Open Letter to Patriot Guard Riders - Signing Off

Crash Course - Integrity 101 for the ethically-challenged - aka Patriot Guard leadership...

Wisdom is: knowing the right path to take. Integrity is: taking it.

Effective 27 August 2014

To Patriot Guard Riders Board of Directors and Patriot Guard Riders Membership at large:

We the undersigned choose to disassociate ourselves completely from all connection with the organization known as Patriot Guard Riders. After seven years with the Patriot Guard as a family dedicated to the mission we are saddened to discover the organization is rotten at its core. The leadership from the petty-minded ride captains in the Red River Region of north Texas to the slanderous state leadership of Texas to the smug and patronizing National Board of Directors is corrupt, dysfunctional and dishonorable.

This sorry excuse for leadership (a misnomer if there ever was one) has actively engaged in blatant abuse of the PGR code of conduct, selective discrimination, libel and slander, character defamation, negligence and the blacklisting of another 501c3 organization. They (each and every one) are complicit in the mob character assassination of a well-known and well respected USAF Bronze Star Vietnam Veteran and former PGR ride captain. Instead of answering a call for fair play they have chosen to hide behind a wall of sullen silence. Instead of speaking the truth they remain maliciously mute. Instead of holding themselves or the wrong-doers among them accountable for aberrant behavior they remain diligently protective of their own and complicit in a whole collection of nasty transgressions against the innocent. By exhibiting nothing but contempt for due process, the responsibilities of their positions, the integrity of the organization they allegedly serve and common decency they confirm their GUILT and COWARDICE in our opinion. This is not the Patriot Guard we joined.

The Patriot Guard mission is at risk of being perverted by a self-obsessed, group of men and women who are completely devoid of honor and integrity. The leadership (sad thing that it is) runs the organization as if it were a motorcycle club rather than a non-profit, all volunteer organization. If PGR were a motorcycle club these miscreants would have already been kicked to the curb. We have witnessed many good people leave the organization or step down from leadership positions and I suspect many more will do so in the near future. Understand the current leadership will not suffer so much as a pang of loss. The credibility of a once proud organization and the entire membership has been compromised by a despicable group of individuals apparently incapable of policing themselves.

For our family being Patriot Guard Riders is/was about paying our respects and lending our support to Veterans and families of Veterans. We have done that job well and to the best of our ability - especially the head of our family. To stand the flag line as a representative of an organization that claims to support and respect veterans while actively defaming a living veteran is a particularly low form of hypocrisy that can be likened to the antics of those we shall not name. We refuse to participate in such low brow activity. Fortunately, as veterans we do not have to be PGR to carry on with our personal mission of respect and support for veterans. We have moved on and are carrying on. That fact seems to annoy petty-minded PGR leadership and remains the source of the issue whether they will own it or not - chalk it all up to plain ol' pissy mission envy.

To summarize, we are signing off because we find the conduct of Patriot Guard Rider leadership [Texas] and the National Board of Directors grossly negligent with regard to the Patriot Guard Rider code of conduct and mission statement and as such in direct conflict with our personal code of ethics. We desire no further association with Patriot Guard Riders and find we must immediately distance ourselves from what can only be labeled the toxic and destructive leadership of the organization.

This leadership removed a hat from a respected veteran and former PGR ride captain based on nothing but manufactured mendacity. This leadership failed to remove the blue hat from a member who violated the code of conduct by disparaging in public the names of veterans and a Gold Star family - repeatedly. Over a 60 day period, I (the daughter) did everything in my power to do and be everything and worse than what they accused an innocent veteran of doing. Yet, I still have my hat without so much as a finger wag coming from leadership. I am certain there are more examples of it, but it should be glaringly apparent the MO of these leaders is to do exactly the opposite of what actually serves the organization. Granted, it is hard for some to do the “right thing”. Apparently this leadership missed the memo: Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain.

Finally, we have said again and again, Patriot Guard Riders is a fine organization with a noble purpose. We have many friends found among the ranks of PGR. We are proud of seven years’ service and proud of our Veteran patriarch who served the PGR over seven years, successfully executing nearly 400 missions. Patriot Guard Riders deserves better leadership. How they get better leadership with so many good men and women signing off or being railroaded out of the organization should be a cause for concern among the membership because it is obviously no concern of failed PGR leadership.

If you ride with the PGR, ride proud - ride free. If you stand the flag line, stand tall - stand silent. If you are PGR, have a care for your name and reputation and whatever you know to be the truth because current leadership will not.

There are no winners or losers in this scenario - only those who know and carry the truth forward and those condemned to wallow forever in the folly and shame of their own making. At the end of our days all we have left is the strength of our words and actions. Some will be able to lean on the strong foundation of solid character. Others will find themselves in quicksand.

We serve the mission not the patch. We carry on free of the hindrance of disreputable PGR representation and association.

We stand with honor. We stand with integrity.

We stand with Veteran Ted Foster. We are not alone.

Normally we sign our missives with respect.
In this instance - we find we cannot in good conscience do so.

Vickie L Foster Downing
Daughter and wife of Vietnam Veterans
Timothy A Downing
USAF Vietnam Veteran

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UPDATE: Just as a point of clarification for how the BoD deals with membership...
*****
Actual letter of resignation that went to the BoD:
27 August 2014
Effective Immediately

We the undersigned choose to disassociate ourselves completely from all connection with the organization known as Patriot Guard Riders. After seven years with the Patriot Guard as a family dedicated to the mission we are saddened to discover the organization is rotten at its core. The leadership from the petty-minded ride captains in the Red River Region of north Texas to the slanderous state leadership of Texas to the smug and patronizing National Board of Directors is corrupt, dysfunctional and dishonorable.

We are signing off because we find the conduct of Patriot Guard Rider leadership [Texas] and the National Board of Directors completely lacking in integrity and grossly negligent with regard to the Patriot Guard Rider code of conduct and mission statement and as such in direct conflict with our personal code of ethics.

We desire no further association with Patriot Guard Riders and find we must immediately distance ourselves from what can only be labeled the toxic and destructive leadership of the organization.

Remove our names from the membership roster immediately.

Normally we sign our missives with respect.
In this case - we find we cannot in good conscience do so.

Vickie L Foster Downing
Daughter and wife of Vietnam Veterans
Timothy A Downing
USAF Vietnam Veteran
*****
Reply from PGR VP/members:
On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 12:39 PM, Mike Childree wrote:
Fortunately, many thousands of members do not share your views. We do not normally state this, but in this case, must in good conscience say that we gladly accept your resignation.

The account team will need your userID and email address to remove them.

Mike Childree
VP/Members
National Board of Directors
Patriot Guard Riders
*****
Daughter's response:
Mr Childree,

Smug and patronizing as always... how quick you are to jump on the opportunity to be be rid of me/us... but as apparently it requires more effort than I am inclined to offer it appears you are stuck with me unless you employ the same underhanded tactics you used to get rid of my Dad... I do not recall you needing additional information to remove him from the ranks.

Figure it out because I am in a decidedly uncooperative mood.

V Downing
*****
Reply from PGR VP/members:
On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 1:18 PM, Mike Childree wrote:
Oh, believe me....I hold no illusions that PGR is "rid of you". I am quite certain that your narcissism and burning need for drama will drive you to more of what we've witnessed from you over the last few weeks.

Yep, we'll scare up your info. You bet we will.

Mike Childree
VP/Members
National Board of Directors
Patriot Guard Riders
*****
Daughter's response:
Mr Childree,

It was my understanding from the get-go that although it appears to be the nature of your position at the BoD you are far too busy to address the concerns of individual members in good standing. I know many members who will testify to that. That's why you are losing members as we speak. My concern for what you think about my burning need to see a Veteran treated fairly by the PGR BoD ended with my resignation. Please try to refrain from indulging your narcissistic tendency and burning need to have the last word in a conversation. Just get a grip buddy and do your job if you can.

V Downing
*****