On Friday, the Department of Defense announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom:
They died Dec. 26 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered from small arms fire during dismounted combat operations. They were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were Capt. Rowdy J. Inman, 38, of Panorama Village, Texas, and Sgt. Benjamin B. Portell, 27, of Bakersfield, Calif.”
Panorama Village is right outside of my hometown of Conroe, Tx — though I didn’t know Cpt. Inman or his wife Shannon personally, they were both my age and from my neck of the woods.
This morning I rode with 54 of my fellow Patriot Guard Riders to the memorial service for Cpt. Rowdy Inman in Killeen, TX.
Roses at The Daily Kos has a nice post up about Cpt. Inman:
Rowdy J. Inman, a decorated soldier and Desert Storm veteran, had served two tours in Iraq and had just been redeployed last month. His friend Krysti Kruse described him to the Courier of Montgomery County as the “ultimate dad and friend.”
Inman met his future wife, Shannon Jones, while attending Sam Houston State University. The couple married in 1999 and had two children, Keeley, age seven, and Gary, age four. “One of the first times we met, he showed me pictures of his family and told me how he met his wife,” said friend Krysti Kruse. “He was so in love with her.” The family left Conroe in 2001 for Colorado Springs, where Shannon became the head softball coach and assistant volleyball coach at Wasson High School. Later they returned to Texas.
Inman was commissioned as an officer in Sam Houston State’s ROTC program in 2000. His uniform was part of that program’s fiftieth anniversary exhibition in 2002. (A photo from the display is here.)
After two Iraq tours, Inman briefly left the army, but thUrbanGrounds › Create New Post — WordPressen he reenlisted. “His wife didn’t want him to stay in, so he got out for about one month and then got back in,” Inman’s uncle, 70-year-old Herman Dicus of Corpus Christi told the Courier of Montgomery County.
Dicus said that family members have heavy hearts. They’re “kind of tore up,” he told the Bakersfield Californian. “It’s sad,” he said. “I knew what he went through.” Dicus spent twenty years in the navy, including five Vietnam tours.
Unfortunately, the hateful protesters from Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church were on hand to protest the funeral of Cpt. Inman — probably because of the impact their presence would have outside the gates of the largest military post in the United States.
One of the most sickening things about the Phelps is that they use mostly children at their protests:
NBC News (KCEN) has the story with video as some Ft. Hood Soldiers and Killeen residents confront the protesters.
But fortunately, the PGR made sure the friends and family of Cpt. Rowdy Inman were not subjected to the Phelps Klan’s hate, as we set up a flag line between the funeral home and the UG’s (uninvited guests):
The church for Cpt. Inman’s service was standing room only, and was filled with numerous Calvary Soldiers from Ft. Hood (in their black Stetsons and spurs). After the memorial service, the family and friends joined us back outside where full military honors were rendered for Cpt. Inman.
We held our flag line until most of the visitors had left, but before they did many of them stopped by to tell us how much they appreciated our presence.
It was an honor to able to stand for Cpt. Inman today.
_______
UPDATE (January 6)
The Killeen Daily Herald has a great article about Cpt. Inman that provides a lot of insight into the kind of man he was — and from the story I can tell that Rowdy was my kind of guy.
Thanks for being there.
Fantastic!!! Great work brothers. I’m a fairly liberal vet (4 years active army/non-combat during DShield/storm), but the ignorance of these “protesters” is beyond measure. I know that when the historians of some future world describe the phenomenon of the USA, they will use the juxtaposition of these warped minds against the life scarifice of a vet, to characterize the high value we placed on individual liberty. Time will expose the foolish notions of those ignorant enough to believe that freedom is free or that the liberty of a nation’s populace can be maintained absent constant vigilance and ready military might.
Well said, Walt.
And thank you for your service to your nation.
Hey Robbie, found your blog through your PGR website profile.
Nice job of reporting on yesterday’s event. Thank you so much for being there. If you don’t mind I’d like to post a link to your report on the mission thread at centexpgr.org for those who were not there.
Mark Wells
Austin PGR Ride Captain
Mark — please feel free to link this. Thanks for getting us to Killeen yesterday. I enjoyed meeting/riding/standing with you yesterday.
Good post Robbie. Glad you were able to make it to a fellow SHSU alumni’s service. May you and the other Patriot Riders be blessed by our loving God! Fred Phelps does not know this God!
Rowdy was a dear friend of mine and he will be greatly missed. Thank you to all the riders that came out to stand for Capt. Inman and his family.
First, I would like to express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the Inman family.
It would be nice to see a group of Freedom Fighters or Riders supporting our troops and families in my community.
There are many in the San Francisco Bay Area actively supporting our War on Terror and the troops. It would be nice to see more of them “out on the streetsâ€.
I think there is a group similar to FR in Dublin, CA.
Good Luck and God Bless
Just found your blog and am so glad I did.
You PGR’s are a NATIONAL TREASURE! Thank you all so much for your service to our country, in the past and so diligently today. You guys always bring a tear to my eye, I guess it’s because seeing true heroes in action is moving.
God Bless each one of you!
You don’t understand I am Cpt. Rowdy Inmans cousin i was at both services… one on Jan. 1st and another on Jan. 4th… I watched as his daughter and son cried when he was escorted off the plan… I saw my whole family cry, people I would never want to see hurt… but he was doin wat he loved… and I love him for that… and he died for peoples freedom, even those who protest, I guess you never realize all the good you want to tell them till there gone…
Your headline “21 gun salute” is inaccurate. As a former service member, I would have expected more. A 21-gun salute is performed with three volley of seven cannons, and is used primarily reserved for ceremonies for the President of the United State, heads of state and at noon on Memorial day. I think what you meant to say was that Capt. Inman’s ceremony was marked by a three-volley salute.
I had the priviledge of commissioning Rowdy in May of 2000 – he was truly a “soldier’s soldier”. I will miss him.
thank you for allowing us to be there …… standing tall and silent…..
ONLY TWO DEFINING FORCES HAVE EVER OFFERED TO DIE FOR US, JESUS CHRIST AND THE AMERICAN SOLIDER.
ONE DIED FOR OUR SOULS……… THE OTHER DIED FOR OUR
FREEDOM.
I am a Navy Reservist and I do funerals in Maine. I don’t want either group showing up. At least the greasy bikers ask the next of kin if they are wanted first instead of just inviting themselves.
As a Navy reservist you need to educate yourself before popping off half cocked. I am Former Navy and Patriot Guard. First, we don’t “ask the next of kin if they are wanted”. We only go when INVITED, This is done through the CAO and official channels.
The “greasy biker” comment I’ll let slide. You just MIGHT find some of these “greasy bikers” to also be current active duty and retired holding MUCH higher rank than you will achieve with your attitude.
Suffice it to say that the founder of the “greasy bikers” stood in the oval office with President Bush as the The Funeral Dignity Protection Act was signed.
Tony — thanks for the correction. You are of course correct and I have changed the caption to correctly reference the 3-volley salute.
I’ve been out for almost 15 years…apparently long enough to forget some things I should know.
Thank you for standing tall for Rowdy and his family. I went to High School with him and will miss him. I could not be there for I too am serving our country and was unable to attend. If I could hug each and every one of you I would. The protesters will get theirs. What comes around goes around but thanks for running block. God Bless you all in all you do for our fallen heros and their families.
Gentlemen, I served with CPT Inman in the 3rd ACR and enjoyed his company as we were both prior enlisted/NCOes and then commissioned which made us the oldest LTs in the squadron. I appreciate your time and effort at his funeral, unfortunately I was not able to attend. Thanks again for all you do and keep up the good work. Maj Bret Smith
As a former Soldier with the 3d ACR, I commend you for honoring the memory of a fine officer and a great man. Knowing that the Patriot Guard Riders are willing to stand up to those with a particular view and ensure that the memory of our service men and women is not sullied makes me even more proud to have served in support of this great nation.
I thank you for allowing the family and bretheren of CPT Rowdy Inman to grieve in peace and honor their fellow Soldier.
I salute you. Brave Rifles!
Thank you so much for protecting my family from those horrid protestors. It was amazing to see those who honored my cousin’s life and knew he was a great man. Thank you riders. God Bless yall
Good job to all the Patriot guard members. Being a former Marine, I am giving back to the families to all who are serving. My program, FLYING VIKINGS, will take children who’s parents are deployed, wounded or Gold Star recepients for free plane rides for a little fun. These events just help a little bit. They will be held in Temple Texas, I reside in Killeen,, Questions,,,its, Flyinglittlevikings@yahoo.com
Thank You and God Bless America.
I never knew CPT Inman. I only met him once when I went to an FRG meeting with my husband but my husband knew him. I give my condolences to his family. From what I have read about him, he was a good man. My husband wants to name our son after him and I would be honored to do that. I’sm sorry for his family’s lose. May he rest in peace.
CPT Inman was a great man and i wish we still had him around his spirit lives on through our diligence and we honor him by upholding his standard. I tell everyone i know what a great man and leader he was. He cared about every single one of us. His concern for his soldiers was unheard of and he treated us like his children. I know he is up in heaven riding his heart out watching us and making sure we are safe cause thats all he cared about was getting us home. I miss his smart ass attitude and his overall John Wayne demeanor. NO SLACK SIR! YOU LIVE ON THROUGH US.
I know quite a few PRG’s, and as much as I like to consider myself to be a good Christian, I simply don’t see how I could control myself around those so-called “Christians,” commonly known as the Members of the Westboro Church, the way the PRG’s do! It’s probably better that I am never presented with the opportunity to find out what I would actually do if I ever DID meet one of those blaspheming hypocrites. I’ve never seen such a gross disrespect for life and God. I trained Rowdy Inman twice, once in Colorado at the end of 2002/beginning 2003, and then again at Fort Hood some years later. Forget the Phelps cowards, Rowdy Inman was an American hero who loved his troops and his country -AND HE WAS GOOD AT IT! Remember, God only takes the good ones young because he doesn’t want to punish them with the likes of the Phelps crowd for an entire, average lifetime.
Rowdy,
I will always miss you and respect you for the person you were. Serving as your maintenance Platoon Sergeant was a great honor. When you stood up for me when the maintance areana was in disarray, you stood your ground and had my back. I will always have your back and I think of you on a daily basis. I love you man!
I know you are looking down and are smilimg for the legecy, leadership, and mentorship that you provided me and my (your) soldiers on a daily basis. Every 26th of December I will be saluting you and thinking of your family that you left behind.
God Bless America and God Bless Rowdy Inman for the great Sacrifice that he contributed to our country.
SFC (retired) Brian Hanson