Crystal Beale of McDonough said she is thankful that a group of motorcycle enthusiasts came together more than a decade ago  to support her following a tragic loss.

  “I love those men and women!” said Beale. “Their hearts are so big and full of love, respect, honor and patriotism for our service members and our families.”

  Beale’s remarks were directed at the Patriot Guard Riders, a nonprofit organization that extends funeral honors to military personnel and public safety workers. Her husband, Army National Guard Sgt. First Class John Beale, was killed in action in Afghanistan in June of 2009.

  “I had gotten to know a few of them as John’s unit prepared to deploy at the end of 2008,” said Crystal Beale. “A lot of them have loved ones who are serving in our military or whom even have lost sons and daughters, husbands and wives in combat. I reached out to them in escorting our John home in June 2009. They immediately answered ‘yes.’”

  She said the Riders came to Sgt. Beale’s funeral with large American flags and “roaring, loud motorcycles” to protect her family from possible protesters. Crystal Beale said the Riders are an “absolutely amazing organization” that she regards as part of her family.

  “They’ve put thousands of hours in to provide comfort, love and patriotism to our families, and to show our American heroes will never be forgotten,” she said.

  David Shreckengost, of Leary, Ga., works as an engineering contractor at Piedmont Henry Hospital. Leary, a former resident of McDonough, has been a member of the Patriot Guard Riders since 2008.

  He said the Riders launched in 2005 protect the memories of fallen soldiers and their families — particularly from protesters who were “causing trouble”  at military funerals.

  “Our job was to shield these families so they didn’t have to see these protesters,” he said. “What we do is by invitation. We have to have a request from the family to do what we do.”

  The group has more than 300,000 members nationwide, and approximately 10,000 in Georgia, said Shreckengost. He emphasized that the Riders’ involvement at funerals is by invitation only.

  “We’re in every state, plus Puerto Rico and Guam,” said Shreckengost. “We don’t just show up,” he said. “We have to be asked.”

  In February of 2020, Shreckengost released a book titled With Honor and Respect, which chronicles his activities with the Patriot Guard Riders. For him, the endeavor presented an opportunity to send a message of gratitude.

  “The main thing I want people to know is, we need to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today,” said Shreckengost, 64. “Those sacrifices have been made by our veterans, our law-enforcement people, firefighters and EMTs. They’ve all sacrificed so that we can live our lives in peace.”

  For Shreckengost, writing the book was an endeavor 10 years in the making. He began writing it in June of 2018 while recovering from a motorcycle accident of his own. Shreckengost spent two weeks in the hospital and six months in rehab after his accident. During that time, he said, he put together a compilation of missions the Riders have completed over the years, from Saratoga, N.Y., to Apalachicola Bay at St. George Island in Florida.

  “I had a lot of time on my hands,” said Shreckengost.

  With Honor and Respect recounts approximately 80 missions in which Shreckengost served as the group’s ride-captain-in-charge. That number, he said, is a small sampling of the work the Riders have completed.

  “I’ve done close to 600 [missions],” said Shreckengost. “We have members who have done over 1,000. I think, nationally the number was over 30,000 for last year.”

  The Patriot Guard Riders have also participated in Honor Flights, escorting veterans to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to visit military memorials in Washington, D.C.

  “We’re also active with Wreaths Across America,” said Shreckengost. “They place a wreath at the grave of every veteran who is buried at all of the national cemeteries all across the country. We also have another program called Help on the Homefront. We try to assist vets who, maybe, have fallen on hard times with repairs on their homes. We have done remodeling on homes for disabled veterans to make their homes handicap accessible.”

  One Patriot Guard Riders mission that hit particularly close to home for Shreckengost, occurred when they honored Army PFC Brandon Goodine of McDonough. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in June of 2012.

  “We did the escort from Falcon Field in Peachtree City, to the funeral home in McDonough,” said Shreckengost. “One of the reasons that one has always remained in my mind — I used to live right off McGarity Road, so it was right in my back yard.”

  Shreckengost said Goodine’s mother requested, for the funeral, that the Riders wear purple, her son’s favorite color, to which the group obliged.

  “I had no idea it would be that hard to find a purple t-shirt, but I did,” said Shreckengost.

  Although Shreckengost is not a veteran himself, he appreciates their emphasis on patriotism and service.

  “Uncle Sam didn’t want me, so this is my way of giving back a little something to the people who have sacrificed so that I can enjoy the life that I have,” he said. The Patriot Guard Riders conduct numerous missions throughout the year. Shreckengost acknowledged that the Riders sometimes endure adverse weather conditions when fulfilling their duties. “We’ve ridden in rain so hard you can’t see the bike in front of you,” he said. “We did an escort in March of 2017 from the airport that got delayed. When we finally rolled out of the airport, it was 1:23 a.m. We’ll show up regardless.”

  Shreckengost said the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the Riders’ ability to complete missions over the last year. Still, he said the group has taken steps to ensure that they can serve the public safely.

  “When COVID came out, it almost brought our activities to a standstill, because the funeral homes were limiting the number of people who could attend and, by extension, limiting our ability to participate,” he said. “Most of the restrictions have been lifted now, but we still try to follow CDC guidelines. We wear masks, and we social-distance. We’re trying to protect ourselves as well as the people we are there to serve.”

  The Riders have participated in Christmas parades in McDonough, as well as community events to mark Memorial Day and Veterans Day in Stockbridge. Members of the group have also assisted the American Legion with projects to benefit local military veterans.

  Eddie Felton is a special projects manager for the Willie B. Hatcher American Legion Post No. 516 American Legion in McDonough. He said the Riders were instrumental in completing home renovations in 2017-18, for veterans John Greene of Barnesville and Atlas King of Hampton.

  “There has not been a time we have asked them for help that they have not been there,” said Felton. “They’re very dedicated, and they always make an excellent showing when they come.”

  Shreckengost added that he will continue taking part in missions for the Patriot Guard Riders for as long as he can.

  “I could talk about this all day,” he said. “You will never ride with a finer group of people than the people who make up the Patriot Guard Riders. They’re just outstanding people.

  “We’re always on standby for the next family that calls and asks for our services,” continued Shreckengost. “We’re continuing to do what we do. I’m going to stand with the Patriot Guard until the Patriot Guard stands for me.

  With Honor and Respect is available online on Amazon.com, or at Authorhouse.com/bookstore. For more information, visit www.

patriotguard.org or e-mail wild1handy@yahoo.com.