There r days in your life that make u proud & there r days that make u really proud. Today was one of those days. PGR & friends showed up in force. Roughly 70 bikes & several cages. A contingent of Leathernecks MC Confederation showed up & were given the honor to lead the main group of bikes after the family.
This PGR group was super gumby at it's finest. They moved when required w/o instruction & presented themselves at the church, processon & cemetery with the upmost respect & honor. When directions were given, they again responded w/o comment & just plain made me proud as hell to be a part of them.
We had one rider with a health issue & as God would have it, He provided an EMT and Nurse as part of the group to help. They managed to stableize him & convince him to call his wife & friend to come get him & his bike.
With L/Cpl Cody Stanley being a country boy, it was only fitting that instead of a hears, he was taken to his country final resting place in the back of HIS Dodge Ram P/U. Now that's Texas class.
The following, titled "What It Means To Be A Marine" is from the order of service & written by L/Cpl Cody Stanley.
To me, being a Marine means that you have taken the nation's burdens and put them on your back. The Marine Corps is the nation's reaction force and eveyone that has joined since 9/11 knows that this burden is now theirs to bear. Being a Marine also means that you put yourself in harm's way so that others can live the great life that prior Marines have set forth for the United States. Marines set themselves apart from everyone else by taking pride in the fact that they are Marines. Marines set the standards that differentiate them from the other military branches. People look at Marines diffenentlly because they have pride in their service… from our cammies, to the way we perform in combat, to kicking butt and taking names. This contributes how the American populace views us and it is every Marine's job to uphold and pass on these standards to their juniors.
Claiming the title of Marine also means that you "step up to the plate" when no one else will and go out of your way to help people. The other day, there was an older man stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire. When I saw him, at least three or four cars had passed him by. When I stopped to render assistance, he told me that he was a former Marine and bad fought in Korea. He could not thank me enough for my hospitality. This is an example of what a Marine is all about…going out of your way to help others. You know if you have a Marine by your side that lacks intelligence or simply cannot get his crap done right, your take a little time out of your day to extend a helping hand.
As a Marine, you have so many chances to do great things in the world. Marines better themselves every day, whether by knowledge or by doing. We do this because"when the rubber meets the road, "a Marine needs to know what to do. You must be able to physically pull that Devil Dog out of a hummvee that has just been hit and them pull him to safety. The bottom line of being a Marine is, "taking care of yourself and others, do what you are told when you are told to the best of your ability, and then you will have 'being a Marine' down to an art".
Better said it could not be. "OORAH"
Thanks to all of you that attended today and thanks to all who were with us in spirit. It was a tremendous honor to serve with you for this family and Marine.
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