Bikers Provide Honor Guard as Local Hero Laid To Rest in Arlington National Cemetery
The family of late Portsmouth war hero Donald P. Richards will accompany his earthly remains on his final journey to rest beside his comrades at Arlington National Cemetery, but they won’t be traveling alone.
Members of Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group founded by military veterans who are also bikers, will join them as they pass through communities along the way, providing an honor guard for a true American hero.
Richards, 78, joined the United States Marine Corps right after he graduated from Portsmouth West High School and served until 1969 after serving in Vietnam. While Richards was in the service, he received multiple awards, including a Purple Heart for combat wounds, a Combat Action Ribbon, two Presidential Citations, a Navy Unit Commendation, and a Cross of Gallantry.
After his service, he returned home to Scioto County, where he worked at the New Boston Coke Corporation and raised a family. He passed away on January 15 of this year.
Recognizing his service, Richards will be interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
The family will leave the Roger Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth on Tuesday, to accompany Richards on the over 400-mile journey. Along the way, they will be accompanied by local chapters of Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer organization dedicated to not only honoring deceased veterans but preventing disruptions at their funerals.
The organization was founded in Kansas back in 2005 to shield the families of deceased veterans from protests by the Westboro Baptist Church who disrupted the funerals of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming their deaths were a punishment from God because American tolerated gay people.
Since that time, the group has grown to not only protect mourners from protesters but to attend funerals for homeless veterans or those who have no surviving family. They also welcome returning troops and volunteer for various veterans’ organizations.
The group was initially composed of military veterans who rode motorcycles, but has grown to include people from all walks of life, and drivers of other types of vehicles are also welcome to provide escorts. Patriot Guard Riders also offer escorts for first responders.