'We will raise your father's flag.' Patriot Guard Riders grant veteran's dream to honor his father

"They take their time, money and efforts and they don’t let veterans like me be forgotten... I was overwhelmed with emotion... I will never forget it. Never forget it.”

From October 1960 to October 1980, Master Sergeant Donald R. Rice, U.S. Air Force, Retired served our country as an illustrator.

"War is not pretty," he said. "No one should know about war, the less people know about it the happier I am, but it’s why you enjoy the freedoms you do today."

Freedoms many in Rice's family fought for.

"We are a military family," he said. "I'm proud of that."

Rice has three cousins who served. One was wounded twice during three tours in Vietnam. Another cousin died in Saipan.

But it's his father's commitment to our country that sticks out in Rice's mind. Thomas Buford Rice served as a prop mechanic in the Philippines.

"I used to see his uniform hanging in the closet," Rice said.

It's not the thought of that uniform that's been eating away at Rice for the last 20 years. It's something that means much more to him; his father's flag.

"That flag was given to me when my father was in the funeral home. It carries a lot of emotion for me,” Rice said.

For Rice, the flag has a purpose that's going unfulfilled.

"It needs to fly," he said.

Cue Gary Ray Brinson and the Virginia Patriot Guard Riders. You've probably heard of them. They're the group of motorcycle riders who escort families during military funerals. They're that group that stands between grieving families and lines of Westboro Baptist Church protesters hurling hate speech. They're the group of riders who stand for hours in the sleet, snow or blazing heat to honor our veterans and military families. So when they heard MSgt Donald R. Rice, U.S. Air Force, Retired had a mission to fly his father's flag, they took another stand.

“Patriot guard, we do a lot of funerals every year. Missions like this are a relief for all of us. We enjoy them a lot," Brinson said, as he and about a dozen other riders pulled up in front of Rice's house.

Rice watched the bikes roll by, knowing they were all there to honor his father's memory.

"I’ve known these guys existed and when they came up my driveway it was just more than I could deal with. These guys do this all the time," Rice said. "They take their time, money and efforts and they don’t let veterans like me be forgotten."

So after a lot of hand shaking, hugging and even a few Army/Air Force jokes, the crew got to work.

Brinson didn't just bring the Patriot Guard Riders in on this mission. He works for CACI. The information technology company is made up of nearly 40% veterans, so he took this project to his boss.

“Our CEO found out about it and he’s the one that purchased everything. He purchased a nice stone to put in front of the flag. We purchased the flagpole itself and we got some other things for you," Brinson told Rice.

For about two hours, the Patriot Guard Riders worked to put up Rice's new flagpole. For this group of volunteers, dedicating a Saturday to helping a veteran isn't a chore.

After a few hours of hard work, Rice got the chance to finally fly his father's flag. Brinson signaled a salute, then the flag went up.

"I was overwhelmed with emotion. That was my dad’s flag going up that pole and all of these veterans help me put it up there. It doesn’t get any better than that," Rice said. “I will never forget it. Never forget it.”

For the full story: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/lo...

#RealMatters
#PatriotGuardRiders
#Military
#MemorialDay
#FlagDay
#VeteransDay