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SSGT. DARREN P. HUBBELL COMES HOME --
Some special thoughts about sacrifice from
Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland.
SSgt. Darren P. Hubbell comes home.
Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland provides
regular columns for VA Watchdog dot Org.
If you would like to contact Jim about his
columns, you can email him here...
The archive of Jim's articles
is here...
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Now over 100,000 strong with a national charter, the PGR is there to
ignore any “protesters” who may appear. Our leadership has implemented
strict rules of engagement...basically, there will be no engagement; we
are forbidden to even acknowledge the presence of Westboro people.
Attention is what they seek and if it isn't given, they go away. If they
do show, we form flag lines with our backs to them and block the views
each way. Any PGR member who engages them verbally or otherwise will be
asked to leave. It works. We always have excellent cooperation of the
authorities, the police are glad we're there.
Today's PGR isn't so much about protesters as it is about respect. The
mission is always to ensure that every soldier who returns home is
greeted by people who care.
I hung my flags on my “bagger” and met up at the staging area at the
appointed time. Our PGR Georgia State Captain, Gene Altman and a handful
of others were there. One fellow had his 13 year old son riding with
him, another had been sleepless the night before as he thought of SSGT
Hubbell and leaving home at 4:00 AM, he rode in from near Atlanta, some
5 or 6 hours away. Brief introductions and a few instructions were all
we needed. Ranging in age from about 65 to our teenager, we knew what to
do and how to do it. We'd all been on missions before, some of us over 4
decades ago.
Gene Altman is a gentle sort of guy. As the family, active military,
funeral officials and police escorts began to gather, Gene went around
quietly introducing us and expressing our condolences. We were welcomed
and thanked for our service. There is always some surprise by the family
that a group like us would come out for their loved one. It's a blessing
to have a man like Gene as a spokesperson...he worked through the tears
that were being shed and was professional and dignified. Not an easy
task.
Everything proceeded smoothly. The chartered plane carrying SSGT Hubbell
arrived on time. He was met by his wife and family as his flag draped
casket was offloaded and carried to the waiting hearse. We left in an
orderly fashion, escorted by the Georgia Highway Patrol, local sheriffs
departments and police vehicles and soon we were on the Interstate for
the 60 mile trip to Metter.
Our reception an hour later was just as I expected. The streets of
Metter were lined with its citizens, each one waving an American flag as
we passed by. In a small town, it's likely that there was a degree of
connection from almost everyone there to the family of SSGT Hubbell.
They had all lost a piece of their family when SSGT Hubbell died; they
all felt the pain.
On my ride home it rained hard. On a bike that's usually the last thing
you want but it's been hot here so the rain was good, washing away some
of the sweat and dirt from the highway. It was raining when I passed by
a truck weigh station that I had staged at 2 weeks previously. That day,
we had escorted one of the traveling Vietnam Wall displays into Savannah
for a 3 day memorial showing there. A couple of days after escorting The
Wall in, I visited it on display and felt those same emotions pulsing
through me...the grief for our Brothers and Sisters who gave it all for
their country.
I was a medic during my service. I trained at the famous Brooke Army
Hospital in San Antonio, TX in 1967. I cared for our wounded at
hospitals in Germany. I visited American military cemeteries over much
of Europe and I continue to visit military cemeteries today. I grieve at
the loss of each and every one who lie there.
I grieve most of all for those graves marked as “Unknown”. What greater
indignity can a man suffer than to give his life for his country and be
“Unknown”?
I hope that while you're out there with me this 4th of July you'll be
doing some of the same things I will. We'll all be enjoying our $3.50 a
gallon gasoline, we'll be eating too much, getting way too much sun on
unprotected skin and watching some fireworks. The 4th is my favorite of
the holidays we celebrate in America. The birth of our country is an
amazing thing in the history of mankind...as flawed as our system is,
it's as good as it gets.
And the reason it's this good is because of all of those who gave so
much, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, for us, for our freedom. As
you're able to, join me in honoring them this July 4th 2007.
Let there be no “Unknowns”.
More about SSGT Hubbell is here
http://www.metteradvertiser.com/default.asp
?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=
&sdetail=5081&wpage=1&skeyword=&
sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&res
tatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=
&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subnam
e=&pform=&sc=1933&hn=metteradvertiser&he=.com
Info on Metter is here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metter,_Georgia
About PGR is here
http://www.patriotguard.org/
I've uploaded a few pictures for you here
http://picasaweb.google.com/
jimbobb2/PGRWallRideJune2007
***** END *****
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Larry Scott --
