The Patriot Guard Riders of North Texas attend funerals at the request of family members, but say the number of people who are joining their ranks has dwindled.
DALLAS — Showing up to a stranger’s funeral on a motorcycle would be unconventional, except Jeff Wike does it multiple times a week.
The Vietnam veteran is Deputy Captain of the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders, a group that honors fallen heroes by attending their funerals at the request of their family members.
“We don’t know their loved one, but we’re here to show honor and respect for a special person that they loved and that means a lot to them,” said Wike.
They participate in processions and ceremonies at cemeteries — including national cemeteries — often appearing in leather jackets and riding motorcycles.
“They don’t expect to see a bunch of grizzled bikers in motorcycle clothes who don’t know their loved one, standing in respect for their loved one,” said Mark Gravit, who served as ride captain on a recent mission at DFW National Cemetery. “Anything we can do to honor our nation’s fallen, we should do.”
But Wike said fewer and fewer people are volunteering to be part of the Patriot Guard Riders, and he’d like to make sure the organization continues its legacy of respecting veterans long after he’s gone.
“Unfortunately, the trend has been down,” he said.
He said the group welcomes all — it’s not a motorcycle club, so you don’t have to ride to join. “We ask that you have an unwavering respect for the service members and the family members that we’re serving,” he said.
And once you start honoring the nation’s heroes, it can be hard to stop, said Gravit.
“It got into my blood,” he said. “And the more I did it, the more it got into my blood.”
More information and sign-up details can be found on their organization’s website.