Captain Sean Edward Lyerly, 31, of Pflugerville, TX was laid to rest today.
Cpt. Lyerly was the pilot of a UH-60 BlackHawk helicopter that was shotdown near Bahgdad, Iraq on January 20th. 11 other Soldiers were also killed when the Blackhawk crashed.
The procession to and from the Church and cemetery was a moving and emotional ride. Despite being almost in Austin, Pflugerville still has a small town feel with small town respect for traditions of honor and respect. During our procession through the streets of Pflugerville, almost every car pulled over to the side of the road as the procession passed, and numerous citizens got out of their cars and either saluted or held their hands over their heart.
Which reminds me…when you see a procession of police officers with their lights flashing, and they are followed by hundreds of motorcycles that are flying large US and military flags, which are followed by a hearse and black limos — pull over to the side of the road, get out of your car (if safely able to), and put your hand over your heart. An American Soldier who has likely given his life freely for your freedom is passing by. It’s the right thing to do, and the least that you can do.
Texas Governor Rick Perry and United States Congressman Mike McCaul were both at the church for the funeral of Cpt. Lyerly. Rep. McCaul, who is my Congressman from Texas’ 10th District, also attended the burial service, where he said a few brief words to the family, and then presented Cpt Lyerly’s widow with a flag that had flown over the Capitol Building.
Here are a few pictures I took of today’s mission for Cpt. Lyerly:
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reality of “opposing” viewpoints. Yes, there are very real and important differences in our points of view. But there are also points of common ground, and I’m wondering if it might be worthwhile to explore those for a change. I encourage you to read Robbie’s post
reality of “opposing” viewpoints. Yes, there are very real and important differences in our points of view. But there are also points of common ground, and I’m wondering if it might be worthwhile to explore those for a change. I encourage you to read Robbie’s post about the funeral of Captain Sean Lyerly, who died when his Blackhawk was shot down in Iraq. Robbie and the Patriot Guard Riders rode to meet the coffin at the airfield and escort it to the church for the funeral service. I can only imagine the
Thank you for the pictures of Sean’s funeral. He was a friend of mine at A&M and the Catholic Student Center there. I wish I could have been there in person to see all the love and support bestowed on the family & friends mourning this courageous man. He is certainly in heaven watching over us now.
Gig ‘Em & God Bless,
Amy Broesche Leonard ’98
Thank you for what you did today from the bottom of my heart. My husband was a friend of Sean’s and attended the service. He was a great father, husband, friend, and aviator. He will never be forgotten! Many prayers to his family.
Amy…I’m a die-hard Longhorn. But today I was an Aggie, too. It was a real honor to ride for Sean today. His ceremony was beautiful and comforting. Sean was laid to rest today with all of the respect and dignity that he deserved.
His sacrifice did not go unnoticed today, and he will forver be remembered by all who were there.
Great post, Robbie.
May Cpt. Sean Lyerly rest in peace.
From a fellow Aggie and a Catholic. Rest in Peace Sean…
I am very proud to have had the honor of being Sean’s friend. This Longhorn will always miss the best Aggie around.
My son attends the middle school next to the church where the service was held. Fellow students stood at the curb for an hour as the procession passed to show their respect and admiration for Captain Lyerly’s dedication and service to their country. Five 14-year old boys gathered at our home last night with a new found respect for the men and women who make many sacrifices for them. God Speed to Captain Lyerly.
I found your site doing a search on yahoo for Sean. Sean was a cousin by marriage (Sean’s mother married my uncle, my Mom’s brother in April 2002). I spoke to my Mom today after she returned from the funeral and she shared with me much of what you have here. Thank you for taking the time to post the pictures and information…and your input. So many families have sacrificed sons and daughters and it is refreshing to see someone stand up and respect those lives and those families. I have bookmarked your site after reading many of your articles. Your time is appreciated by me, and I know many others.
Lorri — thanks for the kind words. It’s very humbling for me to hear words of praise or thanks from the friends and families of our fallen soldiers.
It was an honor that Csilla allowed us to share this very emotional and difficult day with their family.
As a Patriot Guard Rider (PGR), we all have our own personal reasons why we ride. A lot of the PGR riders are Vietnam vets, and I’ve heard a lot of them say that the reason they ride is, “Never Again”. As in, “Never again will one generation of vets forget the next generation”, or “Never again will a Veteran come home to an ungrateful nation”.
The reason I ride is simple — I believe that it is important that we as the citizens of this nation bear witness to the death of our Soldiers who are dying for our freedoms. And that’s why I ride — to bear witness; to let the familes and friends know that their lose has not gone unnoticed nor unappreciated.
Also, I’m a US Army veteran, and that made Sean my brother. And I’m deeply saddened by his lose.
Sean was my cousin and a wonderful person – we will miss him dearly. Thank you for honoring him at his funeral. It was comforting to see all of you come together and pay your respects in the way you did. Sean and all Amercian soldiers that have died should never be forgotten and thank you for your very active part in bringing their sacrifices the kind of attention you did………Thanks to you and all the veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom.
God Bless Sean, Csilla and Zack
Robbie,
I found your site from a link on Peace Meme. You and I are both Biking Bloggers, albiet opposite political ideologies. Your comment, “The reason I ride is simple — I believe that it is important that we as the citizens of this nation bear witness to the death of our Soldiers who are dying for our freedoms. And that’s why I ride — to bear witness; to let the familes and friends know that their lose has not gone unnoticed nor unappreciated.” was appreciated and truly does bear witness to something we should all know and hold dear to our hearts. Thank you for sharing this with us and thank you for serving when it was your time.
Chris — thanks for the kind words.
I just browsed a few pages of your blog, and really enjoyed the piece about “Why I Ride” on your About Me page. I especially appreciate and relate to the summary:
There’s a lot of truth there, and has me thinking on a deeper level about “why I ride” (not the same as the “Why I ride with the Patriot Guard” that you quoted above — but rather why I ride as a lifestyle).
I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your idea and write (soon, after some more thinking on the matter) my own manifesto of sorts as to why I ride.
I was in the same unit as Cpt Lyerly. He was great man and solider. I wasn’t able to show my respects and attend the funeral but he will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.
I met Sean at Texas A&M at the St. Mary’s Catholic center where we were on the youth retreat team together and he was one of the most joyful and playful people I’ve met. I was deeply saddened to find out about his death, but deeply touched to see the pictures of his funeral and his family. I remember greatly his love for his country and the Catholic Church and I feel blessed to have known him when I did. All my prayers go out to his entire family, especially his wife and son.
In Him,
Lily
Sean and I were cousins and spent many summers together growing up. He was a beautiful person…..inside and out….and was such a blessing to my life. He will forever hold a special place in my heart. Until now, I never truly understood what our soldiers and their families are sacrificing for us each and every day. Words cannot express how grateful I am to them and all our veterans. I pray that God will bless and protect them always!
Thank you, Robbie, and all the Patriot Guard Riders that rode for Sean that day. It was so touching to see and we all felt the love and respect you had for him. Your presence there was a blessing to me and our family.
I love you Sean, Csilla, Zack and Aunt Deb…..may “the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, stand guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
I was blessed to teach Sean in the first grade in Houston, Texas. I adored this young, eager little boy. He continued to keep in touch with me and was so proud of his wife and son. My heart is broken.
I will never forget you my friend… and I will honor your life with my service in the Texas Army National Guard.
Sean and I served together in Iraq – he was an amazing young man, whose wings would have beaten the air into submission. God bless him, Csilla and their son. I will honor him forever.
RIP my friend you are missed