Patriot Riders give ‘brother’ full honors

RUSSELLVILLE — Vietnam veteran Avery Brewster finally received the full military funeral he deserved.

Local American Patriot Riders escorted a hearse Thursday morning that carried the body of the 76-year-old veteran who lived in Russellville.

The funeral was a long time coming for the former U.S. Army chief warrant officer 2, who was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. It required four months of efforts from the Patriot Riders and funeral home workers.

Brewster died in August in Franklin County and his body was taken to Pinkard. Since then, funeral home workers and Freedom Rider volunteers have tried to find a family member to notify. They eventually found one who showed no interest, so they took it upon themselves to see to it Brewster received a proper burial.

T.C. Dawson and a handful of fellow Patriot Riders rode their motorcycles that were adorned with American and state flags from the funeral home to the cemetery, where they provided full military honors, including a 21-gun salute.

Patriot Riders, many of whom are veterans, provide free escorts and military funerals for veterans. Dawson said his group has done this numerous times, but this is the fourth one he recalls that involved a veteran who had no family.

“It’s particularly difficult to do when he has no family,” he said. “Today, we’re all his family. We’re all his brothers and sisters.”

Dawson said it is heartbreaking to know there are veterans who have no loved ones at the graveside.

“The first time we did one with no family, we had the flag to present to someone and realized there was no one to accept it,” he said.

Dawson said he recalls three times when he was in Vietnam when fellow American soldiers rescued him from certain death. All soldiers and veterans feel the duty to be there for one another throughout their lives, and being a Patriot Rider is a way to answer that calling.

“No one left behind,” he said.

Patriot Rider and veteran Mark Swindle, who also is a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy, coordinated the escort with law enforcement agencies.

Russellville Police led them from Pinkard, Franklin deputies picked up the escort to Red Bay and deputies from the Alcorn County, Mississippi, sheriff’s office met them and continued the escort to Corinth National Cemetery.

“It’s a good way to honor someone who fought for our country,” Swindle said. “When you pick up arms in defense it changes a person.”

Pinkard Funeral Director Tammy Sharp said funeral home officials decided to provide the free funeral and casket when they realized the situation. National cemetery burials are free for veterans.

“If it weren’t for veterans, none of us would be free today,” Sharp said. “I talked with the company owner, and he said just do what you have to do.”

She said they had been working with cemetery officials for months, and the federal government shutdown which finally ended in November delayed things.

“Thursday was the first opening the cemetery had since the government shutdown,” Sharp said.