On a Mississippi highway Tuesday morning, just a couple of hundred yards from where a KC-130 went down stood the day before killing 16 military personnel on board, stood David Weeks.
He isn't a member of the military, but he's as patriotic as they come.
Across from the officers from multiple law enforcement agencies working to control traffic, Weeks started to play taps, the bugle call played at U.S. military funerals and memorials.
“I'm out here today to show my respect for the fallen. Felt in my heart to come out and honor them,” Weeks said.
Weeks is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. He joined the group to honor his father. who fought in World War II.
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The group’s members normally ride at the funerals for service men and women. But when 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman died in the fiery plane crash, he didn't want to wait until they were formally laid to rest.
“Yeah these men and women join the service not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of our country. They made the sacrifices willing to just lay everything on the line,” Weeks said.
This accident, Weeks said, is proof of the dangers military personnel face on a daily basis. It is not limited to combat.
“They put their lives on the line every day for us, and I think more Americans ought to be more appreciative of them,” Weeks said.
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