Richard Overton, 112, US Army/WWII veteran, Austin, TX, 12 JAN 2019

[markwells]

[markwells]

Confirmed Mission: The Patriot Guard Riders have been invited to honor the life and service of Mr. Richard A. Overton. Mr. Overton volunteered for service in the US Army in 1942 during WWII and eventually became the nations oldest veteran.

More information about his life can be found here:https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/richard-overton-8102576

This mission is two part with a flag line at the church and a second flag line at the cemetery.
The PGR will not ride in the procession from the church to the cemetery as that will prevent us from having a flag line at the cemetery.

Funeral portion:

Date/Time: Saturday, 12 January 2019. Funeral service to begin at 11 am.

Location: Shoreline Church, 15201 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX. We will stage at the church. PGR staging is at the extreme east end of the property.
Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/uVZSs8HXfCs

Timeline:
9:15 – 10:10 am – Staging
10:10 am – Briefing
10:20 am – Flag Line

Wx: High 58 deg, partly cloudy

Notes: Do not be late to the staging. Bring a a bottle of water for yourself and one for a friend. After the start of the service we will strike the flag line and depart for the Texas State Cemetery to set up for the interment portion.

Interment portion:

Staging location: PGR parking will be along Navasota Street NORTH of 11th. Do Not Park on Navasota south of 11th.
map link: https://goo.gl/maps/3X35EiXftTD2

Timeline:
11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Staging
1:00 pm – Briefing
Flag Line per Ride Captain instruction prior to the arrival of the procession from the church. This is expected to occur between 1:15 and 1:40 pm. We will stand the flag line for a duration as directed by the ride captain.

Ride Captains: Mark Wells, atxpgr@gmail.com, 512-470-0380
Flag Wranglers: Don Ferguson, Nicki Campbell

Please make plans to attend one or both portions of this mission to honor the life and service of this Austin hero.

[markwells]

What a privilege to stand for Mr. Overton today. We had an excellent turnout of patriots who thought likewise, with 45 in the flag line at the church and 30 at the cemetery. Two first time riders as well, always great to see. Welcome Ian and Ray.

Five big flag bikes accompanied the procession from the funeral home to the church with a large contingent of motorcycle LE from many departments in the region. The flag line at the church looked awesome! I heard many comments from those in attendance saying just that. One lady said the sight brought tears to her eyes.

The cemetery was a case of hurry up and wait, but semper gumby applies. Our riders are a patient bunch and stood the line for about an hour for the arrival of the procession and the interment ceremony. The four Apache helicopter flyover was touching, and the Army did a fine job with a 21 gun salute and live taps played perfectly.

Thank you Nicki and Don for wrangling flags again.

RIP Mr. Richard Overton, an Austin original who became famous but never lost his humility or his sharp wit.

[markwells]

Here's a link to some pics. It was an honor to ride in support of Mr. Overton and to see the PGR standing proud.

Corrected Link..
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FeBtcsjVq4BDAQFVA

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