To celebrate the seven-year anniversary of writing this column, I am sharing the best reader letter of the past year. My heartfelt thanks go out to all our dedicated readers: it's the give and take of the suggestions and responses from all of you that make this column possible. It was surprising to hear from a reader responding to an article (Patriot Guard Rides With Respect, 7/6/06) more than two years after it first appeared in the Dispatch.

In his letter of 9/5, Troll demonstrates the amazing way information travels over time and distance in cyberspace, connecting Gilroy to people in other parts of the country. He also gives us a valuable and unusual perspective from a part of our society that is often viewed with suspicion, fear, and generally negative stereotypes.

When Troll joined more than 75 biker groups forming the Patriot Guard Riders in 2005 across all 50 states, their goal was to shield the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan from protesters and religious extremists who were disrupting military funerals.

As many as 200 riders began showing up to form a ring around the church where a funeral was taking place, blocking signs from view that read, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God hates your tears."

Troll goes on to say, "As a Vietnam vet, I can tell you the PGR has done wonders for me in many ways! It's been very therapeutic for me personally, and I know many of the fellow vets I talk with tell me the same thing. I can't really explain it clearly, but I've been able to lay to rest a good many demons since the inception of this group. There is in this group a 'brotherhood' that I've not known before … we are all joined together by a common cause: a universal and steadfast goal to protect these families! Happily, most of the 'protests' seem to have died out. These days our primary focus is simply being there for the families as they request our presence. We readily accept any and all invitations they offer us.

"For all of us, an invitation to join a family as they bury their hero is a tremendous honor. There is a saying, 'For those who fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know!' Many of us understand what that means … and we proudly stand with these families and grieve right along with them; because to them, the taste of freedom has bitterness to it. Despite the many different walks we each come from, we all stand shoulder to shoulder and realize these young people today who are giving up their lives for something they so strongly believe in are our brothers and sisters. It's important for us to be there; it's an honor, it's an obligation. Many of us wear a small pin with a folded American flag on it being held by gloved hands passing the flag off to a recipient. The pin says 'This National debt can never be repaid.' We will continue to make payments so long as the families ask for us!

"From one of the 'intimidating bikers!'

- Troll, Massachusetts Ride Captain, Region 1, Patriot Guard Riders."

Visit this inspiring Web site at www.patriotguard.org.

Kat Teraji Kat Teraji is communications coordinator for a large non-profit organization that benefits women and children. Her column appears every Thursday in the Take 2 section of the Dispatch. You can reach her at kattoy@verizon.net.