We met at the church at 1:00 p.m. with the briefing at 1:15 p.m. and the flag line to be in place at 1:30 p.m. I arrive and get with Ted. Here are me & Ted in the parking lot of the City View Baptist Church
This is, left to right: Jimmy, Bud and Ted. Ted is one of our North Texas PGR ride Captains
Ted & Bud at the church
Another of Jimmy, Bud & Ted
This is Ted's Red Harley Road King and my black Harley Heritage Classic
That is Charlies orange and silver Harley Ultra Classic and Gary's Harley Ultra Classic with the PGR, U.S.Navy and U.S. flag. He would ride with the funeral procession to the cemetery
The flags along the church property just off of Iowa Park Rd. here in Wichita Falls Texas
This is Barbara and Ted. Barbara is another North Texas PGR Ride Captain and the Ride Captain for today's mission. For more on the PGR, if you're curious or wish to join, (it's free), see this link: http://www.patriotguard.org/
Bud, Jimmy & Charlie watch as Gary F. pulls into the Church Parking lot.
The flags with the Church sign in the background.
The stationary flags running from the front of the church to the side entrance.
This is Bob's (firefighter) white Harley and Jimmy's black bike
another view of Bob's bike & Jimmy's bike
This is Gary's Harley with the Patriotic paint scheme
Jimmy & Gary in the Church parking lot. Gary is also a North Texas PGR Ride Captain. The PGR Ride Captains wear the maroon ball caps and these are not bought. They are presented to the Ride Captains. The regular members wear the blue ball caps with the PGR logo on them.
Jimmy & Gary as the breeze gets Old Glory fluttering
This is Tex bring the Texas flag forward. Tex is another North Texas PGR Ride Captain.
This is Charlie's Harley Ultra Classic
This is Jimmy. He is a Veteran of the U.S. Navy and the Iraq War. Gary is in the background and Gary is a VietNam Vet
Barbara is driving the Support truck. The Support truck carries water and the flags. That's Barbara, Ted and Gary at the truck
The stationary flags in place, we head for the shade under the walkway to the side door of the church. Left to right: Bud, Bob (firefighter), Tex, Ted and Gary.
This is Barbara and Kathy. Kathy was with the folks feeding the family of Mr. Ezzel, and she was bringing desserts out to those of us who wanted any.
This is Tim and Jim enjoying the shade and breeze.
Barbara holds Jim's flag while he takes a break.
Gary, with the big flag bike, moves his bike over into position behind the hearse to be ready when the funeral was over.
We started the flag line out under the walkway and then we were repositioned to the front of the Church. Here is Bud looking on.
We get repositioned out front and Charlie is to my right
Across from me in the orange shirt is Bob #2, then Gary with the U.S. Navy flag,Gary F. is doorman and Bob (firefighter) is behind him
Jimmy is to my left in the flag line
Looking at Gary's big flag bike from the flag line. That is Jim across from me
The funeral starts a little after 2 p.m. Gary with the big flag bike will stay behind and ride to the cemetery with the funeral procession. The rest of us gather up all the flags, furl them and place them in the support truck. That is Bob, Ted, Barbara and Tim putting the flags into their carrier
The flags are loaded and secured and we leave for the Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park Texas to get set up and await the procession for the grave side service
We head out up City View Dr. with Gary leading the way
I am behind Gary and behind me are Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim
Behind me as we head North on City View Dr. are Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim
We make it to US287 and head West with Gary in the lead.
Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim as seen from my left mirror
Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim as we pass Wichita Falls Western most water tower on US287.
It starts to rain on us as we get close to the cemetery
Not knowing how the ground would be (support wise) down near the gravesite, we park up near the large Gazebo/office and get ready to walk down to the gravesite. Left to right: Tim, Gary, Jimmy, Ted and Charlie
Same line up as we get ready to walk down to the grave site. right to left: Charlie, Ted, Jimmy, Gary and Tim
It quit raining and all but Gary decide to leave their rain gear in the bikes. Except me, I still haven't got around to buying any yet. You'd of thought I would have learned by now...
Here is Tim and you can see the grave site over his left shoulder
Tim has collected several commemorative coins and placed them in different locations on his bike
Gary's bike. His bike is usually the most photographed bike at a lot of our events due to his patriotic paint theme
Gary's rank & ribbons from his time in the USAF.
The sun comes out as we start to the grave site to put up the stationary flags.
left to right: Jimmy, Ted, Charlie, Tim and Bud
Left to right: me, Ted, Charlie, Tim and Bud
we head down to the Support truck to get the flags set up
As we head to the support truck, we pass Allen Kuykendall's final resting place. Allen was a fellow police officer and member of the Wichita Falls Police Department and he was killed in Iowa Park Texas back in January 2000. Rest easy Allen, we will see you again.
The U.S. Navy Honor Guard for the internment of Mr. Ezzel. Left to right: HM3 Crutcher (trumpeter), HM1 Belcher and HM1 Hays. These men did an excellent job.
Barbara at the Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park Texas. She also did an excellent job.
Ted heads over to place the flag on some preset rebar. This would be the stationary flags. Bud waits to get his flag from Gary
Gary unfurls the flags as Barbara gets some more out of the truck as Bud and Jimmy wait for their flag.
The flags on rebar form the stationary flag line
Barbara paces off the distance for the rebar to be set in the ground as Charlie waits with a flag.
looking back up the hill at the bikes and the gazebo/cemetery office.
The stationary flag line set, we hang out at the truck and await word on the funeral procession. around the truck are: Bob, Ted, Gary, Jim and Barbara
Ted, Charlie & Bud stand in the shade of a tree and wait,
Here is Ted back at the truck, watching a rain front barrel down on us...
Here is Barbara at the truck. That rain stretched from behind her right shoulder all the way around to in front of her..
The flags and the gravesite as it starts to rain. The people at the cemetery contacted the funeral folks and moved the gravesite services up to the gazebo due to the rain. We start back up the hill in a heavy down pour
Jimmy makes it in as a soaked Ted and Barbara look on. Gary is looking out the door at the down pour
Jim, Ted and Barbara in the gazebo/office. After looking at everyone, it was decided that Ted was the wet t-shirt contest winner
A wet Ted and semi dry Gary (waist up)
Gary, knowing Ted won the wet t-shirt contest, decides to help Ted show some nippleage...
Charlie comes thru. He also got his rain gear on before the heavy rain started Well, the top half anyway. You can see the front of his levis are wet and the light blue of the dry back of the pants
Bud got so wet, he had to dry his teeth out..
Charlie, Ted, Gary, Barbara, Tex and Jim watch the down pour
The U.S. Navy Honor Guard talks with Jimmy & Tim
In between down pours, Jimmy heads down to the support truck by the grave site to get his cell phone.
We venture outside during a lull in the rain action. Here is Barb, Jim and Ted as we wait for the procession to arrive.
a view of the flags and gravesite from the gazebo on top of the hill.
A little after 4 p.m. the procession arrives at the Cemetery. Jimmy gets back in time and heads inside to retrieve his flag. That's Charlie and Gary to my right as we form up the flag line..
Ted gets into position across from me.
The service, held at the gazebo because of the rain, ends and Bud, who wasn't feeling well headed out to his truck (yellow truck) to head to the house
Jimmy and the rest of us head down to pick up the flags
After getting the flags by the grave site furled and put up and the rebar picked up and put away, we walk back up to the parking lot and our wet bikes.
here are Tim, Gary, Ted and Tex at the bikes. We were dismissed shortly after this picture was taken. It started raining again as we were leaving and I broke out of the rain between FM369 and Wellington Ln on US287 in Wichita Falls Texas. I got home at about 5:15 p..m. This will conclude this post.
Jimmy is to my left in the flag line
Looking at Gary's big flag bike from the flag line. That is Jim across from me
The funeral starts a little after 2 p.m. Gary with the big flag bike will stay behind and ride to the cemetery with the funeral procession. The rest of us gather up all the flags, furl them and place them in the support truck. That is Bob, Ted, Barbara and Tim putting the flags into their carrier
The flags are loaded and secured and we leave for the Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park Texas to get set up and await the procession for the grave side service
We head out up City View Dr. with Gary leading the way
I am behind Gary and behind me are Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim
Behind me as we head North on City View Dr. are Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim
We make it to US287 and head West with Gary in the lead.
Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim as seen from my left mirror
Jimmy, Ted, Charlie and Tim as we pass Wichita Falls Western most water tower on US287.
It starts to rain on us as we get close to the cemetery
Not knowing how the ground would be (support wise) down near the gravesite, we park up near the large Gazebo/office and get ready to walk down to the gravesite. Left to right: Tim, Gary, Jimmy, Ted and Charlie
Same line up as we get ready to walk down to the grave site. right to left: Charlie, Ted, Jimmy, Gary and Tim
It quit raining and all but Gary decide to leave their rain gear in the bikes. Except me, I still haven't got around to buying any yet. You'd of thought I would have learned by now...
Here is Tim and you can see the grave site over his left shoulder
Tim has collected several commemorative coins and placed them in different locations on his bike
Gary's bike. His bike is usually the most photographed bike at a lot of our events due to his patriotic paint theme
Gary's rank & ribbons from his time in the USAF.
The sun comes out as we start to the grave site to put up the stationary flags.
left to right: Jimmy, Ted, Charlie, Tim and Bud
Left to right: me, Ted, Charlie, Tim and Bud
we head down to the Support truck to get the flags set up
As we head to the support truck, we pass Allen Kuykendall's final resting place. Allen was a fellow police officer and member of the Wichita Falls Police Department and he was killed in Iowa Park Texas back in January 2000. Rest easy Allen, we will see you again.
The U.S. Navy Honor Guard for the internment of Mr. Ezzel. Left to right: HM3 Crutcher (trumpeter), HM1 Belcher and HM1 Hays. These men did an excellent job.
Barbara at the Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park Texas. She also did an excellent job.
Ted heads over to place the flag on some preset rebar. This would be the stationary flags. Bud waits to get his flag from Gary
Gary unfurls the flags as Barbara gets some more out of the truck as Bud and Jimmy wait for their flag.
The flags on rebar form the stationary flag line
Barbara paces off the distance for the rebar to be set in the ground as Charlie waits with a flag.
looking back up the hill at the bikes and the gazebo/cemetery office.
The stationary flag line set, we hang out at the truck and await word on the funeral procession. around the truck are: Bob, Ted, Gary, Jim and Barbara
Ted, Charlie & Bud stand in the shade of a tree and wait,
Here is Ted back at the truck, watching a rain front barrel down on us...
Here is Barbara at the truck. That rain stretched from behind her right shoulder all the way around to in front of her..
The flags and the gravesite as it starts to rain. The people at the cemetery contacted the funeral folks and moved the gravesite services up to the gazebo due to the rain. We start back up the hill in a heavy down pour
Jimmy makes it in as a soaked Ted and Barbara look on. Gary is looking out the door at the down pour
Jim, Ted and Barbara in the gazebo/office. After looking at everyone, it was decided that Ted was the wet t-shirt contest winner 
A wet Ted and semi dry Gary (waist up)
Gary, knowing Ted won the wet t-shirt contest, decides to help Ted show some nippleage...
Charlie comes thru. He also got his rain gear on before the heavy rain started Well, the top half anyway. You can see the front of his levis are wet and the light blue of the dry back of the pants
Bud got so wet, he had to dry his teeth out..
Charlie, Ted, Gary, Barbara, Tex and Jim watch the down pour
The U.S. Navy Honor Guard talks with Jimmy & Tim
In between down pours, Jimmy heads down to the support truck by the grave site to get his cell phone.
We venture outside during a lull in the rain action. Here is Barb, Jim and Ted as we wait for the procession to arrive.
a view of the flags and gravesite from the gazebo on top of the hill.
A little after 4 p.m. the procession arrives at the Cemetery. Jimmy gets back in time and heads inside to retrieve his flag. That's Charlie and Gary to my right as we form up the flag line..
Ted gets into position across from me.
The service, held at the gazebo because of the rain, ends and Bud, who wasn't feeling well headed out to his truck (yellow truck) to head to the house
Jimmy and the rest of us head down to pick up the flags
After getting the flags by the grave site furled and put up and the rebar picked up and put away, we walk back up to the parking lot and our wet bikes.
here are Tim, Gary, Ted and Tex at the bikes. We were dismissed shortly after this picture was taken. It started raining again as we were leaving and I broke out of the rain between FM369 and Wellington Ln on US287 in Wichita Falls Texas. I got home at about 5:15 p..m. This will conclude this post.It was an honor to be able to attend this PGR mission and it was good to see my PGR brothers & sister and to ride with them again. We will ride again Friday
7-30-10 as we have another PGR Mission in Duncan Oklahoma where we will attend the funeral and internment of Charles Buckman, U.S.N, who was KIA in Afghanistan this month.
Scroll WAY down for more rides, events and runs and don't forget to click on the "OLDER POSTS" link at the bottom of each page or at the end of the last post on the page.
You can access North Texas Bikers (I), North Texas Bikers II and North Texas Bikers III at the following links: (I) www.jjskewlstuff.blogspot.com;
(II) www.jjskewlstufii.blogspot.com ; and (III) www.jjskewlstuff3.blogspot.com
Continue to pray for all of our troops both in and out of harm's way.
Until next post, ya'll be careful out there, keep the rubber on the road, keep you head on a swivel and most importantly of all.......RIDE SAFE .........JOHN
