On Sunday, September 10, 2006, a true American Hero, SSG Michael Lee Deason, was laid to rest.  SSG Deason had been killed in action in Iraq.  As a member of The Patriot Guard Riders, I was proud to be a part of his funeral procession.  There is no way I can tell you everything I witnessed that day, and there are no words which can adequately express my feelings that day.  The first thing I noticed was a comradery with people I had never met before---I had been a member of The Patriot Guard Riders and taken part in their forums, but had never actually met them.  Randy Dunn, our Southeast Missouri Ride  Captain, made everyone feel welcome; and extraordinarily coordinated the participation of The Patriot Guard Riders with the funeral director, the family, and local law enforcement.  We escorted the hearse and family as they transferred SSG Deason from the funeral home to the church; and even that early, the community had begun to show its support by lining the route holding flags.

Once we arrived at the church The Patriot Guard Riders lined the driveway to the church, holding large flags.  I was surprised and delighted when members of my family arrived with patriotic signs of support.  The threatened presence of an anti-American protest group never materialized, thank God; and the funeral proceeded without interference.  Outside we all waited patiently while the family grieved inside and said their final goodbyes.

When we left the church on the 26-mile route to the cemetery, I was immediately amazed.  I had expected community support, but had no idea that the sights I was to see would be totally unforgettable.  The first thing that caught my eye was the number of people from the beginning of the route as far as we could see, most holding American Flags or signs of support.  A few blocks down the street was a sight I will never forget---an elderly gentleman stood in an old-fashioned uniform, clean and pressed, complete with hat, and silently saluted as we passed---he was a true patriot.  Immediately I and many of the guys riding around me broke into tears.  We all saw him, and all felt that swell of American pride in our heart that brings tears to your eyes.  That was the beginning of many, many things I witnessed.  When we turned onto Karsch Boulevard in Farmington, the entire 5-lane was completely shut down to traffic, and it was a sea of flags and people holding signs.  As the hearse rounded that curve, a cannon was fired.  My mom was at that location, and she said that so many of the bikers were crying.  As we hit the main 4-lane highway Northbound, even all Southbound traffic stopped.  People held flags from overpasses.  Just before we arrived at the Desloge exit the LifeBeat helicopter passed just over us and landed at the exit area.  As we came off of the highway, again I was amazed---I have never seen such a huge flag, nor as many people lining a route for a parade or anything else, in my entire life.  The crowd was so huge you couldn't even see the stores!! 

One of the most heart-wrenching moments came when we arrived at the home where SSG Deason had been raised.  I wasn't very far behind the hearse; and when we arrived at that location the hearse and lead funeral car broke off from us for a few minutes to pause in front of SSG Deason's home.  You can see that moment in my PhotoBucket photos, which I downloaded at The Daily Journal website.  Then we turned onto Highway 8, and again, the Park Hills community had turned out in full force to bid farewell to our hero.  The Park Hills Boy Scouts and their leader, Tom Burns, had lined the route with over 30 flags; and in addition to those, many people lining the route held flags.  Here were more of my family, many law enforcement officers I know, and members of the military saluting the procession.  Even in the smaller towns everyone turned out.  In Frankclay several ball teams turned out in full uniform holding banners bidding farewell to SSG Deason.  On the lonely road to Irondale sat a lone car---that of an elderly woman who was holding up her large American Flag with all that was in her.  Again, I cried.  At Irondale they had the road blocked off to allow us entrance to the cemetery road.  At the final resting place, the Patriot Guard Riders gave a final salute with many other people to this true American Hero.  A 21-gun salute ended the ceremony.

Along the route that day I saw many things.  There were people of all walks of life, all ages, all beliefs.  There were many people I knew, and many I didn't.  All of us had something in common that day---we all wanted to honor this wonderful man who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 

You know, the National Media seem to want us to believe that patriotism is dead.  I now know it isn't.  It lives right here in the hearts of American people like you and me.

Here is a link to my PhotoBucket with all the photos regarding this Blog Entry:  http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k146/bailbondchick/Patriot%20Guard/