honors were performed. It was a simple burial.

The next two burials proceeded as usual, with an honor guard rifle team firing 3 volleys, a bugler playing taps, and two Army soldiers doing the flag. When there is a casket, the casket is draped with a flag right to the grave. That flag is 5' x 9' and specially made for draping a casket. It is never meant to be flown on a flagpole. It is lifted from the casket and folded 13 times into a triangle for presentation to the family. When there are cremains, the flag arrives already folded and placed with the urn. The military honor guard then picks up the flag, unfolds it, smartly snaps it open horizontally, pauses, then refolds it into the triangle for presentation. I have heard it so many times I know it by heart:

"On behalf of the President of The United States, The United States Army/Navy/Air Force, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

The Marines (fucking crayon eaters 😆) have their own version that goes like this:

On behalf of the President of The United States, The Commandant of The Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.

After military honors are rendered, religious burial services are then held. It seems all the ones I've ever been to were Christian or none. Raised a Catholic, I know that one really well and usually includes "The Lord's Prayer" and the 23rd Psalm.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (Catholic prayer ends here) 

For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. (Other Christian denominations)

Amen.

 

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

One of the final prayers is called the "Eternal Rest Prayer" and goes like this:

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
and let Your perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed
rest in peace.

Amen.

While it is entirely recited by the priest, the second line is said by all in attendance.

 

Over the past six years of Patriot Guard duty, I have learned more about funerals than I ever thought possible. For someone that deals with death on the job regularly, attending all these funerals seems to provide a sort of closure. Most of the people I deal with that die are strangers anyway, just like the funerals I go to. It kind of evens out.

Range Day - Surplus Turkish M2 Ball Ammo Review

Here it is folks, the long awaited and detailed review of the MKE Turkish M2 milsurp. Details of the ammo I purchased can be found in this initial post and this subsequent post. It took me almost two weeks to just do this blog post (even though I put up others in the meantime) because of being busy and simply having no time to edit the video and finish composing the post. Online reviews of this ammo are mixed, and in the Garand Collectors Association issue of this month's GCA Journal, they did a scathing review of some horrible condition rusty/crusty MKE ammo that came in en bloc clips. A link to a PDF of the article is below.

GCA Journal Vol. 37 Issue 3 MKE Ammo Review

Now I understand the GCA's love affair with the CMP, but I have personally given up on them. Their online e-Store has been down for weeks. When the CMP got in their last supply of surplus ammo, I tried for two months to purchase my one allotted 400 round can to no avail. The last time I checked before the store went dark it was all gone. In the article they purposely went cheap, so IMHO they got what they paid for. I on the other hand had much different results.

 

Monday August 28th

Weather conditions were clear and sunny with temps in the low 80's. I don't recall wind conditions, but I was not too concerned about that for this outing. Being a weekday off work I had the range to myself which allowed me to shoot my photos and video undisturbed and go down range to set up as needed. My camera is a Nikon D5600 equipped with a Nikkor 18mm-55mm VR lens mounted on a Garrard video cam tripod for the video. For target photos I humped the camera down range.

The Rifle:

A total of 56 rounds were fired using a 1944 vintage Springfield Armory M-1 placed in a Hy-Skore rifle rest. The rest was used to make sure the rifle held consistently so recoil would have no effect on semi-auto operation. During the entire evolution there was not one FTF or FTE. I was able to recover all of my brass which is boxer primed, meaning easily re-loadable, which I will end up doing at some point when there is no more milsurp M2.

Ready to rock. Empty chamber flag in use even though I was alone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The range:

Yellow arrow is 100 yard backstop, orange arrow is 200 yard backstop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ammo:

HXP Pyrkal made in Greece headstamp HXP 69 (from CMP I believe about 2012-2013)

(3) 8 round clips

One clip for function test as my known standard and to demonstrate a proper working rifle (video)

One clip at 100 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One clip at 200 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu or MKE for short from Turkey, headstamp MKE 83 (from Tacticalshit.com)

(4) 8 round clips

One clip for function test to ensure proper loading, firing, and ejection (video)

One clip at 100 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One clip at 200 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One final clip on 100 and 200 yard gongs (4 rounds each) using a needed slight elevation hold 

Ammo function video:

One clip of Greek HXP, followed by a clip of Turkish MKE. I did this video without a script. Note to self: HAVE NOTES FOR SHOOTING VIDEO NEXT TIME!!

What follows is a series of photos of targets and steel plates from the range session. I need to shoot more often because I can do better. I was also using the rifle rest which doesn't work all that well comfort wise on my club shooting benches. I normally use a sandbag rest.

Four rounds of HXP at 100 yards

Four hits of HXP on a 12" plate at 100 yards

 

Four rounds but only two hits of HXP at 200 yards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four rounds and three good hits of HXP at 200 yards on a 12" plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason I did better hitting the plates than the targets. I think it was because they were easier to see in the shade with fresh white paint against the black sights of the M1. The paper targets had the previous shot holes covered with 3M blue painters tape for the MKE ammo shots. The plates got a freshened coat of white paint. I use the cheapo spray paint from WalMart. Not too long ago it was $0.99 a can. Now about $4 😠

Four rounds of MKE at 100 yards. OK!

Four shots of MKE at the 100 yard plate. One hit? Sheesh!

Four shots of MKE at 200 yards. Low and left. Three hits plus one nick on the edge.

Four shots of MKE at 200 yards. Just one good hit. Arrrrgh!

After viewing the targets and plates through the spotting scope, I loaded and fired one final 8 round clip of MKE using the elevation hold. I fired 4 rounds at the 100 yard plate and 4 rounds at the 200 yard plate. I scored 8 hits out of 8 shots. I quit shooting for the day so I could end on a high note.

 

Final analysis: 

This is good ammo for target practice (but will also kill all enemies, foreign and domestic quite dead) and was a decent price at $335 for 400 rounds from Tacticalshit.com That works out to $0.8375 per round. Barely more expensive than the junk Mr. Toombs purchased for his review. I plan on recouping some of the cost by selling the M1919-A4 MG links to a collector. For me, it doesn't "feel" as hot as the HXP ammo, judged only by recoil, not a chronograph, and it does shoot lower than my standard ammo. But like with any time you change ammo brands, you just have to readjust your sights.  This is plinking and target ammo for me. I will keep the 200 yard battle zero dope handy with the HXP ammo due to it having the steel penetrator (again for killing all enemies, foreign and domestic but especially those wearing body armor) and adjust the sight according to the change for the MKE ammo.

September 5th, back to the range

I had a subsequent range day on this past Tuesday when I had another day off. Since I now have a good supply of Sierra Matchking boolits, I won't be running out of my custom loaded ammo any time soon.

"From a man they did not see, came a sound they did not hear..."

I have the B-27 and bullseye targets I used that day, but this photo below best demonstrates the accuracy I get. The paint can I used during the ammo review that I had just about emptied painting the plates on this outing. I popped that clean hole through at 200 yards. It looked like it was done with a drill and a long bit. There was hardly any paint left when I hit it. My only indication of a hit was when the can fell over. I was hoping for a big POOF of white paint.

I have decided to stop dicking around with precision shooting, and just stick to the intended purpose this rifle was built for, which it performs quite well... eliminating long range threats to my Freedom out to 500+ yards @ M.O.M. (minute of man).

Especially if the predictions of spicy times in the near future come true.

This was one of the longest and most detailed posts I have ever done. I hope you liked it and please comment below.

Memories To Share

The following post is actually a comment I left at Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated about my US Army basic training Drill Sargents the other day.

 

My Army basic training Drill Sargent’s at Fort Dix both made such an impression on 18 year old me I remember their names, faces, and voices clearly 42 years later. Sgt. Cupp was white and built like a human fire hydrant. He took no guff but had a quirky sense of humor. One day, we came out of noon chow and began loosely forming up behind our web gear and steel pots. He hollered out “Smoke ’em if you got ’em, and if you don’t then simulate! I began simulating toking on a bone. Sgt. Cupp sees me and come straight over to where I am standing and gives me a sideways stinkeye. “Get on the ground and give me 20, then ask for 20 more!” I drop into the front leaning rest position and knock them out, then ask for 20 more. “Knock ’em out! he says which I do. This repeated until I was at 100 and he told me to recover.

Sgt. Cumberbatch was black, a handsome guy with a great mustache, and he was cut. He was only a little taller than Sgt. Cupp but the guy was super fit. He had a great voice for calling cadence and shouting commands. I didn’t have a whole lot of personal interaction with him. Although I believe it was he that taught us the Claymore. We were all sitting in a classroom as he demonstrates setting one up and explaining the steps as he does. “THIS SIDE TOWARDS ENEMY” was facing us recruits on the front table. He sticks in the blasting cap and starts uncoiling the wires walking backwards away from the Claymore still explaining the steps as he connects the wires to the trigger. Everyone is visibly looking around nervously. “Bye-bye boys!” he yells out and hits the trigger. The blasting cap goes off with a loud pop and everyone jumps and he laughs himself silly. I’m sure that is a gag that was pulled on many recruit classes before and after. Near the end of boot camp, we are out on bivouac. After camp was setup, evening chow was done, and well after dark, a fire was lit and the boombox came out. For the next two hours, Sgt. Cumberbatch oversaw a breakdance party of both black and white participants. I just watched, but it was a heckuva stress reliever for everyone.

Until writing this, I haven’t thought about those guys in years. Thanks for triggering the memories.

The Claymore was obviously a dummy training aid, but the blasting cap and trigger were the real deal. To this day I have a similar type gag I use on fire service newbies. We have to do initial and then annual SCBA mask fitting. This is done using a USB connected device on a dedicated desktop computer. The device then connects to our SCBA mask with a filter assembly and hoses. The person being tested puts on and seals their mask.  Then I attach and lock on the filter assembly and start the test program. Whenever I have a first timer, just as I lock the filter onto their mask, I say, "I will give you a wave just before the poison gas comes on" to which I get the dinner plate sized eyes and look of fear. Then I bust out laughing and they breathe a sigh of relief.

The only photo I have of my Drill Sargents is this platoon graduation group photo for Fort Dix A-2-3-2 on May 1, 1981. For those never in the military, A-2-3-2 stood for Alpha Company, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Platoon. Sgt. Cupp on the left, Sgt. Cumberbatch on the right. They are flanked by our squad leaders who were all older and more mature than us 18 year old punks. The squad leader all the way to the right was our platoon PT champion, Pvt. Greggory Heiney. The back of the photos were signed by everyone there. I only remember a handful of faces to go with the names. I am between Mazzarela on the left and Neff on the right. The guy 3 over from me to the right is Edward "Morris the Cat" Morris from Washington state. My family and girlfriend drove down for graduation and he had the hots for my sister. The black guy on the right in the middle of the top row was my friend from Mississippi Carlvet Lee. We were like Forrest Gump and Bubba. He was larger than me and I once carried him just like Forrest carried Bubba for practice for 100 yards. I have a whole story about him and I that took place Memorial Day weekend 1981 and involved me getting fucked on KP. I'll save it for another post.

Click it to big it. Pvt. Dropem circled in yellow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me So Happy!!

After two years of trying to get the bullets I use for my sniper precision rifle, an order for 500 Sierra Matchking 174gr .311" BTFMJHP bullets are on their way from Precision Reloading. I used to get them directly from Sierra, but they have been unavailable and Sierra has no mechanism for consumers to place a back-order to create demand. I had a pending back order from Optics Planet since 2021 that I cancelled this morning right after I placed my new order.

 

I load my ammo precisely using hand polished with 0000 steel wool, fire-formed brass and have the cartridge O.A.L. set .005" off the lands of the rifling based upon the chamber length measurement. I use Hogdgon Varget powder and Winchester Large Rifle primers. The primers and bullets are sealed with red enamel paint. I currently have 70 rounds loaded and 100 bullets ready to load. I have not been shooting my rifle since last year trying to conserve my ammo. The next range outing will be checking the 100 yard zero, and then adjusting the scope turrets for 200 for some slow fire bullseye.

 

Thanks to a heads up from Chris at Last Stand On Zombie Island I also scored some machine gun linked Turkish 150 gr 30 Caliber M2 Ball from TacticalShit.com. All the millions of Ethiopian returned M2 U.S. 30 caliber ammo at The CMP vaporized before I could buy my allotted single can of 400 rounds. I've had 30 Caliber machine gun ammo before that had a little corrosion from metal links and it cleaned up easy and shot fine out of a WWII vintage M1.

(100) 4-round linked assemblies in a case. The missing 5th round was the tracer

I had not purchased from The CMP since 2013 and my credentials had expired. For two months I tried faxing and emailing the required credentials, and phone calls went to voicemail with no response. I must have sent the paperwork a dozen times to no avail. A gun bud of mine familiar with The CMP told me today that they play favorites. Ammo for themselves, donors, and friends but none for average Joe Blow. I guess will only buy from them in the future if I can make it to Anniston, Alabama to purchase in person. With the 12% off coupon they offer on the Tactical Shit site and no Kommiecticut sales tax, I got the 400 rounds for $231.60 to my door. I will de-link and then clean them with 0000 steel wool if necessary. I may sell the MG links to also help offset some cost because I hate to throw them away.

Chris asked if I could review the ammo when I receive it and shoot some. I will post my review on this blog and send the link to Chris for cross posting.

Memorial Day Weekend Activities

Yesterday there was a Patriot Guard mission to place flags on all the graves at the two state veterans cemeteries. Since my father in law is a Vietnam veteran and spending the summer with us from Florida, I asked him to come along. Our plan was to go to the larger cemetery in Middletown. Since we would have to leave around 8 AM for the hour drive down, I suggested coffee brewed at home and breakfast sandwiches with hash browns from Cumberland Farms. My wife had a dog agility event Saturday, so we were all up to get out early. While watching the 7 AM news on Fox 61 CT they reported about the flag placing event, and encouraged viewers to be in Middletown at 9 AM. There are 13,000 graves that needed flags so come and help. We grabbed our breakfast and hit the highway. 

While traveling down I-91 south through Wethersfield, I had a thought. Everyone always focuses on the big cemetery in Middletown, forgetting about the smaller one in Rocky Hill across from the veterans home and hospital. I told my father in law there was a change in plan, that we were going to Rocky Hill instead and why. He was fine with that. The graves in that cemetery are mostly veterans that died at the veterans home or hospital.

We got there to initially find a lone cemetery worker and two other Patriot Guard members. By 9 o'clock about another dozen volunteers showed up, including a couple of families with kids. Promptly at 9 AM we started placing flags and were done by 09:35. All 1,713 graves were adorned with a small American flag. The kids all did a good job and were respectful and quiet, no running around and being obnoxious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was happy that my father in law and I got to do something directly related to the true meaning of Memorial Day. After we were done in Rocky Hill we did go down to Middletown to see if maybe they needed more help. Nope, they were done too. My father in law drove through that area of Middletown for 35 years while working at Pratt & Whitney and never knew the cemetery was there. I took him on a drive through the whole cemetery and he agreed it was a beautiful place. 

To most people they need this little reminder to at least stop and think about what the day means.

I wish I had thought of doing this for the ride to and from the cemetery, but it was too late and I didn't have time before we left. But I did it when I got home and have been driving it around since yesterday. I had one guy come up to me and tell me he had Stephen's dad as a baseball coach (so did I) and about playing on the athletic fields named in his honor at Ellington High School. I told the guy I knew Stephen well and his family well.

As a refresher about PFC Tingley, read this post from last fall. He was a child hood friend that was killed in the Beirut barracks bombing on October 23, 1983

Amazingly, he made the November 1983 cover of Soldier of Fortune magazine that came out right after he was killed. That's him right on front holding his M16 and M203 in full ruck. This is a photo of my copy I got off eBay.

This is my tribute patch on my biker vest

The other person I think about on this day died in Vietnam when I was in second grade, Whitney T. Ferguson, III. I wrote about him recently in this page about visiting "The Wall" in Washington, DC. He was killed in action in Tay Ninh Province on 03/11/1969. Older friends of mine went to school with him. He was the only person from Vernon to die in Vietnam.

Whitney T. Ferguson, III

Tomorrow morning at dawn, in accordance with USC 4 Section 7 Paragraph (m) my flag will be lowered to half-staff until noon, when it will be raised back to full staff with the POW/MIA flag below it. My telescoping flagpole requires the second flag to be removed, and the US Flag placed on the second spot to accommodate half-staff display. I will fly the POW/MIA flag until next weekend and then again in November for Veterans Day.

All You Need To Know

That your (p)Resident is more willing to use the military he commands to go after political opposition, than to shoot down an unauthorized intrusion into our nation's sovereign air space.

I'm sure it was tracked well before it reached the continental U.S., and should have been downed immediately over the Pacific as a threat.

UPDATE 08:48 The fucking moron Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is headed for China. If I were in charge of the country, I would shoot that fucking thing down and have Mr. Blinken deliver the wreckage directly to Winnie The Pooh. He should drop it at his feet and say "I believe this is yours. Next time it will be delivered on a vapor cloud of nuclear fallout, YOU FUCK!"

I have been asked by the town Republican Committee to run for office. Now you see why I have refused.

Winter Wind Therapy

Yup. Got out on The Beast this afternoon. Roads were 99% dry, it was partly cloudy, and temps close to 60.

"The Beast" taken in the driveway during warmer weather.

 

Even in the above freezing weather we've had the past few days, the iceberg at the bottom of the driveway was persisting. I really did not want to attempt crossing it especially while turning. When I got home from my morning errands, I stopped at the bottom of the driveway and attacked it with the shovel I keep in the truck bed. I easily removed more than half of it, which was plenty of room to get in and out safely on the bike.

I figured I'd take a ride out to the big shopping area in the Dayville section of Killingly on RT. 101, but first I had to stop at the firehouse to torment my normal shift partner who was working today. I received the expected response from him because he was stuck inside and I was riding. Anyways, I needed to go to Lowe's to get some batteries for my stockpile and figured I would grab lunch too. I also wanted to get an LED headlamp that clips on the visor of my ball caps. First lunch at Taco Bell, or so I thought. They have the dining room closed with only the drive-thru open. Yeah, that doesn't work on a bike, so FUCK YOU! I decided to try my luck at the McDonald's next to Lowe's. I have not eaten anything there except coffee or breakfast (a McGriddle and hash brown) in many years. I got a 10 piece chicken nugget meal. OMG! it was sooooo good I couldn't believe it and it came out piping hot! I saddled up without my helmet or gloves to shoot across the parking lot to Lowe's.

I have stated previously that I do not normally park in the "Reserved For Veteran's" parking spaces at Lowe's or anywhere else that has them, leaving them for a vet that may be elderly or otherwise disabled. Three out of four of those spaces were open, so because I was on the bike and wearing my leathers with my military stuff on it, as well as the PGR and military decals on the bike I parked in one. I wasn't going to be there very long to grab what I needed anyway. I went to the only open register with a cashier, got my 10% military discount and got out of there. FYI... until retail outlets give me a discount for scanning and cashing myself out, I refuse to use it... BFYTW!

The ride home was nice and uneventful. The outside temp on the bike said "61." I saw a handful of other bikes out and waved to them all. I got home and put it back into full storage mode; topping off the stabilized fuel, putting it on the center and front stands, plugging in the Battery Tender, and putting on the cover. I am hoping to get out on Sunday New Year's Day for the traditional ride, but it depends on how quick the rain we're supposed to get Saturday night clears out. At least if I don't get out the bike is ready for a winter slumber.

Wreaths Across America 2022

Up and out early this past Saturday morning to the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA. My parents and several other family members are interred there. The Patriot Guard Riders nationwide play a huge role in this event. The truck convoy carrying the wreaths gets an escort. We stand flag lines for the ceremonies in the cemeteries as well as lay wreaths, and in January assist cemetery crews and other volunteers with picking them all up for recycling. I join the CT P.G.R. at the state cemetery in Middletown for wreath pickup. Because of the recent crummy weather only a couple of local MA guys had their bikes, everyone else was on four wheels.

Because this event has grown so large, parking for most volunteers is remote and they get brought in by shuttle bus. Six Flags New England provided the parking lots and free shuttle buses. The P.G.R. had our own coned off parking area because we were doing a police escorted procession to the cemetery. The ceremony was to begin at 10:00 so at 09:15 we did our procession, got parked, and assembled our flag lines. A lot of citizen volunteers were already in the cemetery so they got to see us roll in. We parked, assembled our flags, and lined up. We had a service flag held by a P.G.R. member behind the respective service monument as well a a POW/MIA and Gold Star flag. The rest of us had U.S. flags and formed a semi-circle behind the speaker's platform.

The ceremony was short and sweet, covered heavily by local media, and I heard several crowd estimates of 500+. It was opened by the singing of The Star Spangled Banner and Pledge of Allegiance performed by a local Army veteran. There was a guy that was the M.C., a short speech by the event organizer, and a short speech by the cemetery director. There were several politicians in attendance that were recognized but not allowed to speak. The rifle volleys were fired and taps was played by two local high school students. The ceremony concluded and it was time to lay wreaths. I missed last year and was told that this year was run differently and was structured to make sure no one bailed on the ceremony. Also, distribution of wreaths was much more controlled. Sounds like last year was a free for all.

I stowed my flag and quickly hoofed up the hill to get a wreath for my parent's grave. Their grave is located to the rear of the section so the chance of their grave already having a wreath on it was slim. I got to their stone, and in a loud voice recited Dad's name, service branch, rank, and era served. As I placed the wreath and stepped back to salute, the tears welled up. I bent down and kissed the back of the stone where Mom's name is and headed back down the hill. I procured another wreath to place on a random grave and placed it on the grave of one Francis J Murphy that was also a Navy veteran of Korea like my Dad.

Dad's older brother and my aunt are buried in the first section used when the cemetery was opened. Since their grave is only four rows back it normally gets a wreath quickly. Not this year. The wreath pickup was too far away, so I asked woman nearby if she wouldn't mind laying one of her wreaths on my uncle's grave. She was more than happy to, and I loudly read his details. He was a Marine in WWII and Korea. I also bent down and kissed the back of the stone where my aunt's name is inscribed.

There are 3 more family members buried there, but their graves are all over the cemetery so I just let others place the wreaths. When I am there for a P.G.R. mission, I visit them all and leave a shiny penny on the stone showing the graves were visited.

 

Remembering 23 October 1983

From Military.com:

"Between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon was embroiled in a country-wide civil war that saw its rival religious, ethnic and nationalist populations form armed militias and shifting alliances. The fighting inflamed regional tensions and provoked international responses.

One of these was a peacekeeping mission of American, British, French and Italian forces called the ​​Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF). Deployed as part of an agreed cease-fire after a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent invasion of Lebanon in 1983, the MNF spent almost a year and a half in the Lebanese capital.

The MNF was responsible for training the Lebanese military, restoring the country's central government in Beirut and overseeing the withdrawal of all foreign forces in Lebanon. A massive suicide bomber attack on the Marine Corps Barracks in October 1983 wiped away any success the MNF could claim, and led to the eventual withdrawal of American forces in March 1984."

From The Marine Corps Times - "The BLT Building is gone!!"

This date holds special significance for me. At the time, I was serving in the US Army Reserve and sleeping comfortably in my own bed at night, every night. I reported for duty one weekend a month to Westover AFB in Chicopee, MA and went on a two week "summer camp" every year. I was not on watch 7/24/365 in some shithole country of ingrates somewhere. I had been married just a little over two months, and my wife was out of state for the funeral of her uncle Gary in Austin, Texas. When I heard the news of who was killed when the names were released I was devastated, and remember crying myself to sleep that night. I mean deep wracking sobs that left me out of breath and my eyes burning so bad they hurt to close.

 

 

Stephen was a childhood friend I had known since the fourth grade. When he first came to my elementary school, he was in a set of leg braces to stabilize his weak hips. The brace went from his waist, down both legs keeping them straight, with a cross-bar between his feet. His feet rested on steel plates with thick rubber treads for traction. He "walked" by using a pair of arm brace crutches and kind of skipped along. He was a clown and smart ass and he and I got into a lot of mischief together. In middle school he no longer needed the braces and from then on and in early high school we played Senior League baseball together. His Dad was the football and baseball coach at Rockville High School and our Senior League baseball coach. Because we went to different high schools, we lost touch, but I always heard about his athletic exploits, especially in baseball. It was no surprise that Stephen would join the Marines right out of high school.

His funeral service was an impromptu reunion of old school chums, but certainly not joyful. No one spoke to each other, just glances and silent nods of recognition. We followed the horse drawn caisson on foot from the church to the cemetery, where full military honors were rendered. It was my first exposure to Taps played at a funeral service, and is why to this day while doing a Patriot Guard mission for a perfect stranger, I get a little tug at the old heartstrings and a little choked up.

The athletic fields at Ellington High School were named in his honor a few years later with a permanent stone monument placed in one corner. I wear this patch on my biker vest in his honor.

Years later, his parents bought the house in the cul-de-sac two doors down from my parents, and his sister Nancy already lived a few houses down in the other direction. I had gone to the cemetery trying to find Stephen's grave, but could not. I went over to his dad's house to inquire where his grave was. All he would say is that Stephen had been cremated, which lead me to believe they kept his ashes. Rather than push the subject, I wished his father a good afternoon and simply left. I never had the guts to go ask his sister. Last I knew, Stephen's parents were living the retired life somewhere in Florida.

As a side note, my own cousin Steven is a Marine veteran a week younger than I am. He was part of the MNF in Beirut, Lebanon but I believe he had rotated out before the bombing. I don't know if he was in those barracks or somewhere else. But I do remember him remarking what a beautiful country those animals destroyed.

 

Stephen Tingley's death is the reason I get so miffed at the way people view and "celebrate" Memorial Day as the "1st Day of Summer" or National BBQ Day. It is also one of the many reasons I am a Patriot Guard Rider.

When There Is Nothing to Lose...

 Lifted from Western Rifle Shooters Association.

This is the mindset required when you, a working class family man, has lost everything you loved and worked a lifetime for due to the actions of the tyrants. Your life as you knew it is over, so work to end the lives of as many tyrants and armed goons as you can. I say a man with nothing to lose, should fight like a man with nothing to lose.

The New Surrender Response

For almost 80 years, the classic defiant response to being offered a chance to surrender was "Nuts!" as presented by General Anthony McAuliffe to the German command at Bastogne on December 22, 1944.

Now, thanks to 13 brave and defiant Ukranian (and dead) soldiers on Snake Island, the new defiant response to an opportunity to surrender is "GO FUCK YOURSELF!" While certainly a death sentence for those 13 soldiers, just how much inspiration and morale boosting do you think this will give to the average Ukranian citizen fighting trained Russian soldiers on the streets to defend their country? I'll bet a lot!

I will permanently add that in my list of responses to those that would oppress or otherwise cause me harm. So, let me start here... directed at every level of government:

"GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

 

Tell Me Again....

What POTUS is Putin's stooge? 

Sorry LIBTURDS and "Never-Trumpers," guess again. (Hint: it never was Donald J. Trump)

It is current (p)Resident Dopey Gropey Joe Xiden. HE IS THE "FECKLESS CUNT" (h/t to TBS' Samantha Bee for that description she used for Ivana Trump on her TV show) for displaying weakness not seen from a world leader since before WWII.

But don't worry. Later today Jen "Little Red Lyin' Hood" Psaki will tell us (p)Resident Dopey Gropey Joe Xiden's weak foreign policy had NOTHING TO DO with any of this. They'll blame it all on Chi-Com Xi Flu, like they did with high fuel and transportation costs, the broken supply chain, as well as the ongoing violent crime wave.

The Market Will Determine Their Existence

Smart Guns Finally Arriving in U.S., Seeking To Shake Up Firearms Market

They will ONLY be marginally successful with government mandates and/or taxpayer funded subsidies. Let's see how many military units and police departments jump on board for these pieces of shit. My guess is none will. Smith & Wesson learned a hard lesson by being boycotted for working on this concept in 1999, so hopefully all manufacturers will learn from that lesson and stay away from such stupidity.

As for me... yeah, no thanks. I'll stick with a gun that reliably goes bang when I pull a mechanical trigger. Especially if my life is on the line. There are hundreds of millions of firearms out there, so there will never be a need to purchase a smart gun. Last week they were talking about putting "kill switches" in future new cars. Who doesn't think they would be able to do the same with smart guns? Imagine entire areas flooded with smart gun jammer signals, because GUNS BAD! All my firearms are already absolutely safe, providing anyone handling them observes the Four Rules of Gun Safety. 

I'm An Idiot!

I thought there was a Patriot Guard Riders funeral mission today. I got an email from the MA Patriot Guard for the cemetery in Agawam on October 25th. We were to meet in the usual spot on Main Street at 12:45. Problem was, I thought today was the 25th. I didn't realize I was off a day until I pulled into the lot at 12:47 and was the only one there. I pulled my phone out and checked the email and it said the 25th at 12:45. Then I looked at my watch. Shit! Oh well, it was a beautiful day for a ride. I went to the cemetery anyway and placed a brand new shiny penny on all my relative's gravestones. Then on the way home I stopped at a friend's house that had been after me to stop by. He and his wife live in a lake community in his grandmother's old house. Next door to him was a totally dilapidated seasonal house that was falling down for decades. He had pursued buying the property for many years, but the family refused to sell. They finally had to sell and he bought it. He put up a nice garage/workshop/man cave where the house had been. I didn't stick around too long because they were headed out for lunch.

The other thing about today turned out to be a quick dry run of bringing a handgun in and out of The Peoples Republik on Massachusetts. Rather than carry it locked and loaded on my hip as I normally do, it was unloaded and secured with a cable type lock in the hidden compartment in the trunk. The magazine and ammo were locked in a separate compartment in the fairing. Carrying this way is a test of FOPA, since the bike is locked when parked and would only be searched if I wrecked, in which case I would be travelling through MA to a state where my firearm is legal. When I got to the convenience store near home to get a snack, I got some practice strapping on my holster, loading my pistol, and placing it in the holster right out in the open unnoticed. I then went in the store for some junk food and a soda. When I headed out for home, my gun was in the holster under my leathers as usual.

Honored To Be A Part Of It

I have been an active member of the Patriot Guard Riders since 2018 and try to attend as many missions as I can. Today's mission was one of those that was extra special.

**HONOR MISSION** 8 UNCLAIMED MILITARY VETERANS ROCKY HILL/ MIDDLETOWN, CT FRIDAY 10/01/2021 845AM STAGE

Posted: 28 Sep 2021 05:19 PM PDT

**HONOR MISSION**

8 UNCLAIMED MILITARY VETERANS

 

VICTOR H ANDERSON USMC KOREA

ORVILLE K DAVIS US ARMY WW II

STEPHEN Y FORRESTER US ARMY VIETNAM

JOSEPH P GALIPEAU US ARMY WW II

LAWRENCE W JORDAN US ARMY WW I

BERNARD J LAFLEUR US NAVY WW II

GEORGE D PARKER US NAVY WW II

LAWRENCE E TEFFT US COAST GUARD/MERCHANT MARINE WW II

 

ESCORT STAGE

CT DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

287 WEST ST

ROCKY HILL CT 06067

FRIDAY 10/01/2021

845AM STAGE

 

CEMETERY STAGE

CT STATE VETERANS CEMETERY

317 BOW LA

MIDDLETOWN, CT  06457

FRIDAY 10/01/2021

930AM STAGE

Patriot Guard and Associates;

We have been invited by DVA Commissioner Thomas Saadi to participate in the Escort and Final Military Honors for 8 Unclaimed Military Veterans.

CT PGR along with the CT Funeral Directors Association, CT State Police, Local Law Enforcement, will Escort these Veterans to their final resting place at the CT State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown.

CT PGR will now be the family for these Veterans.

A flagged Vehicle Escort has been requested.

ASC Skip Petras (XXX-XXX-XXXX) will be RCIC for the escort.

We will Stand a Flag Line for the Cemetery Ceremony and Military Honors.

RC Gregg Karal (XXX-XXX-XXXX) will be RCIC at the Cemetery with flags on site.

Any RC that will be attending are requested to bring their flags to the cemetery.

Members are reminded that Personal Weapons are not Permitted on State Property.

Masks are encouraged by the DVA though not required. Members may make their own choice.

God Bless America, Our Troops and Our First Responders.

 

Every time one of these has come up in the past, I was unable to serve for whatever reason but today's occurred on my regular day off and the weather was absolutely beautiful. It was a somber but joyous ceremony, for eight men whose remains have been in storage at various funeral homes because they were unclaimed. One of them since 1976. Here is a couple of news stories covering the event. If you knew where/when to look... yes indeed... Glypto's mug and bike is there to see. For PERSEC though, I will not give it away.

Fox 61 CT CT Veterans Military Funeral

 

 

NBC 30 CT Veterans Military Funeral

It was 40 degrees when I left my house so I had on some cold weather gear. We met at the VA Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill. Unlike most PGR missions, there was no waiting around in staging to have coffee or to bullshit with the other members. This was a joint effort between the state VA and the CT Funeral Directors Association. It also involved the CT State Police, Rocky Hill Police, Cromwell Police, Middletown Police, Middletown FD, and military honor guards. All 8 cremated remains arrived in a single hearse, but there were three others provided. Each hearse had the magnetic branch insignia on the drivers door for the respective service branches, so the urns needed to be moved according to the deceased's branch of service. This was done by members of the PGR and the Combat Vet Motorcycle Association, including yours truly. We lined up at the rear of the main hearse, and the president of the CFDA distributed the urns to us. Slowly and deliberately, the CFDA president would pick up an urn, bring it face to face to the waiting personnel. The person receiving the urn would render a salute, do a left face, walk several steps, do another left face, and slowly walk to to appropriate waiting hearse. I walked in a similar way to the Honor Guards at The Tomb of The Unknown at Arlington... that slow and deliberate walk. I did a left face, 3 or 4 steps, then a final left face to hand the urn to the funeral director waiting at the back of the hearse. After the urns were all properly placed, everyone posed for photos in front of the cannons and flagpole in front of the admin building. It was soon time to saddle up for the police escorted procession. There were 2 flagged pickup trucks (one in front, one in the rear) and about 22 bikes in between, followed by the four hearses and the CT State Police motorcycle troopers running as roaming road guards. The town police in Rocky Hill, Cromwell, and Middletown were waiting for us at the larger intersections. We had to do a short hop on the RT. 9 state highway, which was shut down for us to enter and exit unimpeded.

We arrived safely at the cemetery and had a parking area set aside for the escort vehicles and bikes. We parked and headed over to the cemetery Ride Captain's truck to get our flags for the flag line. We lined up about 25 feet from the large tent that was set up behind the speaker's podium. The line was one of the longest I've seen in a while, about 45 participants since there were quite a few PGR members that either don't have bikes or chose not to ride today and were waiting there for us.

In attendance were many veterans groups from around the region. American Legion, VFW, The Marine Corps League, DAV, CT State Honor Guard and others that I couldn't quite tell who they were. The hearses were brought up one at a time to the rear of the tent, and military honor guards brought the urns up one at a time and set them on a special table each with a folded flag. When all were in place, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the National Anthem, and bowed our heads for the invocation prayer. The Master of Ceremony was state DVA Commissioner Saadi. There were 6 speeches including his that were nice and short. Military honors were rendered for all 8 deceased at once, and the Army Honor Guard ceremoniously folded a US Flag. That flag was presented to Commissioner Saadi. It concluded with a closing and a benediction prayer and it was done. We did the usual PGR exit. We stayed in our line, called to attention, did a right face, and marched off single file holding our flags. Only when we get to the RC vehicle to we break rank and disassemble our flags. I have heard directly from mourners over the years that the march off impresses the hell out of them.

You may have missed in the mission notice the reminder "Members are reminded that Personal Weapons are not Permitted on State Property." Well guess what, as usual I was armed. You see, by attending these missions unarmed, not only am I disarmed at the mission (which isn't a big deal since there is usually a police presence), but traveling to and from and while making any stops. I had errands to run afterwards today, so I was not going all the way home to get an EDC and then back out to do my errand. Nor am I going anywhere disarmed. My compromise was having my gun and holster locked in the trunk of "The Beast" while at the VA, riding in the escort, and while standing a flag line. However, after the conclusion of the ceremony and while no one was looking, I strapped on my holster and placed my 45 Shield in it. Since it had warmed up, I ditched my leather jacket, neck covering, and winter gloves. The gun was immediately covered by my vest and disappeared. I rode out right past police in the cemetery and no one was the wiser. Like I always say, my gun sitting safely in my holster harms no one. I do not discuss this issue with any PGR members, and let them all just think I am being a good boy.