Internet searches about the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) turn up two general categories of results—1) processions of rumbling bikes escorting a hearse, family and friends from/to a church, a funeral home, or a cemetery, and 2) biker-type individuals standing shoulder-to-shoulder, silently holding 3’ x 5’ U.S. flags.

The PGR initially formed to shield mourning families and friends from the bizarre, perverted exercise of free speech by a small group of media-aware, attention leeches. The PGR’s nonviolent, non-confrontational, and very legal tactics have frustrated the leeches’ attempts to exploit these solemn events—so much so that the leeches have their own endearing label for the PGR. In contrast to their normal venom, “thugs and liars” seems rather affectionate, don’t you think?

Search results that highlight PGR’s “Help on the Homefront” (HOTH) mission are relatively sparse. The Wounded Warrior Project has brought national attention to the struggles of recovering warriors and their families. Recuperation at locations like the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center–Bethesda (Walter Reed) may take months, even years. Family support may be hundreds, even thousands, of miles distant. HOTH supplements the Wounded Warrior Project, providing assistance in its own unique manner.

Maryland Patriot Guard’s (MD PG) support of HOTH shows in its work with Walter Reed. Ann and Ted Nettles, PGR members from 2006, are the primary faces of the Walter Reed support. The Nettles balance work-a-day lives with a wide-ranging commitment that includes one-on-one work with patients, organizing group events, and the endless process of fund- and awareness-raising that helps PGR HOTH fill the niches left by the big programs.

Through their close-up contact, the Nettles hear about, for example, family members visiting from the deep South who don’t have suitable clothing for Mid-Atlantic winters. Or they recognize how a small crock pot could help with home cooked meals on limited budgets.

Recovery can be boring. Where possible, the Nettles help organize unique “field trips” to offer off-base diversion. From visits to local museums—like the NRA, Monticello, and Dulles Air and Space—to excursions to Harley Davidson dealerships, patients and families can become tourists for several hours. There have even been introductions to Maryland’s haute cuisine, steamed crabs. Once past the expected “I’m supposed to EAT THAT?” phase, most have enjoyed.

Physical challenges and treatment protocols make on-campus activities an important part of the Nettles work. Donations to MD PG have paid for food, prizes, refreshments, and other costs for events such as:  

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