Veterans' final escorts.Byline: Eric Florip The Register-Guard JUNCTION CITY Junction City, city (1990 pop. 20,604), seat of Geary co., NE Kans., at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers; inc. 1859. The rail, trade, and processing center of an agricultural and dairy area, it grew as the supply point for nearby Fort Riley, - Jim Jacobs Jim Jacobs (born 1942) is an American composer, lyricist, and writer for the theatre. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Jacobs attended Taft High School, during which time he played guitar and sang with a band called DDT & the Dynamiters. is a biker bik·er n. 1. One who rides a bicycle or a motorbike. 2. A motorcyclist, especially a member of a motorcycle gang. biker Noun a person who rides a motorcycle through and through. When he's riding his Harley-Davidson across Oregon, the Junction City resident wears a bandanna bearing the U.S. flag, a sleeveless shirt A sleeveless shirt, tank top, singlet, or vest is a shirt manufactured without sleeves, or one where the sleeves have been cut off. Sleeveless shirts can be worn by either gender, depending on the style. and leather - lots of leather. But Jacobs' riding has a purpose. He's one of the nearly 106,000 members of the Patriot Guard The Patriot Guard Riders is a motorcyclist group comprised primarily of veterans who attend the funerals of members of the U.S. Armed Forces at the invitation of the deceased’s family. Riders, a national group that travels to the funerals of fallen soldiers or veterans - with the family's permission - offering respect and protection to the soldiers' loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl . Most riders are veterans, as Jacobs is, but all of them share an enthusiasm for two things: patriotism and motorcycles. Jacobs, a "mission captain" who now organizes some processions and funeral gatherings, said Oregon's riders come from all over the state. They travel for miles to escort a soldier's remains to their final resting site, then stand watch at the memorial service. "This little bit of inconvenience for us is really nothing compared to what the family is going through," said Jacobs, who served in the Army. The Patriot Guard Riders formed in Kansas in 2005 in response to a church group whose members protested at soldiers' funerals. Riders started showing up to act as a shield to the families. Since then, the group has grown into a highly organized national organization with a very clear mission of honor and respect. Jacobs, 54, said he joined the group in March 2006 after hearing about it through another motorcycle group. The retired electronics technician The United States Navy occupational rating of Electronics Technician (abbreviated as ET) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted members who satisfactorily complete initial Electronics Technician "A" school training. has since driven his Harley to "way too many" funerals in Oregon - about 50 or 60, by his count - and has seen firsthand first·hand adj. Received from the original source: firsthand information. first the profound effect the Patriot Guard Riders can have on a community. But the impact can be mutual. When Jacobs rode into Dallas, Ore., last month to escort the bodies of Cpl. Kory Wiens and his dog, Cooper, he said the tiny city's response moved him. "I saw more people in that community lined in the streets than I'd seen in some parades. The patriotism just oozes in those small communities," Jacobs said. "It just wrenches your heart." The poignant response the Patriot Guard Riders often receive from military families and their communities is what's meant the most to Jacobs. But before the procession through Dallas, he had an even more personal encounter with a community's grief. In early July he attended the funeral of Spc. Joseph Kenny in Veneta, where Jacobs previously lived for 12 years. "It was just so close to home," he said. "When it's in your own backyard, it takes on a different meaning." Following the ceremony, Jacobs and his comrades presented - as is customary - a commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event. to Linda Smith Linda Smith is the name of:
Smith said she didn't know anything about the Patriot Guard Riders until they contacted her through a military liaison. When she found out their intent, she gladly welcomed them into her family. "It was like being in a big hug," Smith said. "That's what it felt like on the day of the funeral. They were protecting us. I could feel the love they had and the respect they had." Just two years after its formation, the patriot group continues to grow nearly exponentially ex·po·nen·tial adj. 1. Of or relating to an exponent. 2. Mathematics a. Containing, involving, or expressed as an exponent. b. . As many as 100 to 500 new members may join in a single day, said Eugene area district captain Rick Klein. More than 700 Patriot Guard Riders now ride in Oregon, he said. Klein said the organization's rapid growth is indicative of its honorable mission. Though word is spreading more quickly now about the group, he said riders never seek attention - and they don't grant media interviews while performing their duties. "We have a motto: It's not about us," Klein said. Jacobs said he plans to ride with the Patriot Guard Riders as long as he can. But that will mean more than just honoring fallen troops. Members have also attended military send-offs and arrivals, along with veterans' funerals. "We will not stop when the war stops," Jacobs said. "There are still people who deserve our honor and respect." JIM JACOBS The Junction City resident is a retired electronics technician and member of the Patriot Guard Riders Age: 54 Family: Wife of 35 years (Sharon), three children (David, Jimi, Dani Rae) First motorcycle: Hodaka 90, owned in the mid-1960s Current motorcycle: Harley-Davidson Electra Glide See Glide Effortless and Glide PhotoShare. |
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