Wichita Falls, TX Aug. 28,2010. On a warm clear summer day several dozen family members gathered at the Wichita Falls Municipal Airport to welcome home their loved one, SPC Alexis V. Maldonado.

Also gathered were 50-75 North Texas Patriot Guard Riders who stood by while the family watched the dignified transfer on the tarmac, and later escorted the procession through town on the way to the Owens & Brumley Funeral Home.

Originally, the family had requested no media, but once I explained how my videos are watched by family members who are unable to attend and the troops who served with him.  The family invited me out on the tarmac with them and allowed me to document this solemn ceremony.

This was especially poignant for me as I am preparing for the Patriot Guard Riders National Gathering of the Guard 2010 scheduled for Sept. 9-12 in Killeen/Ft. Hood, where Spc Maldonado was based. His unit was one of the units attacked during readiness processing at Fort Hood last November, and engineers Alexis had trained with were killed or wounded before the unit ever left American soil.

Alexis Maldonado enlisted in the Army a year after he became a father. His son, Isaiah, just turned two.

Alexis became a combat engineer, one of the soldiers who travel dangerous roads, seeking to protect the lives of others while risking their own. Once deployed to Afghanistan, his service was remarkable.  Alexis’s unit was stationed at Forward Operating Base Ramrod, and they cleared roads of IEDs to protect soldiers and civilians alike.  Alexis completed more than one hundred missions of this extremely dangerous duty, usually driving or manning the machine gun position which serves as the eyes of the vehicle.

After his service in the Army, Alexis Maldonado hoped to study auto mechanics at Universal Technical Institute, near home in Dallas, Texas.  He wanted to be a mechanic.  He loved music, and was a dedicated weight-lifter.

Alexis died of wounds he suffered when his convoy was ambushed in Zhari Province, Afghanistan.

Alexis is mourned, remembered, and loved by many, including his parents and step-parents, Jesse, Alicia, Linda, and Keith, his fiancée, Baronica, his son, Isaiah, his brothers, Brad and Sergio, and his sister, Aleksi.

USFallen.org and CTS band with Jeff Senour, are proud participants of the Patriot Guard Riders, National Gathering of the Guard 2010.

Sponsor A Wounded Warrior to the “Freedom Rocks” Concert!

By: Jeff Senour

Now you can sponsor a Real Hero to come to the concert. Together we can all make a difference. To sponsor a Fort Hood Soldier or Wounded Warrior to the “Freedom Rocks Experience”, just log in HERE and select one of the three (3) categories of sponsorship to sponsor your real American Hero to this amazing concert. We all can make a difference together. Let’s honor these heroes together and bring them all to the concert.
(URL is http://gotg2010.eventbrite.com/ ; for those who have trouble with the above link)

CTS to headline Gathering Of The Guard Saturday night Sept 11, 2010. It’s official, the local Harker Heights High School Orchestra is now slated to perform with CTS during the “Freedom Rock Experience” concert.

Pictured (L/R): Dave, Jeff,  Eric and Joe  / CTS

CTS Band with Jeff Senour

It will be an honor to have this fabulous group of young musicians along with Urban Quartet performing together to honor our Real American Heroes. Military, Police, Firefighters, Teachers and yes the Patriot Guard Riders will be honored in this rock concert. Please check out the link below for more on the “Freedom Rock Experience”. We are honored to work with the local community near Fort Hood to bring rocking music to the National Gathering Of The Guard 2010. This show is sure to spark even more patriotism to your heart and renew your sense of how proud we all are to be and American.

Can’t wait to see you there!

For more info visit our National GOTG 2010 page.

Honors rendered for Spc Jerod H Osborne

July  16, 2010 (Dallas, TX) Spc. Jerod Heath Osborne, 20, of Royse City, TX, was laid to rest in Rockwall, TX.  After church services concluded the procession made its way to Rest Heaven Cemetery led by local and state police.  Members of the Patriot Guard Riders were on hand to ensure the services were not disrupted.

The interment ceremonies began with a bagpiper leading the hearse to the gravesite.  Once, the majority of the participants gathered around the gravesite, members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from Fort Bragg, N.C. performed the military final interment ceremonies.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies, participants offered the family condolences and made their way out of Texas’ scorching summer sun.

Afterward the family stayed behind to witness the casket lowered into the grave. We were blessed to share the moment with the eldest brother SSGT Wau-tash Grillett, who was also serving in Afghanistan. He also was tasked with escorting the remains of his younger brother home.  He shared his thoughts about his brother after the funeral.

On behalf of USFallen.org and its viewers, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Grillett and Osborne families, for allowing us to share in the loss of Our American Hero. We are forever indebted to your dearest Jerod, and the sacrifice he made on our behalf. We pray you find comfort in knowing he will rest in peace, for eternity, among America’s finest who answered her call to duty and did so with valor.

July 15, 2010 (Dallas, TX) Spc Jerod Heath Osborne, 20, of Royse City, TX, remains arrived in Greenville, TX on a charter plane Wednesday July 14, 2010 at 1300 hours (1:00 PM). The temperature was a scorching 98 degrees as family and friends waited for his arrival.

Upon touchdown his plane was welcomed by the Greenville Fire Department and an honorary water-bridge. Once the plane parked, members of the 1^st Cavalry, Ft. Hood, TX, conducted a dignified transfer on the tarmac.  The family was escorted to the hearse to welcome their loved one home.

The procession led by various Fire-trucks from surrounding communities.  Also, present were 200 Patriot Guard Riders to help escort the procession as it made way to the funeral home.

Osborne was assigned to 4th Squadron, 73rd Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.  He was killed in action July 5 in Yakuta, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their unit using an IED.

According to his step-father, “he jumped on an IED to save the lives of others. He was a really good kid.  He never got into trouble or into drugs,” he said. “He is a hero and will be sorely missed,” he said as he choked up with emotion.

Osborne is scheduled for final interment with full military honors on Friday.

Welcome Home Hero, Majors Field Greenville

(Dallas, TX) July 13, 2010  We are honored to announce the homecoming of our hometown hero.  The chartered flight from Dover AFB is scheduled to arrive at Greenville’s Majors Field Airport (Map Link: – http://tinyurl.com/25pjx4b) on Wednesday July 14, 2010 at approximately 1:05 PM.

After a brief dignified transfer ceremony on the tarmac, his procession will proceed to Rest Haven Funeral Home (Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/2ezw5wr) led by the Patriot Guard Riders of North Texas.

USFallen.org has obtained permission to film Spc. Jerod Heath Osborne’s homecoming and interment services.  The family welcomes and is appreciative of the public’s desire to Welcome Our American Hero Home.

As result of 6 fallen warriors since 2003, the patriotic citizens of Greenville know how to welcome a hero home. The citizens of Rockwall are encouraged to come out and show our appreciation for the sacrifice made by this soldier, his family, friends, and community.

HATERS and PROTESTERS need not show up and are encouraged to pray for redemption.