Road King Blog

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 832-09
October 26, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Oct. 23 in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.

Killed were:

Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla.
Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, Utah.

And with that somber announcement, the Patriot Guard were once again called to honor a young American Hero who gave his life in the service of our nation. Unfortunately, this mission would be further complicated by the presence of “them”. “Them” refers to the Westboro Baptist Church, a group of vile, loathsome individuals who attend the funeral services of American service members bearing signs that say “Thank God for IED’s” (and even more revolting things). They are a bunch of sick, pathetic, freaks who get off on torturing the families and loved ones of the fallen to advance their moronic cause. This being a PG-rated, family friendly blog, I can’t tell you what I really think of these freaks. I can, however, tell you that we in the PGR won’t abide that garbage. The PGR makes certain that when these uninvited guests sleaze into town to try and torment a servicemember’s family, we show up in large numbers to create a human wall between the protesters and the family to shield them from the vile hatred of these so-called Christians.

And Saturday was no exception.

I left the house in the cool, pre-dawn darkness at about 0530 to meet up with a group of PGR members from the area to make the 80 mile trek from our area down to Plant City to honor Spc. Lembke. We rolled out of staging at 0630, with the fiery hues of dawn beginning to light the landscape and headed down the interstate in formation. As the sun rose further in the sky, the morning chill began to fade, and we made our way down Interstate 4. A flotilla of hot air balloons over Celebration added an element of beauty to the ride, and I reflected that but for the somber nature of the day’s purpose, it was a great day to be riding.

We rolled into Plant City ahead of schedule, and stopped to top up our fuel tanks in preparation for the second ride of the day, when we were to escort Spc. Lembke and his family from the church north to Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. But that would come later. First, we had to get through the service.

There were about a dozen bikes in the staging area when we arrived, along with a pair of support vehicles. When we arrived and checked in with the Ride Captain, we got some very welcome news. It seems Plant City has an ordinance that states that no person may protest within 300 feet of the property line of a church or funeral home during a funeral service. That was the good news. The great news was that the church where Spc. Lembke’s service was being held happened to own not only the plot they were on, but the plots on all sides of the church. The protesters were issued a permit to hold their protest at the public library some 1/4 mile away from the church. They were never heard or seen by anyone at the church, and their mission to torment Spc. Lembke’s family was a dismal failure.

Meanwhile, the bikes continued to roll in. The final count was 85 bikes at the church, with a couple dozen more waiting for us at Bushnell. We set a flagline that ran nearly all the way around the church, and were joined by some local residents who brought their own flags and signs to honor Spc. Lembke and show their support and love for the family.

It was a great honor to stand the flagline with the PGR at this mission. Just as it is with every mission. The turnout for Spc. Lembke was impressive and humbling, and I was proud to play my small part in it.

Following the completion of the service, we broke down the flagline and prepared for the 60 mile trip to Bushnell for the internment. While we were standing the flagline, the winds began to build, and by the time we left the church for Bushnell, we were contending with 20-30 mile per hour gusting winds.

The sheer size of the procession caused some complications, and the Ride Captain decided that we would send out a large group of bikes ahead of the procession, without escort, to arrive at Bushnell first and set the flagline there to receive the procession. And so off we went. The streets along the route were lined with local residents holding flags and signs, and the fire department had an aerial device up over the road with an enormous American Flag hanging down over the route.

Oh, yes, and the processional also handed the protesters their final plate of fail. The protesters thought that their site was along the route, and that the family would see them as they passed. Wrong - the processional route was changed to leave the church via a different route, and never passed any closer to the protest. It must have been hard on the protesters - all dressed up and no one to torment. Tragic.

The scene at Bushnell was much like the one at the church - a massive group of PGR and other riders holding flags, lining the entire walkway around the committal pavilion, showing the family our respect and sorrow for their loss and our deep respect and gratitude for the service and sacrifice of Spc. Lembke.

Following the internment ceremony, the massed riders broke up into small groups and soloists as we made our way out of the hallowed grounds of the Florida National Cemetery to our respective destinations. Words can’t express the pride I felt leaving the cemetery. Not for my small part in the events of the day, but for the overall effect of the large turnout. I hope with all my heart that our presence there was a comfort to the family, and that they were left knowing that Spc. Lembke’s sacrifice will not be forgotten.