North Dakota’s 9/11 Tribute to fallen soldiers

Not much to say about such an historic event about the “Fallen Soldiers” memorial at the entrance to Fraine Baracks in Bismarck. It was too emotional and too solemn to trivialize with a blog.  The Patriot Guard Riders were called on to ride in to event, and ring the center with our bikes, then to protect the grieving families as they paused at the new memorial.

We gathered at a former used car dealer’s lot, and rode the 4 or 5 blocks to Fraine Baracks.  Lotsa flags posted.  Those of us with 3×5 or larger flags mounted on our bikes led the way in to the memorial area – almost two dozen flags flying in the wind.  Of course a photo would be nice, but well, I was riding, too and couldn’t do both.

The usual set of speeches, but then came the families, one by one to hang dog tags on the permanent memorial…even the daughter of one of the soldiers who was killed in Iraq.