When a group of tough bikers found out that a Marine’s remains were set to be shipped home to his mother in a box, they were appalled. They weren’t about to sit back and do nothing. Instead, they quickly stepped in.
Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner (Photo Credit: YouTube)
Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner passed away in California at just 41 years old after serving seven tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marine Corps. Sadly, when the brave marine died from combat-related issues, his mother, who lives in Georgia, couldn’t make the trip to California to get her son’s ashes.
However, one group of bikers couldn’t live with the thought of Turner going home in a FedEx box. So, riders across several states worked together to return Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner’s ashes to his mother in Georgia, in a more dignified way. And, it was quite the sight to behold.
The Patriot Guard, escorting the remains of Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner to his final resting place. (Photo Credit: YouTube)
“We did this primarily because his mother was unable to attend the services,” Oklahoma Patriot Guard Riders Captain David Noble said. “He had been cremated, and we did not want him to go home in a FedEx box.” So, the Oklahoma Patriot Guard Riders traveled across the Sooner State before arriving at the Arkansas border to pass on the fallen Marine’s remains, KFSM 5 News reported.
Some of the riders, like Asha Lamy, went out of their way to be a part of the trip and Turner’s final journey. “I need the family to know that you are not alone and we care,” Lamy explained. “I got on the road at 6 last night out of Huntsville, Alabama, and I rode over to Oklahoma.”
Riders paused for a brief ceremony as Arkansas Patriot Guard Riders receive Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner’s ashes. (Photo Credit: YouTube)
After Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner’s ashes traveled through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, riders paused for a brief ceremony in the late Marine’s honor at a rest stop on Interstate-40 just over the Arkansas state line from Oklahoma. It was proof positive that, although these bikers may look tough, they really do have hearts of gold.
“The Arkansas Patriot Guard Riders are proud to receive Staff Sgt. Johnathan Turner, United States Marine Corps. It will be an honor and a privilege to escort him on his journey home,” Norm Breth, Road Captain of the Patriot Guard Riders of Arkansas, said during the ceremony, which was caught on video.
After the remains were in the safe possession of the Arkansas Patriot Guard Riders, it was once again time to ride. “We will do it. We will accomplish the mission,” Breth vowed. “Because that is what it is. The mission is to get Staff Sgt. Turner from California to his mother’s arms so that she can be at ease that he is home.”
Later that evening, Turner’s remains were handed off to the Tennessee Patriot Guard, according to Breth. Riders then spent the night in Memphis before the ashes were handed off to the Mississippi Patriot Guard in the morning. Finally, Wayne Markham of the Patriot Guard Riders of Georgia presented Turner’s mother with her son’s remains later that night.