It was 16 miles, so I gave myself two hours to get there. I arrived an hour early.

Chuck traveled the same 16 miles. It turns out that he lives just one block from me, but I only first met him at the funeral of Robert Weinger.

As it was at the funeral Friday, on this Sunday the funeral would be held in a high school gym. After they shoveled, the school maintenance crew spread salt.

All the guests would enter through this door. We were prepared to stand in the snow through the four-hour visitation.

MWD Alan was at the airport when Robert arrived in Waukegan and he was at the high school when Robert arrived in Wauconda.

Lieutenant Figgins will remember Christopher and Robert, too.

Little boys pretend. They run and shoot pretend guns. If they are “killed” they are up again and running and shooting a minute later.

Our soldiers go into battle with their eyes wide open. They know how badly they can be hurt because they know how powerful their weapons are. They all have medical training and they know why.

Our soldiers face the horrors of war willingly, bravely and aggressively. They realize that most Americans are like little boys. It is important for our soldiers to know that some of us have our eyes open too.

We do not face the enemy with them but we face the sadness, and the hopefulness, with them.

Reliable Vuk was Ride Captain.

He brought a plaque to let them know.

After the service began we all went to the cemetery, which was just 4 blocks away. Except me – like Motorcycle Officer McNabney, I had the honor of leading the hearse.

So I know what the family saw as they approached the final resting place reserved for Robert. They saw PGRiders standing with flags surrounding the gravesite. To the extent there is a PGR uniform, it includes black leather. And they saw neatly-uniformed soldiers in three details: Rifle squad, color guard and the pall-bearers who would fold the casket flag. The soldiers all wore the new Class-A uniform.

Last summer, the army began a 6-year transition from the green “business suit” style of dress uniform to a new one that is more “soldierly” in my opinion. I was glad to see the three details looking so sharp. Seven fine examples from the rifle squad and color guard follow.

The soldiers from Company D (Woodstock) and from Camp Lincoln (Springfield) wore the green Class-A uniform that Robert was wearing. They stood in an arc facing the family and guests across the snowy grave.

Heroes burying a hero.

As is my habit, I left the bike flag flying for the trip home. I turned onto the street and shifted into second. A group of soldiers was walking on the sidewalk back to their cars. I kept the low end of second and eyes forward as I rolled past them.

back to the three funerals of Company D