Mission
Report
 

PFC Ryane G. Clark, 22, New London, MN, 16, 17 OCT 10





Army PFC Ryane Clark, 22, of New London, Minn.; assigned to 27th Combat Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 20th Combat Engineer Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 4 in Shekhabad, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

The Willmar sector of the Minnesota Patriot Guard was assigned the four phase mission for PFC Ryane Clark from New London, MN.

Phase One was on Thursday, October 14th: A chartered jet arrived at the Willmar Municipal Airport with the body of PFC Ryane Clark. Thirty-eight PGR’s were present, forming a flag line in front of the Terminal. Just prior to the procession preparing to leave, our flag line re-organized along the road leaving the airport. Approx fifteen PGR members stood at attention with their flags as the family and a small number of PGR’s escorted them to New London, MN.

As we passed through Willmar, teachers and children from every grade as well as many other citizens stood along the side of the street to witness this solemn occasion. Passing by the Willmar High School, as approximately 400 students lined the road, if you listened carefully, you could hear a bugler playing Taps

Coming into Spicer, once again the streets were lined by hundreds of well wishers, all stoically standing in honor of this fallen hero.

Turning on to Hwy #9 leading into New London, the Patriot Guard escort pulled out and around the procession, handing our duty over to members of the New London American Legion Honor Guard. These veterans walked /led the procession for a two block stretch, past the New London High School. Again, every teacher in every grade had their students out along the road to pay tribute to one of their own.

Once past the school, the PGR escort took over and escorted the family thru downtown, New London. Phase One, complete.

Phase Two (the Visitation), was on Saturday, October 16th at the New London High School, in New London, MN. Many PGR’s from all over the State rode into New London. Many riders leaving home with temperatures hovering near the freezing mark. The day turned out to be a beautiful autumn day.

One hundred and eleven PG members signed in on the waiver sheets and I’m sure that we missed some who came later in the day. Staging began at 12:30pm and the briefing was held at 1:30pm. The flag line was set at 1:45pm with around one hundred PG members lining the parking lot around the school. Estimates are that well over two thousand people came to pay tribute to PFC Ryane Clark and his family.

While a quite a few of our members left prior to sunset to avoid the night time riding and the deer, a number of our members stayed on the flag line until 9:30pm, when the family left the building.

What dedication! For those of you who stayed to the end, and for all who attended. Thank You.

Phase Three (the funeral), was on Sunday, October 17th at 2pm. Many PG members, who rode some distance, spent the night in Willmar and the surrounding area. Staging was at 11:30am, the briefing was at 12:30pm, and the flag line was set at 12:45pm.

Over two hundred PG members were on hand to pay tribute to PFC Ryane Clark and his family. Members of the leadership team presented Rayne’s family with a plaque from the MNPG, PG challenge coins, and letters from Tribute to the Troops, and a letter from a group that donates a flag pole and flag to the family in Rayne’s honor.

Shortly after the funeral service began, approximately one hundred PGR’s mounted their iron steed’s and led by Kandiyohi County Sheriff deputies and MN State Hwy Patrol officers, quietly left the school and headed over to the Green Lake Lutheran Church to reassemble a flag line for the interment ceremony.

The remainder of the members reorganized and stood in position at the school for when the funeral service ended. Members of the MNPGR’s once again provided a motorcycle escort with seven motorcycles riding a missing man formation.

Phase Four (the interment), the final phase of this mission was for us to stand a flag line near the church for the interment. Rather than to crowd in small cemetery and church parking areas, we pulled over just short of the Church and parked our motorcycles (tails to the ditch) side by side on the shoulder of the road and stood by them with our flags. As the funeral procession came over the hill, what a sight to see. Over a hundred motorcycles and flags lining both sides of the road leading them up to the church. We stood the flag line until the four buses loaded with family and friends left the church and headed back for New London.

Mission Complete: many of our members headed for home as a cool rain started to fall.

On behalf of the Willmar Sector leadership team, Thank you to all who came and made this a successful mission. Without you, the dedicated members, it would not be possible.

Thank You.

Posted by: the Willmar Sector RC

(@) More pictures from mission

(@) PGR National Thread