EL CAJON, Calif. — Clad in black leather vests, jeans, boots and bandannas, the bikers stood at attention as pallbearers carried the casket of Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher inside St. Kieran Catholic Church.
Fisher, 29, who was killed Aug. 14 in a helicopter crash in Iraq, did not know any of these particular mourners, but that did not matter to any of them. They were at the service to show respect, hoist the American flag and support Fisher's family.
"We are here for the young men and women who paid the ultimate price," said Doyle Tolbert, 64, a retired narcotics officer.
Tolbert belongs to the Patriot Guard Riders, an informal, national organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who attend funerals to pay tribute to fallen U.S. military personnel.
The group started in Topeka, Kan., in August 2005, at first to shield grieving relatives from protesters belonging to Westboro Baptist Church, a fundamentalist congregation in town that pickets soldiers' funerals. Now the riders try to focus their energy more onhonoring the dead.
The group says tens of thousands of motorcyclists nationwide have participated in services as members of the Patriot Guard Riders. They include men and women from all walks of life, including former police officers and postal workers, as well as housewives.
For Tolbert and other riders in California, attending the services means traveling all over the state.
Among the bikers are Gold Star parents - those who have lost a child in the military service to war; and Blue Star parents, who have a child currently serving.The riders range from teenagers to pensioners. Some are war veterans. While most ride motorcycles, some drive cars. They all want to show they care.
"It doesn't matter whether you support or don't support the war," said Jeff Lockhart, 35, national communications officer for the group and a former ride captain for the members in Illinois. "Even if you're anti-war, at the point where we get involved in a solder's life, it doesn't matter."
Craig "Gunny" Donor, 62, aCalifornia ride captain, receives the Defense Department's media releases on casualties and then communicates with the appropriate casualty assistance officer dealing with a service member's burial. The group relies on the assistance officers to inform the families about the riders, Donor said.
Typically, the bike riders and the few cars in their entourage escort the casket from the church to the cemetery. Police and the funeral home set the route. The riders may assist police with traffic at intersections. Sometimes the riders meet the body at the airport and accompany it to the funeral home for viewing.
Donor, a former gunnery sergeant who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years, said the riders' main goal is to help things go smoothly on the day of the funeral. He said they are always prepared for trouble but seek to avoid confrontation.
The service for Fisher, who was among five soldiers killed when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during a postmaintenance test flight, did not attract protesters. About 30 riders attended his funeral Aug. 24.
Front Section, Pages 16 on 10/07/2007