Last Friday, I was honored to attend a memorial service for Capt. Crosby, an Army Helicopter pilot who died while fighting in Vietnam. Capt. Crosby’s remains were recently identified, and I joined his supporters at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, VA to recall his selfless sacrifice to our nation. While at the ceremony, I got to meet several members of Georgia’s Patriot Guard Riders – I even got to ride one of the motorcycles to Arlington Cemetery. The Patriot Guard Riders, led in Georgia by Gene Altman, are an incredible group of men and women, dedicated to honoring our nation’s fallen. You can click HERE to read more about the organization, which sends volunteers to military funerals to protect grieving families from anti-war protestors.

Many of you know Jan and Joe Johnson of Rome, whose son, Justin, is one of our fallen heroes in Iraq. The Johnsons have told me on many occasions that the Patriot Guard Riders are a truly exceptional organization. After experiencing their dedication first hand, I wholeheartedly agree.

Below are several pictures from the memorial service, which was held on Friday, May 25. I want to especially thank Gene Altman, Robert Thompson and Parker Thompson, one of the youngest participants in the Patriot Guard Riders. Parker may only be in middle school, but his dedication to our nation rivals that of his elders.

I feel honored to have participated in this ceremony, and it helped make Memorial Day all the more meaningful for me this year.

I presented Parker Thompson with a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 4:59 pm and is filed under 11th Congressional District, Defense . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.