» Thoughts

People “back home” are seriously fucked up when it comes to veterans.

Recently, a group of disabled veterans from the only real rehabilitation center in the UK were at a local public swimming pool. One lane was roped off for them to use.

A few of the locals objected to their presence. They were told they didn’t belong there, they were scaring the children. Some people went so far as to object to the veterans getting to “use” the pool “for free” whilst they (the objectors) had to pay a couple of pounds to use it.

In another instance, the same rehabilitation center took possession of a large property in a quiet rural area, and wanted planning permission to convert the house into apartments, so the families of the veterans in the rehabilitation center could be close to their loved ones.

Objections to the planning proposal included “lowering the tone of the area” and, amazingly, that the occupants of the new apartments would be throwing wild parties.

And finally of note, on a disability forum I post to, someone said they didn’t think they should support disabled veterans, after all, they knew the risks, right?

People in the UK are morally constipated when it comes to veterans - they don’t give a shit.

So the Patriot Guard Riders are s a completely different universe, for me.

I am humbled to be a part of it, to be surrounded by people who not only care, but go out of their way to show that they care.

It’s hard, surrounded by such giants, to think of anything “special” to note about one of them - they all share the exact same qualities that made one person “special”.

That “one” was Brad D Winchester.

He died in a motorcyle accident in October 2007. The Patriot Guard Riders helped to bring him home on December 4th 2007, to his rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

80+ motorcycles, 30+ cages (cars) … 20+ law enforcement as escort. We closed down part of I-66, a main artery into the District, as we traveled from the Moose Lodge in Vienna to Arlington itself.

He was buried with full military honours, honours both befitting and yet somehow seeming so inadequate for this particular fallen hero.

You’d think such an event would garner some media attention. Someone so loved and missed, who has done so much for the community, and veterans,
being brought home.

Nope.

The media is too busy wailing and beating their breasts over the shooting death of some football player.

He was much more newsworthy.

How would his team survive? Such a tragic loss! A role model passed away so violently! The Metro area was shattered!

It was a tragic loss, as any murder is. But it somehow gathered worldwide attention, and the local media has been full of it.

Not a word about another death, another role model, a hero gone home - Brad.

Is this somehow a sign of what society considers more important for values? That a football player being murdered is the only news worth reporting, whereas the passing of a warrior, someone who risked his life so football could even continue, isn’t worth even a footnote?

When I wore a uniform, we knew the cardinal rule was “Everyone comes home”. That rule, that “faith”, is inviolate. A few months ago, British forces operating in Afghanistan were ambushed, and when they finally extracted they discovered two of their people were missing. Without hesitating, Marines got onto the *wings* of Apache attack helicopters, strapped themselves to the outside of those aircraft above the weapons, and flew *back* to the site of the battle, to recover their comrades.

They kept the faith.

We kept the faith with Brad, we brought him home.

But when I see the media, I sometimes wonder - is the US going the way of the UK now, and becoming morally constipated?

Derek McGinty, one of the anchors for a local TV station, has a blog, and posted his reaction to the funeral of that football player. He writes:

But heartfelt sentiments from people with broken hearts are what funerals are supposed to be about. To me, it didn’t matter so much that thousands turned out to say goodbye to Sean Taylor. What counts is that Sean Taylor was well-loved, and those who knew him best cared enough to share just a fragment of that love with us today.

Brad didn’t get thousands, although the comments from those Patriot Guard Riders across the country who couldn’t be there show how many wish they could have. But he too was well loved - just not as newsworthy.

Guess the only veterans that make it to the news are ones like Pat Tillman - if you don’t play football, you’re not worth the media’s notice.

Brad was a giant amongst giants. I was honoured beyond words to be part of bringing him home.

Tags: Patriot Guard Riders, PGR, Veterans