On August 4, a father and son were reunited with the help of the organization Patriot Guard Riders.

A number of years ago a young man decided that America was where he wanted to be. As a Canadian citizen, Joseph David de Moors had the opportunity to see first hand what the United States was all about and when the time came he moved across the border and became an American citizen. It wasn’t enough for de Moors to simply be here; he wanted to defend everything that America stood for so he enlisted in the armed forces and moved to the rank of first lieutenant.  Like so many brave soldiers, 1st Lt. de Moors was deployed to Iraq and in January of 2006 gave his life for his new country on the battlefield of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The story sounds all too familiar in today’s world but for de Moors it doesn’t end there. In 1994, de Moors and his wife, Vandella, lost an infant son to SIDS. Gabriel, born on Christmas day, was the apple of his father’s eye and the loss was great. Gabriel was buried in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before beginning his deployment in Iraq, de Moors told his wife, a resident of Peachtree City, Ga., that if anything were to happen to him, he wanted to be laid to rest with his son. That did not happen, however, and de Moors was buried with full military honors at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell, Ala. 

While at the funeral for de Moors, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, Bill “Snap” Lines heard the story and decided to help make the first lieutenant’s wish become a reality. After some months of planning and support from many people, de Moors’ wish has come to pass.

On August 4, Gabriel made his final journey to be reunited with his father at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell, Ala. The Patriot Guard Riders, numbering only a few thousand when de Moors was laid to rest, have grown to a national organization of over 47,000. 

The Patriot Guard Riders escorted Gabriel from Evans & Early Funeral Home in Salt Lake City Utah to the Salt Lake City International Airport where his coffin was flown to Atlanta, Ga. on the morning of August 4. An American flag that has flown over the headquarters of the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq was attached to Gabriel’s coffin. This was de Moors’ unit, and the flag was specially flown from Iraq for this purpose. In Atlanta, Gabriel was met by an Honor Guard comprised of retired veterans of every branch of service. These veterans, along with other members of The Patriot Guard Riders, transfered Gabriel to an Atlantic Southeast Airlines aircraft for his final leg to Columbus, Ga. along with Mrs. Vandella de Moors.
 
Upon arrival in Columbus, Gabriel was greeted by a special contingent of the Patriot Guard. An estimated 400-500 Patriot Guard Riders then escorted Gabriel to Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery to be placed with his father, 1st Lt. Joseph David de Moors.

The first lieutenant’s family currently resides in Quebec, Canada, and were unable to attend either his or Gabriel’s funerals. This time around they were able to make it. Vandella de Moors has stated that this is a time to celebrate not mourn. 

For additional information on the de Moors or the Patriot Guard Riders, visit www.Patriotguardriders.org.

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