SPC George W. Cauley, 24, Walker, MN, 16, 19, 20 OCT 09



This mission report covers all three parts of the recent SPC George Cauley mission. We were invited by the Cauley family to provide 2 escorts and two flag lines.

On Friday, 16 October, 16 brave members on motorcycles and 4 cages met the plane carrying SPC Cauley to the Bemidji Airport. We then went thru the cities of Bemidji and Cass Lake and arriving in the city of Walker where the streets were lined with people wanting to honor and show respect to SPC Cauley and his family. We escorted SPC Cauley to the funeral home and after the casket was placed inside by Military Honor Guard we dismissed the flag line.

The next part of the mission was on Monday, 19 October, when we were requested by the family to establish a flag line from 2 pm to 8 pm at the funeral home for visitation. For most of those 6 hours we had about 30 members constantly on the line, such a great showing. I was so grateful for those that attended the flag line not only from our sectors but from all over, as far away as Rochester. There was a mother and her 14 year old son that stood for the entire time. What a great bunch of people this MN Patriot Guard is.

On 20 October, Tuesday morning a dark rainy day, we staged at the funeral home in Walker at about 9:30 am to make the final part of the mission. 19 Motorcycles braved the elements. We left Walker with the help of State patrol and DOT. As we pulled out several cagers followed the family. When we got to Motley there was a line of fire trucks from Motley and Staples. Motley Police stopped traffic. As we went through Motley the local Legion and numerous citizens stood to pay respects. Continuing on we went down Hwy 10 with fire trucks and State patrol leading the way. At Randall We were greeted by the Randall Police to block traffic as we turned down 115. We arrived at the Chapel on Camp Ripley and joined the flag line that had already been established. We stood down as the service began. Cagers went to the State Cemetery near camp Ripley and established the flag line. The bikes stayed to form a flag line after the service and escort to the Cemetery, then joining the flag line. The family was presented with the plaque from the MN PGR by George Winslow along with John Rueter, Jason Olson, Greg Studer, James Parent and Jim Cyr.

After family left the flag line was dismissed. The Mission debriefing was at the Canteen outside the camp gates.

(@) PGR National Thread

Submitted by John Reuter and Jason Olson