Minooka Marine gets honorable sendoff

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U.S. Marine Sgt. Tim Byland is taken aback by the surprise honor as he shakes hands with Wild Bill Welch, commandant of the Joliet Marine Corps League on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011, in Minooka, Ill. | Ray Luna ~ For Sun-Times Media

Updated: November 18, 2011 12:23AM

Several weeks ago, Marine Sgt. Tim Byland of Minooka, who is being deployed to Afghanistan with the reserves, was surprised with a flag line and then an escort to his parents’ home that included dozens of motorcycles, Minooka police and fire vehicles and members of the Plainfield Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

It’s hard to imagine a parade of vehicles being a surprise, but Byland’s dad, Steve, called him on the phone and feigned his car breaking down at Ace Hardware in Minooka.

The family was having a going away party for Byland that day and he knew about it. The rest was kept a secret, as is the wish of the Warrior Watch Riders who organize the event for servicemen and women who are either deploying or coming home.

By the time Sgt. Byland arrived with his wife Terrilee, the Warrior Watch Riders, along with all the other participants, were assembled in two lines holding large American flags. Byland was directed between the flag lines and all that could be heard was cheering and clapping.

Byland got out of his vehicle, and with his head lowered and fighting back tears, all he could say was, “I am totally speechless.”

The mission of the Warrior Watch Riders is to make sure servicemen and women know there are people supporting them before they go, during and when they get back home.

“This is to honor the soldiers coming and going to war zones because of the way men came home from Vietnam,” said ride coordinator Barb Fitzpatrick. “We don’t want them to come home or go feeling ashamed.”

Byland, who is on his second deployment, the first to Iraq during the initial invasion in 2003, said he was welcomed home after Iraq, but nothing of this magnitude.

“It is very moving,” he said.

At the flag line, Byland was hugged and greeted by everyone who had stood at attention when he arrived.

There were Veteran’s of Vietnam and the Gulf War, among others, who gave Byland words of encouragement and huge bear hugs. There were family members of Veterans who had lived the fear back home, passing on their sentiments.

“Be safe over there, brother,” said one Veteran as he hugged Byland.

Then Byland hopped on the back of Jack “Sarge” Russe’s Harley Davidson for a parade ride to his family’s home on Sibley Drive.

I got in the procession line near the end. The pick-up truck in front of me had three flags hanging off the back end, an American Flag, a POW flag and a U.S. Navy Flag.

This was my first experience being a part of a Warrior Watch Rider procession. It brought me to tears even though I had just met the Byland family moments before.

When the entire fleet took off, the sound of the motorcycle engines reverberated through my soul. Up ahead were the flashing lights and sirens from Minooka police and fire departments and members of PEMA. Flags were flying from trucks, cars and the back of motorcycles.

That day was all for one American, Sgt. Tim Byland. But it was also for all those who had gone before and weren’t recognized for what they sacrificed, what their loved ones sacrificed.

It was especially for the Vietnam veterans who came home to a hostile country. And now those same servicemen and women were riding proud to honor a brother of yet another war.

One Warrior Watch Rider wore a T-shirt with the group’s motto: “Never again will an American Warrior be scorned or ignored.”

The riders got to the Byland home first and quickly set up the flag lines.

Again Byland arrived to cheers, applause and more hugs.

He was presented with a care package from Debbie Trippiedi, founder of Operation MOMS Cookies, along with mementos from the Warrior Watch Riders and the Joliet Marine Corp League to remind him of those back home waiting for his return.

But what he received the most of was love and support, from the riders to the local police and fire on down to his family and friends.

And the sentiments of one Vietnam Navy Veteran were echoed by many, I’m sure, when he said, “We will be waiting on you (to come home.)”

Reach Kris Stadalsky at writestuff56@comcast.net.