The family of Dennis Byron 'TOW Grunt' Stewart, 48, has requested the Patriot Guard Riders to honor our fellow PGR member and a Veteran of the US Army during the Cold War. It shall be our honor.
Dennis died at home surrounded by family and friends on Dec 7, Pearl Harbor Day, following a short but aggressive battle against esophageal cancer.
Our hero was born in Hawthorne, CA, he graduated from Westminster HS in 1987 and immediately enlisted into the Army. He was discharged in 1992 at Ft Benning, GA at the rank of E4. His awards included the Good Conduct Medal, Army Activity Medals, National Defense Medal, Overseas Ribbon, Sharpshooter Rifle M16, Marksmanship Badge, ITV gunner, and Germade Marksmanship. He was deployed to Aschauffenberg, Germany.
His duties included being a TOW Grunter in the Army. This is a unique antitank weapon that he drove that has wires connected to the projectile for aiming. Hence his road name, but I never saw Dennis drive with wires attached to him. He was late on his final mission, however, when the key FOB for his HD wouldn’t work. He rode alongside of me on Main St in Hesperia and told me he had a bad FOB and his wife Margie had to come to his rescue. I told him it sounded like a personal problem.
Dennis and Marguerite “Margie”, also a PGR member, met at a Home Base store and were married while they were employed at a House2Home store. Their nuptials were at the Victor Valley Christian Church on June 9, 2001. At the time of his passing both were employed at the Lowes store in Victorville where he worked as a paint department manager. He actually went to a Jr College because he wanted to be a high school history teacher.
Dennis joined the PGR about 4 years ago because he was a Patriot. Dennis and Margie attended missions from their truck, soon they went to the Victorville HD dealer to buy HD apparel but walked out with a Harley Davidson that his wife bought him.
Six months ago he had a hard time swallowing and went to the doctor to have it checked out. It was determined he was in the final stage (4) of a rare form of esophageal cancer. Surgery was recommended but ruled out by another doctor who prescribed a strong dose of chemotherapy and radiation. He told me this would be required for the rest of his life. What was diagnosed as a 8 year prognosis shortened to six months. After a fall the cancer in his neck burst and spread to his brain. He was taken to Kaiser Hospital in Fontana in the last week(s) of his life and was sent home on hospice care one day before he died.
He told me on his final mission while at the cemetery that he liked watching “The Long Road Home” on tv because it was close to the real thing. He had many conversations with family and friends who were deployed to the Middle East. Dennis took his long road home and is now riding the golden highways of Heaven on a motorcycle, make unknown.
In addition to his wife, Margie, he is survived by his step-daughter Heather, parents David and Gloria Herbert, sister Marie Bartley and his So Cal PGR family. It is requested by his wife that the PGR come inside the church during his memorial service.
NOTE: This mission posting is to facilitate your voluntary participation in honoring this Military Veteran. For those interested, and all are welcome, we will be accompanying the hero and his family from their home town to the church service to the cemetery. Please see the time table if you would like to participate.
Time Table for Friday, 5 January 2018:0930: Stage at the ARCO AM-PM, 12078 Three Flags Ct, Oak Hills, CA 92344
https://goo.gl/maps/FqmKiFUN8ps (family will meet us with the Hero's urn)
0940: Mission briefing
0950: KSU to East Hills Community Church, 20660 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508
https://goo.gl/maps/Yp8Ng3E7JTJ21100: Flag Line for family and Hero as they enter church
1200: KSU to Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA 92518
https://goo.gl/maps/q5H9jwmWPHN21230: KSU to assigned shelter for Flag Line, Service and Military Honors
CO R/Cs:
R/C Brian “Spyderman" Zane
SoCalPGR Ride Captain
760-953-9915
brianzane.bz@gmail.com
R/C Clint “Smurf” Martin
SoCalPGR Ride Captain
951-505-6362
lltk@sbcglobal.net
You do not have to be a Veteran or a motorcycle rider to attend this mission. Everyone is welcome. We encourage those who do not ride to attend in your car. If this will be your first mission go to the initial staging area and you will be briefed there by the R/C (Ride Captain). Dress for motorcycle riding or dress casually if you are driving a cage (car). Please feel free to attend any portion of this mission you can. Please ride/drive safely.
