From Wallace Mitchell's family
Dear Tom Barry,
I want to extend a heartfelt message of appreciation for the presence of the Patriot Guard Riders on Friday as they escorted my Uncle Wallace G. Mitchell, S1c, to his final resting place at Fort Rosecrans Cemetery in San Diego.
When we were first informed by O'Connor Mortuary in Laguna Hills that our family would be able to welcome my uncle's remains on the tarmac at John Wayne Airport, we thought it would just be our small group of family members, a military detail, and employees from the mortuary who would be present. Little did we envision that there would be so many joining us to pay their respects including local sheriffs, firefighters, Southwest airline personnel, members of veteran's groups and USO, Rolling Thunder and Patriot Guard Riders.
The show of honor and respect for Wallace was beyond anything we could have imagined. Most importantly it was wonderful for my mother, Marjorie, to witness this most poignant event. Her girlhood was shattered when her brother was killed at Pearl Harbor and this week of bringing Wallace home to his final resting place was a balm for a gaping wound that she's had for almost 80 years.
The plaque you gave her signed by yourself and the Patriot Guard Riders individually is a treasured memento of your participation in the sacred act of honoring a fallen hero. Thank you for the dog tags too.
Please extend our gratitude to all those PGR patriots who escorted us in the events of last week. We honor and love you as you have us.
Sincerely,
Kristin Etter
