thedrifter
06-04-07, 06:35 AM
‘He made the ultimate sacrifice’
By KARA FITZPATRICK
Bucks County Courier Times
Hundreds filled St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday to pay respects to Army Pfc. Robert Dembowski Jr., a Northampton native who was killed May 24 in Iraq.
Relatives, friends and those who had never even met the 20-year-old Council Rock High School-North graduate lined up to pay tribute to the fallen soldier and offer condolences to his family.
Siblings Mary Mather and Joe Magee came to the viewing from Philadelphia despite never knowing Dembowski. "It was the least we could do," Mather said.
Mather said she learned about the viewing from her sister, who attends St. Vincent de Paul Parish. "I think we had to [attend]," said Mather. "He made the ultimate sacrifice."
Magee, a veteran, said Dembowski "gave everything he had."
Dembowski, who was deployed to Iraq in January, served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne division.
More than a dozen members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group that attends funeral services of fallen soldiers nationwide, were present outside the church to offer the family protection against protesters. None showed up at the viewing.
Tom Murtha, who served four tours with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam and Korea, said he attends fallen soldiers’ funerals with the Patriot Guard Riders to show his respect to the present generation of service men and women.
"Never again will one generation be forgotten," Murtha said. "I got treated like crap when I came home and will never let these guys be treated like crap."
Originally formed in 2005 to act as a shield against members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., the Patriot Guard Riders now provide "an unofficial honor guard," explained Wayne Lutz, ride captain for the group’s Southeast Pennsylvania region.
The group only attends at the invitation of the grieving family.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church protest outside military funerals to broadcast their belief that soldiers are dying because America tolerates homosexuals. "They did promise to be here," Lutz said, referring to a comment a Westboro Baptist Church member made last week to a Courier Times columnist.
While no sign of their protests were present Sunday, Patriot Guard Riders will be at Dembowski’s funeral today, Lutz said.
"Police are aware of the threat," Lutz said, adding if protesters impose on Dembowski’s family "we would do whatever we could to block them."
There will be another viewing today from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 654 Hatboro Road, Richboro. The viewing will be followed by a funeral Mass.
Kara Fitzpatrick can be reached at 215-949-4190 or kfitzpatrick@phillyBurbs.com.
June 3, 2007 11:36 PM
Ellie
By KARA FITZPATRICK
Bucks County Courier Times
Hundreds filled St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday to pay respects to Army Pfc. Robert Dembowski Jr., a Northampton native who was killed May 24 in Iraq.
Relatives, friends and those who had never even met the 20-year-old Council Rock High School-North graduate lined up to pay tribute to the fallen soldier and offer condolences to his family.
Siblings Mary Mather and Joe Magee came to the viewing from Philadelphia despite never knowing Dembowski. "It was the least we could do," Mather said.
Mather said she learned about the viewing from her sister, who attends St. Vincent de Paul Parish. "I think we had to [attend]," said Mather. "He made the ultimate sacrifice."
Magee, a veteran, said Dembowski "gave everything he had."
Dembowski, who was deployed to Iraq in January, served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne division.
More than a dozen members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group that attends funeral services of fallen soldiers nationwide, were present outside the church to offer the family protection against protesters. None showed up at the viewing.
Tom Murtha, who served four tours with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam and Korea, said he attends fallen soldiers’ funerals with the Patriot Guard Riders to show his respect to the present generation of service men and women.
"Never again will one generation be forgotten," Murtha said. "I got treated like crap when I came home and will never let these guys be treated like crap."
Originally formed in 2005 to act as a shield against members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., the Patriot Guard Riders now provide "an unofficial honor guard," explained Wayne Lutz, ride captain for the group’s Southeast Pennsylvania region.
The group only attends at the invitation of the grieving family.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church protest outside military funerals to broadcast their belief that soldiers are dying because America tolerates homosexuals. "They did promise to be here," Lutz said, referring to a comment a Westboro Baptist Church member made last week to a Courier Times columnist.
While no sign of their protests were present Sunday, Patriot Guard Riders will be at Dembowski’s funeral today, Lutz said.
"Police are aware of the threat," Lutz said, adding if protesters impose on Dembowski’s family "we would do whatever we could to block them."
There will be another viewing today from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 654 Hatboro Road, Richboro. The viewing will be followed by a funeral Mass.
Kara Fitzpatrick can be reached at 215-949-4190 or kfitzpatrick@phillyBurbs.com.
June 3, 2007 11:36 PM
Ellie