West Newsmagazine 11-15-17

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maximum allowed per mission. Many of
the riders, like Eads, are retired and are
regular participants, but there are several
individuals who can only participate in a
handful of missions.
Among those missions are repatriations,
in which individuals are given a military
funeral after confirming that they were not
honored as veterans during their original
funeral services. Many of the repatriations
are from the Vietnam or World War II eras.
Additionally, 86 of the local missions have
been for homeless veterans, often paid
for through the generosity of Hoffmeister
South County Chapel, who donate their
services. One recent mission honored a
veteran who had no family to honor his life
or his military service.
“At 8:30 that morning, we put out a plea
to our riders for that day. By 10:30, we had
19 riders show up, some serving as his pallbearers,”
Eads said of the funeral honoring
Sgt. Donald Woody.
A U.S. flag drapes the casket of deceased
veterans to honor the memory of their service.
After “Taps” has been played, the flag
is carefully folded into the symbolic tricornered
shape. The folded flag is then presented
as a keepsake to the deceased’s next
of kin or an appropriate family member.
For Woody that was Amy Patton, a Gold
Star wife but no relation to Woody. She
said she attended Woody’s funeral because
“knowing that somebody served our country
and wasn’t going to have anybody here
for their burial just broke my heart; he
couldn’t be buried alone.”
Gold Star mom Chris Andrews with Senior
Ride Captain Denny Eads
Giving back, moving forward
Gold Star recognition is a modern reference
coined by the U.S. Army to honor
surviving family members.
“Our Gold Star parents, particularly our
moms, are our queens,” Eads said. “They
rely on us. To see them giving back and
paying it forward to other Gold Star families
is remarkable.”
For Gold Star mom Andrews, it was
important to keep Amanda’s legacy alive.
Her daughter loved giving back, thinking
of others before herself, Andrews said.
Pinson spearheaded leadership programs
that preserved the dignity of nursing home
residents and ministered to children in daycare.
She also loved environmental causes
and planted trees.
To never lose sight of the sacrifice of
her daughter and other fallen soldiers,
Andrews founded and serves as president
of the Missouri Military Foundation
Memorial project [www.missourimilitary.
org]. It was created in 2010 to raise money
to fund a memorial honoring the Missouri
men and women who were killed in action
or are a casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation Enduring Freedom, Desert
Storm and Desert Shield. Just this past
Memorial Day weekend, the second phase
of the project was unveiled at Jefferson
Barracks Park. The memorial recognizes
154 fallen soldiers from Missouri, as well
as 18 soldiers who served but lost their
lives stateside. The first phase of the project
was the Gold Star pavilion to create a
safe place for Gold Star families to meet.
Present for the ceremony were several
Patriot Guard Riders. They also attended a
ceremony for Pinson renaming a local post
office in her honor.
“These are an amazing group of people,”
stated Andrews. “They choose to continually
show up and give their support. I
cannot thank them enough.”
Beyond the mission
Being a part of the community is an
important aspect of the PGR. Eads has
spoken at Veterans’ Day events and already
is looking ahead at the opportunities that
come with the upcoming holiday season.
Each year, the PGR supports Snowball
Express [www.snowballexpress.org],
which gives children of fallen soldiers a
fun-filled, four-day experience in Dallas,
complete with sporting events, dances,
amusement parks and more.
The PGR also participates in Wreaths
Across America, which will take place at
Jefferson Barracks on Dec. 16. Approximately
1,200 wreaths, which are being
donated by Baue Funeral Homes this
year, will be placed on grave markers, in
part, by PGR volunteers. Annually, around
Christmastime, the PGR visit the Jefferson
Barracks Veterans Administration Medical
Center to minister to and encourage the
men and women who are still receiving
medical assistance, handing out duffle bags
of personal care items. Eads acknowledged
the critical role of community partnerships
with Dierbergs and Walmart, who often
donate cases of water.
“Serving in these missions is our honor.
The families are so grateful,” Eads
explained. “They inspire us to continue the
mission and to be better.”
Individuals or groups wanting to get
involved can contact Eads at stldutchman@
sbcglobal.net or by calling (314) 277-2821.
November 15, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
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