Respecting, Protecting and Supporting Those Who Gave All.

The Nevada Patriot Guard is the supportive and operational arm of the national Patriot Guard movement; a diverse group of proud riders and individuals with one goal in common: giving tremendous respect to those who risk their lives daily. Whether stationed on American soil or abroad, the men and women of our armed forces secure our nation's freedoms and our liberties, and deserve our respect and support.  We encourage those who share this belief to join us.

The Patriot Guard mission is to join those who share our common goal and attend funeral services of fallen American heroes, and prevent those funerals from being interrupted by radical protest groups opposed to the American ideals of freedom and liberty.

As invited guests of the family, each mission has two objectives:

1.  Show respect and honor to our fallen heroes, and support their families and their community.

2.  Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.

The Patriot Guard accomplishes this support and respect by being professional, upholding the Laws of Nevada and other states, and participate in a non-violent legal manner.

The Patriot Guard is not a protest group, nor affiliated with any.  The Patriot Guard does not discriminate against those who do not ride motorcycles, those who are not veterans, or those who come from different areas of this great state. We only require Respect.

What we do and what we believe:

#1:  Our primary focus is on those men and women killed in the current war, but giving honor to veterans or past wars is also admirable.  The State Veteran cemeteries in Boulder City and Fernley need support.  Boulder City Veterans Memorial Cemetery inters and average of five veterans a day, while the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley inters an average of two.  There are many organizations that already give honors, but support from other patriots is always welcomed.  Your local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other veteran organizations have Honor Guards that routinely provide honors to our veterans, and we encourage you to join in their efforts.  The loss of any veteran for past wars is a loss to our country, but the loss of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, or Coastguardsman serving in harms way is a tragedy.

#2:  We believe that funerals are supposed to be solemn occasions.  Typical missions around the country involve what some people have described as “circus-like” events, with focus being the hundreds of riders in a parade.  We choose to not be like that.

Most often, ride mission begin in a staging area, and then join in the parade to honor the fallen soldier.  So far, so good; an admirable idea.  But what some people do not ask, is what happens if everyone is in a parade and a protest group shows up along the route or at the entrance to the cemetery.

The mission of the Patriot Guard is to protect the family from disruptions by protesters.  Can you imagine a grieving mother who, while riding in a funeral procession, sees protesters calling her dead son or daughter a murderer, or carrying a sign that reads “Thank God for Dead Soldiers?”

At that moment, every rider in the procession failed to carry out their mission of guarding a patriot and his or her family.

More than likely, if protesters show up, they will be at the cemetery, as this is their normal tactic.  The entrance to the cemetery is the most likely place that media will converge to watch and report as the Patriot Guard escorts the procession.   If the protesters are there, they will get noticed by the media; and that is what the protesters want; media coverage for their twisted beliefs.

This is truly the fundamental philosophy; we believe that we should not have a large presence in the procession, because it draws attention to us instead of the hero being buried.  A small contingent of riders with large American flags draws just as much attention as does a huge parade.

Since our inception as Patriot Guard in Nevada, back in early 2006, we chose to limit the number of riders in a procession to 13 riders, each representing one of the original 13 states of our great nation.  The remainder of the riders is either scouts looking for protesters, or riders giving a Corridor of Honor as the funeral enters the cemetery.

#3:  We are not out to make money.  The Nevada Patriot Guard Patch is the only item we sell.  We price the patch to cover our expenses; nothing more.  If you’d like to donate money to a worthwhile cause, consider making a donation to a local Veterans Organization who has the expertise to spend that money wisely.

Remember, it is not about us; it is about our fallen heroes.