The Pros & Cons

As the title says, but in reference to no longer being associated with the fire department in any way, shape, manner, or form. Because of slowly telling my story to people, I have come to a realization. Why did I , the fireman with the most seniority receive a summary termination for denting the front bumper of one of the department's apparatus, when that truck is still drivable? And a newer employee while still on probation had TWO INSTANCES of causing similar damage in less than a month but still has a job? Well, first of all no labor union, but I bet that's gonna change in less than a year. One word sums it up regarding me.... PAYBACK! Let me explain.

There are actually two reasons that they were pissed at me and used my fender bender as the final excuse to terminate me. First of all, I called them out at a regular meeting for illegal votes to change department by-laws. There were not enough eligible voters (I was one of only a couple of people that met the requirements at the meeting) to have a quorum and therefore vote on company matters. So what did they do? They raised a motion to suspend the rules on voter eligibility, that was seconded and then passed it WITH THE INELIGIBLE VOTERS VOTING FOR IT!!! They then moved forward and voted on the by-law change which of course passed. I and a couple of others voted no on the motion and then the by-law change. I equate these shenanigans to cops robbing a bank and then doing the investigation on themselves into the robbery. Well, I called them out on it, and questioned the whole thing at the regular meeting, and basically got shrugged shoulders. But I got it on the record and in the minutes and in the event things end up in the public, then being called into question, and finally an investigation the attorneys will have an easy time with discovery. I was going to lawyer up to fight it and make it public, but a wise person told me to sit tight and let the chips fall where they may. I have had many instances in my life where Karma came calling and dealt an actual death blow to those that deserved it. I took his advice.

The second thing was NOT supporting the monster budget increase the FD was asking for because fireman or not, I am ALWAYS a taxpayer first and foremost. The majority of career staff on small departments live out of town, and of course support the budget increase because it benefits them directly. We were "encouraged" to attend all town budget meetings wearing FD uniforms. I did not attend a single one and my absence was definitely noticed by the FD, townspeople that know me, and town officials. Tough shit! I am NOT going to pretend to support something I don't. The FD increased their long stable budget last year by about $200K. The proposal this year? An additional $500K. Like last year, not a one-time increase but a FOREVER increase. My problem wasn't with the concepts and plans, but with the residents that continually vote against all development, large and small that could pay for these big ambitions. This kind of nonsense happens in small towns all around Kommiecticut. I have said the following to many people several times "Fuck these townspeople! They do not deserve the FD we are offering and they are supporting after repeatedly voting against any development that could pay for it. They just want to rape my wallet again and again for everything!!" On the day of the referendum I had to work so I was there early, being the first in line. My ballot was the first one in the tabulator and I voted NO on all the referendum questions. Of course it passed anyway. Going forward now that I am no longer being in the FD, I will publicly rail against the budget increases and scold the townspeople for squashing all development that could pay for their wet dreams.

Now to the Pros & Cons List. I am on the 3rd week of my new job and 6th week of total civilian life. It is fucking awesome.

Pros

• My work week is Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM 
• I get up at a reasonable hour, get all ready for work (I make lunch the night before so I just have to pack it in my cooler in the morning) and leave for work at 7:30 AM arriving at 7:45 AM with plenty of time to get ready for the work day
• I stop work right where I am no matter what I am doing, punch out at 4:30 PM, and I'm home 15 minutes later. The next day I pick up right where I left off. 
• Overtime is at a minimum and would be scheduled. There are no "shift hold overs", mandatory call-ins on days off, and days of storm standby
• There are no "call backs" for big emergencies 
• I only have to pack lunch, not 3 meals plus snacks in a ginormous cooler
• Lunch time is ALWAYS uninterrupted because I punch out off the clock. There are no emergencies in my line of work
• I can ride my motorcycle to work on any nice day I want. I might ride it for the first time tomorrow!
• I sleep in my own bed with my wife every night
• That sleep is not disturbed by emergencies, bullshit calls, or the 1:30 AM alerts that a hospital we never go to is on some type of diversion
• The work is hard and physical, but fun and interesting and I am learning a lot.
• My boss has big plans for me to be an integral part of the operation and respects what I do and know. Of course I have demonstrated my claimed abilities 
• I have the opportunity to make so much more money faster with way less aggravation

 Cons

• That FD has been part of my life for the past 21 years and they discarded me like last week's leftovers. I am still angry, hurt, and sad over the situation. The termination was actually the 4th and final "kick in the balls" from them since early June
•  While I am getting the same hourly rate, I am not getting the overtime. That said, the person doing the FD schedule had been loading it up favoring himself. I was supposed to get 48 hours per week, but that wasn't happening. Maybe 42 hours if I was lucky? Same for others. Meanwhile, he would give himself 60-72 hours a week. That was supposed to change this month but Jimmy cracked corn and I don't care.
• My EMT license expires in 2028. I am not sure I will renew it. The same goes for keeping up my CDL which I have been assured for now I won't need for work.
• No scheduled days off mid-week. I only have my evenings and weekends free for things like home projects, range days, or Patriot Guard. 

 

So as you can see, the pros well outweigh the cons when I sit down and write them out. Since I no longer have a distinctive red pickup truck that everyone knew and could see coming from a mile away, I can drive by the firehouse and move about town anonymously in a nondescript SUV unnoticed. When I do end up some place where there are those I wish to avoid, I just stay in my vehicle until the coast is clear or drive by and return later. I also purged my phone of all FD contacts, hospital ER's, PD's, and other FD associated agencies. If anyone does try to call, my call blocking app will immediately send them to VM. Whether I call them back will depend on what kinda mood I'm in.

I Hear This A Lot

Whenever I happen to be within earshot of the family while standing a flag line with The Patriot Guard Riders. Because I do so many PGR missions, Memorial Day occurs for me on a regular basis.

  

"On behalf of The President of The United States, The [appropriate branch of service], and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

 

 

GoPro Video

From my Patriot Guard mission to Cape Cod on Tuesday September 9th. I recorded every minute of the ride out and back. I only saved a couple of videos. The first one is the ride to and over the Bourne Bridge ending at Cape Cod Harley Davidson. The second one is the PGR ride from Cape Cod Harley Davidson to the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA. 

Both videos have been cropped at either the beginning or end to only show the best parts.

 

 

The cemetery is actually part of the National Cemetery system like Arlington and is very beautiful. It is located on the unsecured portion of Joint Base Cape Cod (formerly known as Otis AFB and Camp Edwards). That place is kinda special to me for a couple of reasons. I was at Camp Edwards a couple of times on maneuvers with my Army Reserve unit in the early 1980's. My dearly departed neighbor and "Pepere'" Andy Darico that served in WWII was stationed there in 1941 at age 26 when he was already in the Army. He was home for the weekend enjoying Sunday dinner with his family on December 7th when the phone rang. It was his buddy that drove home with him, telling him they had to return to Camp Edwards immediately because there was an attack on Pearl Harbor. Andy did not see his family again for 5 years. While his obituary lists his service battling Rommel in North Africa, he then landed in his family homeland of Italy to chase the Nazi's out of there and then in Germany until the end of the war. Below is a photo of him from 4/21/2002 with the last new car he bought, his 1951 Ford Victoria. He is still missed and spoken about by those who knew him.

 

 

GoPro All Set and Tested

Tomorrow is the inaugural ride to test the camera while riding to see how steady it is and make sure I have it aimed properly. Probably go out for an hour or so. All this effort is because of my close call last Tuesday the 2nd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a windshield clamp mounted down low so it shouldn't get a lot of vibration, doesn't interfere with driving or controls, and is mostly out of my field of view. I did not want to use the stick on mounts and wreck the paint. It took an assortment of mounting arms and a 360 degree ball swivel to get it aimed and level. In the trunk are two spare batteries, the charger, necessary cables, and the waterproof back cover in case of foul weather. The standard back cover captures sound better, whereas the waterproof cover muffles it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gray disk on the inside of the windshield is a GoPro tether so in the event something lets go, I don't lose my camera and mount. I also shot a test video walking though the house to make sure I can play them back on my laptop OK. Works great. I have a USB connected adapter for all different size media cards and that worked fine too. The GoPro has a 64GB micro SD card for storage.

Once a year I make the trek out to Cape Cod with the MA Patriot Guard to perform a funeral flag line at the National Cemetery in Bourne, and that will be later this week. The GoPro will be used all the way out and all the way back. We meet at Cape Cod Harley Davidson which is a short ride to the cemetery. It takes me the better part of two hours to get to the Bourne Bridge but on a weekday traffic is non-existent. I head to Providence and jump on I-195 east through Fall River and New Bedford to I-495/RT. 25 to RT. 28. There are no graveside services, they all take place in chapels and are strictly scheduled so there is no dilly-dallying around a grave. The deceased are interred after the family leaves.

I don't plan on saving videos of all my rides. But if something bad happens I will have video. If there are items of interest I may edit them out into a smaller video or save some still pictures.

Patriot Guard Mission - By The Numbers

I did a Patriot Guard mission today at the CT Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. The weather was spectacular... bright sun, cool temperatures, and a light breeze. I rode down on "The Beast" and most of the others rode bikes as well except for a couple of much older guys. I composed this blog post in my head while standing the flag line as the family and mourners arrived.

12 CT Patriot Guard Riders stood in honor of the deceased, US Navy Chaplain Rev. Charles Clark who served in Vietnam.

1 of those twelve was the 12 year old granddaughter of a PGR member that performed her first mission. She did well and received her customary PGR "Mission Accomplished" pin when you do your first one. You can get them for milestones 10-20-30-40-50, etc. The "Mission Accomplished" pin is the only one I wear on my leather vest.

2 US Naval Officers in brilliant dress whites rendered honors with the folding of the flag.

5' x 9' Is the standard size of a casket flag, which is never meant to be flown, only draped over a casket.

13 The number of folds required to put the flag into the triangle for presentation. The flag is folded from the striped end towards the stars. The presented flag when folded is all blue with white stars. Each one of the folds has a meaning which can be found here.

3 The number of riflemen in today's rifle salute detail 

3 The number of volleys fired

24 The number of notes in a standard blowing of Taps. Double that when there are two buglers and one follows the other in a haunting echo from a distance away out of sight.

9 was the number of fired shells from the rifle volleys.

3 was the number of shells recovered and placed in a small velvet bag for presentation to the same family member that receives the flag, AFTER the flag is presented. 

ONE -- the number of military personnel that makes the flag presentation to the spouse, eldest child, or surviving relative of the deceased. I received my father's folded flag since my mother predeceased him and I am the oldest. Sometimes I am within earshot. I could not hear the naval officer today, but this is what he said:

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

 

After the service, I mounted up and headed homeward. The weather called for possible showers early this afternoon so I did not want to get caught in one. I wanted to stop at BJ's in Manchester for gas and I could grab lunch at Baja Fresh Grill in the same shopping center. This also took me right near wifey's work place, so I stopped in to see if she would meet me there for lunch. Alas, she had a noon time class she was leading so I went solo. I made it home dry and sure enough while at home a heavy shower lasting a full two minutes came by. Later this afternoon I will do some yard work.

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.

 

Say Her Name

Aubrey Ashleigh Premo

Let me explain....

Yesterday was day 2 of my normal two day off rotation at the FD. Since I took care of half the yard work and some other errands on Wednesday, Thursday was going to be a motorcycle outing again this week. The plan was to prep the yard for mowing later in the day by blowing off the leaves that are already starting to fall, allowing the grass to dry completely. Then I could head out to see if I could convince one of my co-workers to hop on his bike and go get some lunch. I find that I have been more successful showing up at peoples door on my bike than making a phone call or sending a text. He wasn't home but I found his car parked at his town firehouse. I called him thinking he was inside, but he was out of town working a dive recovery from a weekend boating accident. So I was on my own. I decided to once again head for the shoreline, heading for the CT/RI border town of Pawcatuck, where I could pick up U.S. 1 and head west to Mystic this time. That would take me past the roadside seafood stand called The Sea Swirl for lunch. $22 and change for a fish sandwich, fries, and a large drink, but boy was it good! The only thing I don't like about that place (which I had forgotten) is there are no restrooms, not even a porta-potty. Kind of a necessity when stopping for food especially on two wheels. I hate eating with a full bladder but what could I do? As I was finishing my lunch a car pulls in and parks head in near the table I was sitting at. The male driver was drinking a fucking beer. He knows I saw him but he must think since I am a biker, I'll just be cool about it so he downs the rest of it. I decided to delay my departure to see what these people were going to do. Driving a bike can be hazardous enough without a known intoxicated driver being on the road in the vicinity. They got out to order food and it was obvious that the female passenger was drunk as she stumbled over to the outdoor sink to wash her hands. They order food and knowing they would have to wait for it, that's when I started getting ready to leave so I could be well away from them. She sits on a bench and he goes back to the car, opens the trunk, and grabs another beer. Busch Light... and I see he is wearing a casual shirt that is imprinted with the Busch Light logo all over it. What does that tell you? I know what it tells me, this guy is a functional drunk with a beer in his hand all the time. And these two are not young dumb teens, they are in they're late 40's or early 50's! He gets in the car and sits in the passenger seat to drink his beer, kinda eyeballin' me. I was so tempted to report them, but that would take time and I.... looking out for NUMBER 1 (me) decided to just get the hell away from them. I headed west on U.S. 1 and turned north on RT. 27 past Mystic Seaport and The Mystic Aquarium. There is a large Shell station with a mini-mart and restrooms just before the aquarium access road, so I stopped to perform some hydraulic recycling. I continued up RT. 27 to the end and took some very nice back roads I know through Ledyard and Preston heading north toward the Norwich area and then on to home.

In my travels towards home I passed the road side memorial for Aubrey. I drive by it regularly and have noticed recently it was overgrown, and the cross had fallen over. I had planned to grab some yard implements and make a special trip to clean it up, but on impulse I decided to stop and see what I could do. Here are the results.

Click it to big it

 

I cleared the overgrowth by hand. The weeds were easily moved/removed, but the mushrooms and toadstools looked nice in place. The cross is made of steel painted white with decal letters spelling out her name. Most of the decals are gone, so later I will come back to clean off the old adhesive and replace them. I found a rock 3X the size of my fist which worked perfectly to hammer the cross back into the ground, The sign with her name and picture was bent over so I straightened it back up. The sunflower ornament had fallen over as well, so that got put back up.

Here is the back story of her accident that I found out through my FD connections. She was working at Day Kimball Hospital as a PCT (patient care technician) while attending nursing school to become an RN. She was engaged to be married, had a brand new 2019 Harley-Davidson and was out for a nice September afternoon cruise with her fiance'. He was following behind her on his bike when the accident happened right in front of him. According to my sources in EMS, she was killed instantly. There was nothing anyone could do to save her. I had been out on my bike that Sunday as well, and drove right through there going the opposite direction less than 2 hours earlier. When I was at home, I heard on the scanner that there was a motorcycle accident on RT. 89 in Mansfield, but did not closely listen to the call. After being home a few hours, my wife and I were headed out for dinner going out that way. When we got to Laurel Lane, the road was closed and we turned around to take another route. I could see the scene from where we turned around and it just looked like a tree down across the road. I didn't put two and two together. It was only later that I found out that it was the motorcycle accident and that it was a fatality. The news reports said that Aubrey was "struck by a tree branch." Bullshit, she was crushed to death by a whole large tree. Interestingly, tree crews had been working in the area, removing and trimming trees that could take down power lines the previous weeks. Did they miss taking down this tree or somehow otherwise cause this accident? Who knows.

As a biker with The Patriot Guard Riders, I know how important memorials and services are. It is sad that Aubrey's memorial has fallen to the wayside but I understand people move on with their lives. As a fellow biker that works in emergency services I feel a special kinship to those who meet their end while out enjoying God's Creation on two wheels. I guess I will take on the role of maintainer and try to keep her memorial visible and fresh anonymously. Only my blog and X readers know about this, no one in meat space does.

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.

A Nice Send Off

I became a member of The Patriot Guard Riders immediately upon purchasing "The Beast" in June 2018. CT and MA P.G.R. did an awesome two state mission for my father's service earlier that year, and I swore that when I got my bike I would join them. Because of where I live, I belong to and do missions in CT, MA, and RI. Below is a map of the area I usually stick to circled in orange. Its a guideline, not a hard and fast line I won't cross. I only do Cape Cod about once a year because it is over a hundred miles one way and it depends on the start time, but it is a nice ride to Cape Cod Harley Davidson, and the National Cemetery in Bourne is quite beautiful. I did this mission on July 1st that had a staging time of 10:15. I was able to leave my house at 07:30, stop for breakfast and gas in RI, and get to Bourne about 09:45. The state veterans cemetery in Exeter, RI is a beautiful place too.

Click it to big it

I am going to pause for a moment to shamelessly promote The Patriot Guard Riders and try to convince you to join us. Do you ride a motorcycle? Great! For me it gives me great purpose (as if I need one) to ride. You don't ride? Guess what, you don't need to. Cars and trucks are in escort processions as well, or you can ride with someone else to the flag line area. Are you a veteran? Then you know what this shit means to have a flag line of volunteers standing silently at the services of a comrade, fellow veteran, or family member. Oh, you never served? No problem, you are welcomed in our ranks and will stand shoulder to shoulder with combat veterans that are happy to see you. Other members will show you what to do and what the different commands are. Not a Conservative Republican? No one cares about your politics, only that you respect the flag and the traditions, but most of all utmost respect to the families. The P.G.R. is supposed to be "A-Political" and the subject of politics rarely comes up among members. If someone were to say something disagreeable, just walk away, don't start an argument. You are disabled and can't stand up for long periods of time or are in a wheelchair? No problem. Do what you can and fall out of line if you need to. Park that wheelchair in line with the rest of us and hold your flag proudly. Members will be more than happy to assist you in getting around if needed. No time for membership meetings? No problem because there are none. Can't afford the dues? There aren't any of those either. Time is at a premium in your life? You sign up via email, and when a mission comes up in your area and you are available, you get an email alert and just show up at the staging area. No one, and I mean NO ONE will ever say, "Where were you last week?" or "Who the fuck are you?" I know, "funerals are grim, sad affairs" true... but they can also be looked at as a celebration of a hero's life and I always feel honored to be a part of it. Also, there are lots of other missions that are not funerals. Military send-offs and welcome home ceremonies, Honor Flight departures and arrivals, and other events dealing with honoring those that serve or have served. This event was to stand a flag line at a veterans luncheon at the Westbrook Elks Club back in June. I have been before (I took my veteran father-in-law last summer and we both enjoyed it) and was bummed I had to work that day this year. At any event, we will do whatever is asked by organizers or families. I have been pall bearer, assisted with dignified transfer of remains, helped set up tents, and as an EMT always keep a watchful eye on elderly or handicapped participants for any signs of medical stress or emergency. Most of the folks that regularly show up are retired and can make almost every mission and are happy to have something else to do. I now work 24 on and 48 off with the FD, so it has recently gotten easier for me to attend missions. On good days I take The Beast, on iffy or crummy days or in the winter I will take my truck. Some of the missions are multiple parts over a few days. In the evening during calling hours at the funeral home, we might be asked to stand a flag line to greet the arriving mourners. That's easy to do after work. Therefore, there is really no reason not to join us.

 

 

I do a lot of funeral flag lines at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA. I have a lot of family buried there so after the service I visit every grave and leave a shiny penny on top to signify a visit. Again, another beautiful piece of hallowed ground. This post is about the service from yesterday, for a veteran and long time member of the MA P.G.R. Chief Petty Officer (retired) Edward J. Boutin. He was part of my Dad's service at Agawam and remembered it well when I first asked him about it. 

Ed (circled) standing a flag line outside the Agawam chapel

 

Ed was one of those members that didn't ride a a motorcycle. Instead he always showed up in his red Mustang with P.G.R. door magnets and amber lightbar. He would pull out first and block traffic on RT. 159 so all the riders could exit the parking lot together then bring up the rear of the motorcade.

So yesterday, there were a lot of P.G.R. members from all over New England to see Ed off. I got off work at 6 AM and scrambled to take care of everything I needed to before hitting the road at almost 7. We staged as usual and then rode in a group to the cemetery. Another group of riders were in the actual funeral procession to the cemetery. MA limits processions to only six P.G.R. escort motorcycles (stupid). We got there first and assembled our flag line. The funeral procession arrived soon after. Ed's family brought his Mustang and the funeral director placed his cremains inside. Ed's daughter donned his leather vest and the Navy Honor Guard came out of the chapel to do the dignified transfer of Ed's cremains into the chapel. I chuckled to myself, thinking it was almost like ED did the P.G.R. mission for his own funeral 😆. The service and rendering of military honors was not long. The unfolding and refolding of the flag (only done when the deceased is cremated), the rifle salute, and then taps. Because members of The P.G.R. were also considered to be mourners; when it came time to pay last respects, we stacked our flags and lined up outside the main doors behind the rifle team. The doors opened and we all filed in to pay final respects with a salute and a snappy right face out the side door to get back in the flag line. The flag line stood as the remainder of mourners and family came out the side doors. We stood for several minutes until dismissed. Upon dismissal, we file off the flag line in a single file to the support vehicle carrying our flags. Only once we get to the support vehicle are the flags broken down and rolled up. That optic is pretty awesome.

I went to my bike and took a nice long drink of ice cold water from the insulated 2 QT mil-surp canteen I carry on warm days. I made the rounds to the family graves to leave the penny and headed for my aunt's house next town over for a visit. She wasn't home so that's where I headed. Good thing she wasn't home because I hit some drizzle about 15 miles from home, and it got heavier as I got closer. I just got a little damp and had put Rain-X on my windshield and helmet visor because of the morning fog I left in. Once I was in my garage though, the rain came down steady for quite a while.

PGR Mission 11-3-23

The Mission: Friday November 3, 2023, The Dignified Transfer and rendering of military honors for burial of six CT Veterans whose cremains have gone unclaimed for years and even decades.

The six U.S. Veterans to be honored are (in alphabetical order):

• TEC-5 Wilfred A. Carpentier, U.S. Army serving 1941-45. December 6, 1917-April 27, 1976, died in Derby;
• CPL Robert L. Coston, Sr., U.S. Army serving 1951-53. October 27, 1938-November 12, 2014, died in East Hartford;
• FA Michael Joseph Gruttadauria, Jr., U.S. Navy serving 1967-68. September 25, 1948-November 28, 2021, died in Hartford;
• A1C Joseph Henry O'Brien, II, U.S. Air Force serving 1951-61. January 25, 1937-August 13, 2021, died in Southbury;
• *SGT Bernice Greenstreet Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. November 1, 1923-September 9, 2007, died in Cheshire; and
• *PVT Roland H. Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. December 19, 1927- November 10, 1998, died in Waterbury.
  *A married couple

Here is a link to the story with video from WTNH TV-8 in New Haven

Here is a link to the story with video from NBC CT in Hartford

Here is a link to the story with video from FOX 61 in Hartford

There were also assorted radio, print, and online news services there as well.

 

I had been looking forward to this event for weeks, ever since I got the notice and was hoping conditions would allow me to ride "The Beast." I did the last one in 2021 and it was so awesome I wanted to be part of it again. Riding the bike means I will definitely be in the escort ride from the VA to the cemetery in Middletown. First thing was to be off work for the day which I was without having to swap shifts. I got up at 5:30 AM to take care of animals, shower, and get appropriately dressed. When I headed out at 7 AM it was only 25 degrees. I stopped for coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and hash browns at the local convenience store. It's a good 45 minute ride to the VA in Rocky Hill so I had plenty of time to eat and got under way at 07:30. I arrived a little early which was good. We hung out in the lot for a bit and got our assignments. At the VA Home and Hospital, the Patriot Guard Riders do the dignified transfer of the cremains. They all arrive in one hearse, and need to be separated and moved to additional hearses.

Because I had done this before, I was to handle an urn. Each urn was accompanied by a pre-folded US flag carried behind by another PGR member. Here is how it worked:

1) The first PGR member approaches the back of the main hearse

2) A salute is rendered and the urn is handed to the member by the funeral director.

3) An "about face" is done and several slow and purposeful steps are taken away from the hearse

4) A "column left, march" is done and the slow purposeful walk continues a few steps, where the lead member pauses briefly so that the flag bearer can execute their maneuvers and fall in behind the urn.

5) Both members slowly and purposely walk in formation to the rear of the assigned hearse and stop.

6) A left face, a few steps, and another left face and the member is in position to place the urn in the hearse as directed by another funeral director. The urn is set down and then turned 180 degrees so the name is facing outward. The member steps back and once again salutes the urn. The member then clears the area behind the hearse to make room for the flag bearer.

7) The flag bearer executes the same maneuvers and places the folded flag next to the urn in the hearse. He then renders a salute to the flag and clears the back of the hearse.

Because there were six urns and six flags, I got called up again to handle a second urn. It is an unbelievable honor to handle these cremains.

Once the Dignified Transfer was completed, law enforcement began showing up. There were two motorcycle cops from Middletown and several state troopers in Ford Explorer Police Interceptors. We got ourselves lined up for the procession to Middletown so we could head out smoothly. We hit the restroom as needed and milled around for a few minutes until it was time to saddle up. The motorcycle cops lead, followed by a state trooper, our PGR bikes and flagged vehicles, the hearses, and more state troopers bringing up the rear. The Rocky Hill, Cromwell, and Middletown police had all the intersections blocked off down RT. 99 up to the entrance ramp to CT RT. 9. As we entered RT. 9, CT State Police had the highway closed southbound so we could enter unimpeded, and the Middletown police had the entrances to RT. 9 south closed so we could get by. We got off RT. 9 at the Silver Street exit and Middletown PD had the intersections closed the rest of the way to the cemetery. We pulled in to the cemetery and were greeted by more PGR personnel standing a flag line, Middletown FD had their giant flag suspended from their ladder truck, media, veterans groups, citizen attendees, and of course.... the politicians.

The posting of the colors was a flop in my opinion. A dopey female Army E-4 at the rear of the formation did not know the proper way to carry an M-14 on "Right shoulder...ARMS!"... it was upside down. She at least had the butt in her right hand and the muzzle up in the air, but the rifle rested on her shoulder with the trigger facing up! She also did not render the proper presentation of the rifle at "Present Arms!" She stood there with the rifle lying trigger up on her shoulder the whole time. I am sure all my fellow veterans in attendance cringed as I did at this poor display of Drill and Ceremony. She had no business being front and center in such a position. The lead Sargent carrying his M-14 did it properly, and did the proper movements for present arms and order arms.

The politicians in attendance was Gov. "Jolly Ned" Lamont, LT. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Senator "DaNang Dickie" Blumenthal, and Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim. The head of the CT VA Brigadier General, (Ret.), Ronald P. “Ron” Welch and CT Funeral Directors Association President Lionel Lessard were there and spoke as well. Also in attendance was Major General Francis J. Evon, the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard. He actually came down the PGR flag line after our arrival and assembly to meet, shake hands, and thank every PGR member. He was formally introduced but did not speak. I have met him before at other events. A down to Earth guy for sure that remembers where he came from.

First off, as much of a douchebag Commie liar/stolen valor Blumenthal is, he does keep his speeches short and on topic at these events. That said, several PGR members said that if they weren't there representing the PGR, they would have definitely turned their backs when he got up to the podium, as would I. The only speech that seemed to go off the rails was Susan Bysiewicz, who takes every opportunity to play the woman card as her speech went off on a diversity tangent while referring to SGT. Bernice Greenstreet Record and her military service. Too bad the female E-4 rifle honor guard went and ruined the optic of female competence in the military, huh?

After the speeches, a single 21 gun salute was fired in honor of all six veterans, and a single ceremonial flag was unfolded, held outstretched briefly, then refolded in the traditional manner. The flag was presented to General Welch to represent the six families. The ceremony concluded shortly after and although we could stay for the actual internment of the urns, I was getting hungry and had other plans.

 

Trip to Hoffman's Gun Center

Because of this post from Pawpaw's House back on October 23rd, I decided to explore using a couple of my old "mouse guns" for backup duty possibly in an ankle holster. The older gun is a Raven Arms MP-25 in .25 ACP, and the other is a Beretta Tomcat in .32ACP. First I needed to find some appropriate defensive ammo for both. It turns out Hornady makes Critical Defense ammo in both calibers so I would have to get some. I just figured I would have to order it online. Because I was in Middletown not too far from Hoffman's in Berlin, that would be my next stop. I had no specific purchase plans, it was just that I hadn't been there in a long time and was going for a look-see. I browsed all the firearm showcases and found there to be a good supply of just about everything. As far as guns go, I believe my next gun is going to be the Ruger PCC with the M-Lock handguard, AR stock, threaded barrel, and the optional Glock mag well probably sometime before spring. When I went over to the ammo shelves.... lo and behold! the Hornady Critical Defense .25 ACP and .32 ACP in stock. Both were $24.99 for a box of 25 so I grabbed one of each. I then went over to the wall of holsters and found a DeSantis universal ankle holster made for small autos. Perfect and out the door for $101 plus change. Because of having to work all weekend, I haven't yet tried to put everything together. Once I do I will do a review post here.

A quick lunch at the Newington Burger King and I headed home. Between the frigid temperatures in the morning and being on my feet so long all day, I was wiped when I got home at 2:30 PM. I plopped on the couch with the doggos, turned on the TV, and zonked off for a bit before wifey came home.

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.

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.