The Patriot Guard Riders pass through Varysburg with the remains of 12 unclaimed military veterans on their way to Bath National Cemetery on Friday morning.
Video submitted by Jennifer Snyder
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MISSION
Honor Mission – PGR Veteran Recovery Program Mission, Fri., 08/30/2019 – Buffalo – Bath, NY
| Honor Mission |
| PGR Veteran Recovery Program (VRP) |
| All Military Branches |
| Buffalo – Bath, NY – 08/30/2019 |
| ***UPDATED 18:45 Hrs – 27 Aug. 2019*** Staging Location in Wellsville, NY Added |
| Mission applies to the following Region(s): | Region 1, Region 2, Region 3 |
| About the Mission: | The Patriot Guard Riders, through its Veteran Recover Program (VRP), will have the honor of escorting the cremains of 12 unclaimed military veterans to their rightful final resting place at Bath National Cemetery, where they will receive the full military honors they have earned. The Interment Ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM. These 12 Veterans served in the USMC, Army, Navy or Air Force, and passed away from 1- 19 years ago. The wife of one of the Veterans will also be interred. For those of you who have participated in VRP Missions previously, you know what an honorable and emotional experience this is. This is a high-profile Mission, with many groups and individuals paying their dignified respects along the way. Please be reminded that this is NOT a parade….it is a dignified Funeral Mission. Waving and horn blowing is not acceptable. Following the Interment Ceremony, the Bath American Legion will again host a luncheon for PGR participants. Please be prepared to make a modest donation to the Legion in support of their efforts for us. |
| Primary Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Primary Staging Time: | 06:30 |
| AM or PM: | am |
| Staging Location: | Tops Friendly Markets Parking Lot 4777 Transit Road (Near French Road) Depew, NY 14043 http://mapq.st/2uzdE3Z |
| Lead Ride Captain: | Bill Brainard |
| Lead Ride Captain email: | valkyriebill89@gmail.com |
| Lead Ride Captain Phone #: | |
| Special Information: | Briefing at 7:00 AM, KSU at 7:30 AM. Please have a clean 3×5 American Flag available for the Flag Line at BNC. Please ensure your gas tanks are topped off (There is gas available at Tops.) Please ensure your large flags are properly placed and securely attached for the long escort at highway speeds. Erie, Wyoming and Livingston County Sheriff Departments will provide escorts south on Transit to the 400, to Route 20A, and east to Mt. Morris. SPECIAL NOTE TO REGION-1,2,3 RIDE CAPTAINS: Once this mission posting is publicized, please log in to the Ride Captain Page of the website and submit any of your other staging information under the Mission Change category. Please plan your staging and KSU times accordingly. |
| Is there a Second Stage to this Mission? | YES – Alpine Junction, NY |
| Second Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Second Staging Time: | 07:00 |
| Second Stage – AM or PM: | am |
| Second Location: | Finger Lakes Harley Davidson 6033 State Route 13 Alpine Junction, NY 14824 |
| Second Lead Ride Captain: | Kent Tryon |
| Second LRC Email and Phone #: | kltryon59@gmail.com |
| Second Stage – Special Information: | We will meet up with the main body of the escort at the Mt. Morris final staging area and convoy into BNC with the main body of the escort. KSU 07:15 am. |
| Is there a Third Stage to this Mission? | YES – Wellsville, NY |
| Third Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Third Staging Time: | 07:00 |
| Third Stage – AM or PM: | am |
| Third Location: | American Legion Post 702 22 Jefferson St. Wellsville, NY 14895 |
| Third Lead Ride Captain: | Skip Merrick |
| Third LRC Email and Phone #: | merricce@aol.com |
| Third Stage – Special Information: | Staging at 7:00am with KSU at 7:30am to proceed to Mount Morris staging area by 9:00am with that KSU at 9:30am. Please have a clean 3×5 Flag ready for a flag line to show respect for the veterans. I will be leaving Wellsville at 7:30 sharp for Mount Morris, hope to see you join this emotional Ride!! |
| Is there a Fourth Stage to this Mission? | YES – Mt. Morris, NY |
| Fourth Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Fourth Staging Time: | 08:30 |
| Fourth Stage – AM or PM: | am |
| Fourth Location: | Livingston County Hampton Corners Complex 4389 Gypsy Lane Mt. Morris, NY 14510 (Rt. 63, just south of Route 408) (I-390, Exit 7, turn right, then south on Rt. 63, go past NYSP Barracks) http://mapq.st/2uKCRXB |
| Fourth Lead Ride Captain: | Don Higgins |
| Fourth LRC Email and Phone #: | gladiator6988@hotmail.com
585-739-6798 |
| Fourth Stage – Special Information: | Staging in preparation of arrival of escort from Buffalo, expected at approx. 9:00 AM. Please have your flags available for a flag line to pay respects to the 12 Veterans when they arrive. Please ensure your gas tanks are topped off. Rest rooms and water will be available at the staging area. Briefing will be conducted at 9:15 AM, KSU at 9:30 AM. The escort will travel back to the Village of Mt. Morris, south on Route 36, to Dansville, then enter I-390 at Exit 5, south to Bath. As the main entrance to BNC is closed for a bridge project, we will take Exit-37, to Route 415, to Knight Settlement Road, and into the back entrance of BNC. RC Bob “Wheels” Wheeler will lead this part the escort, and assistance will be provided by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department and NYS Police. As this will be the Friday of Labor Day weekend, traffic is expected to be heavy on I-390. Your full attention to riding safely in this large contingent is imperative. |
| Is there a Fifth Stage to this Mission? | YES – Henrietta, NY |
| Fifth Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Fifth Staging Time: | 08:00 |
| Fifth Stage – AM or PM: | am |
| Fifth Location: | Dunkin Donuts 375 Kenneth Drive Henrietta, NY 14623 https://goo.gl/maps/rRYwsgJY5RJvPgQYA |
| Fifth Lead Ride Captain: | Bob Harder |
| Fifth LRC Email and Phone #: | bharder3@rochester.rr.com |
| Fifth Stage – Special Information: | Added staging area for Region 2 members in Henrietta to go down and meet Don Higgins at Stage 2 at the Livingston County Highway Dept at 9:15 am. KSU 08:30 am. |
| Is there a Sixth Stage to this Mission? | YES – Bath, NY |
| Sixth Staging Date: | 08/30/2019 |
| Sixth Staging Time: | 10:30 |
| Sixth Stage – AM or PM: | am |
| Sixth Location: | Bath National Cemetery San Juan Avenue Bath, NY |
| Sixth Lead Ride Captain: | Bill Schaaf, PGRNY Veterans Recovery Program Coordinator and Linda Hastreiter, WNY VRP Coordinator |
| Sixth LRC Email and Phone #: | billschaaf@aol.com
ljhgold@aol.com |
| Sixth Stage – Special Information: | Interment Ceremony and Military Honors will commence at 11:00 AM. Please be prepared to follow the directions and instructions of assigned Ride Captains prior to and during the Ceremony. Emphasizing again: This is a dignified funeral mission for 12 forgotten Veterans who will be forgotten no more. They will receive the military honors they earned through their military service to our Nation. |