Members of the Patriot Guard Riders prepare to escort

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders prepare to escort the hearse containing the coffin of Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer back to the funeral home in New Bern, N.C., May 23. “It’s an absolute honor to be a part of this,” said Craig M. Bellile, the Marine veteran who led the envoy of Patriot Guard motorcycles. “Not just as a former Marine, but as an American.”