First Group Ride

July 26, 2008

This weekend my wife finally had an opportunity to do our first group ride. Unfortunately it wasn’t for a pleasant, fun occasion, but rather for the burial of an Army veteran that passed away last week from a skydiving accident. SFC Pablo Castro had done 3 tours of duty in Iraq and was a master parachutist. He was on leave here in Miami and went skydiving for fun. Unfortunately 50 feet from the ground he collided with another jumper and past away from his injuries a few days later.

Sergeant Castro was a advent rider, so his brother Major Beire Castro asked the Patriot Guard to stand for his brother. If you’ve never heard of the Patriot Guard, they are a group of riders from across the nation who an unwavering respect for those who serve our country to protect us. The Patriot Guard will show up at the funeral service with American flags and ride with the funeral convoy to the cemetery where a military burial complete with gun salute is performed.