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March 13, 2006

**Commend Patriot Guard Riders for shielding**

**military families from protesters at funerals**

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![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.272222222222222in"
height="2.4583333333333335in"}Dear Colleague:

In 2005, a motorcycle group within the American Legion founded a
movement to shield families of fallen soldiers from disruptions at
funerals caused by protesting members of a radical Topeka, Kansas-based
church led by Fred Phelps. Calling themselves the "Patriot Guard," these
motorcycle riders waved American flags and revved their engines to serve
as a barrier between mourning families and picketers who jeered and held
signs that read: \"Thank God for IEDs\" and \"Thank God for Dead
Soldiers.\"

The Patriot Guard Riders have since grown into a nationwide network of
thousands of members who volunteer their time to come to the aid of
military families at funerals. They drown out the insults and hateful
signs of protesters to allow the memories of the deceased service
members to be remembered with honor and dignity. The attached *CNN*
article describes how hundreds of Patriot Guard Riders recently showed
up to the funeral of a Kansas National Guard soldier from my district
who gave his life serving in Iraq. Similar scenes have taken place at
military funerals in nearly every state.

This week, I will introduce legislation to express the House's deepest
appreciation to Patriot Guard Riders across the country who stand tall
in the face of ugliness, protecting military families and preserving the
memory of our nation's fallen heroes. Please join me in recognizing the
Patriot Guard Riders. Regardless of one's opinion of our country's
military commitments, we can all be thankful for these patriots who
provide the families and friends of our fallen soldiers the peaceful
time of mourning they deserve.

If you would like to sponsor this legislation, please contact Jeremy
Stohs at 5-2715 or <jeremy.stohs@mail.house.gov>.

Sincerely,

> ![](media/image3.jpeg){width="1.9861111111111112in" height="0.375in"}

JERRY MORAN

Member of Congress

# Dodge City Showdown at Funeral

Tuesday, March 7, 2006\
By Ed Lavandera\
CNN

DODGE CITY, Kansas \-- This past Saturday morning I found myself in a
five-car caravan cutting across the Kansas plains with about 30
religious protesters. In the back of a truck, there were signs that read
\"Thank God for IED\'s\" and \"Thank God for Dead Soldiers.\"

I was with the Phelps family. They\'ve launched a disturbing campaign to
tarnish the funerals of fallen soldiers.

This is a painful drama playing out at dozens of military funerals
across the country. The group is led by Fred Phelps.

He and his family have picketed and heckled military families at more
than 100 funerals since June. They say the soldiers are fighting for an
army that represents a country that accepts homosexuality.

I have spent a great deal of time in the last few weeks tracking the
movements of Fred Phelps and his family. Saturday, I followed him and
his family from their home in Topeka, Kansas, to a funeral in Dodge
City, Kansas. Fred Phelps is the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in
Topeka.

Phelps and his family have made a name for themselves by showing up at
high-profile events preaching their hate-filled brand of Christianity.
They blame homosexuals for the destruction of America.

This past weekend\'s target was Army Sgt. Jessie Davila.

Davila was killed February 20 in Iraq by a suicide bomber. He served as
a Marine after graduating from high school. He returned to civilian
life, and had a daughter. But he was always a soldier at heart, so two
years ago he joined the Army National Guard and was three months into an
Iraqi deployment when he was killed.

This is also very much a story about another phenomenon the Phelps
protest has created. That\'s the birth of a group called the \"Patriot
Guard Riders.\" They\'re a volunteer group that came together after
hearing that so many military families were being blindsided by the
protesters.

More than 400 motorcycles thundered toward this showdown in Dodge City
this weekend to make sure Sgt. Jessie Davila\'s funeral was not
overshadowed by the Phelps protest. They converged from small towns all
over southwest Kansas to support Sgt. Davila\'s family. One group leader
says, \"I knew we would have a crowd, but I didn\'t know it would be
this big.\" The procession of rolling thunder escorted Davila\'s family
from memorial services to the grave site on a quiet hill.

In the end, Sgt. Davila\'s family says they were only able to hear a
little bit of the Phelps protest. Davila\'s mother, Linda Claus, says
she\'s grateful for the Patriot Guard Riders. But she also wants other
military families to be aware that this could happen to them.

\"When people begin to know what they\'re (Fred Phelps\' family) really
doing \-- killing the American Dream \-- they won\'t be around very
long, because nobody\'s going to let them. They\'ll drown them out.
They\'ll be gone,\" Claus said.

Since CNN started airing reports on these funeral confrontations a few
weeks ago, the Patriot Guard Riders say its membership has almost
tripled. And more than a dozen states are now considering legislation
that would restrict protesting at funerals.

The Phelps family vows to continue these protests. They might be
outnumbered, but the way the Patriot Guard Riders see it, it only takes
one of them to dishonor the memory of a fallen soldier.