"Riding With Respect"

ANDERSON, Mo. Like silent sentinels, more than 100 bikers stood in the cool, drizzly rain for nearly two hours Saturday to show their respect to a fallen soldier.

Much like a military formation, the motorcyclists trooped up a hill in Anderson toward Ozark Funeral Home to honor Army Pfc. Christopher L. Marion, 20, of Pineville, who died Feb. 22 in Iraq.

Clad mostly in black leather, some carried U.S. flags. Many wore patches and insignia representing years of military service. But, not all were veterans. Nor did any know Marion or his family. -- The Joplin Globe

They're the Patriot Guard Riders. Unlike protestors who show up to disrupt a funeral, they're invited to attend . . . by the grieving family.

I first became aware of the organization last December because of this entry at Michelle Malkin's blog. After going through their site, I emailed two friends I thought might find the information interesting.

Apparently so. They joined.

Although the Patriot Guard hasn't been around long, they've already made quite an impact. (One example is mentioned in the above article: After announcing that they were going to this funeral to pull their usual crap, no one from the First Church of Inbred Whackjobs showed up.) They're now in the in the news on a more regular basis, too. As the word has gotten out about them, they're receiving more requests.

But as ABFreedom points to, other lunatics are out there disrupting military funerals or threatening to, and not everyone has heard of the Patriot Guard.

Once you've gone through their site if you know anyone who might be interested, please send 'em the link.