Ride Report for Ride Captain HowardK

 

On a chilly Saturday evening November 3rd Warriors Watch Riders were joined by A Hero’s Welcome to honor and surprise Staff Sergeant Brant Warner, US ARMY as he celebrated his retirement from 23 years of dedicated service to our country.

 

Warriors’ Watch Riders were invited by Darya Warner to surprise Brant at a planned celebration for family and friends at the Hilltop AA. The WWR ride posting had to be a little “SNEAKY” as Brant is an active member of WWR and Derya knows he looks at the ride postings regularly. Darya tells us that every time Brant gets a message from Warriors’ Watch and cannot make the ride, he gets upset.

 

Brant and Derya Warner met while Brant was stationed in Germany. They were married in Denmark and have been married for 21 years. Derya says “Brant is everything to me, my strength, my friend, my sanity, my life”. They are the proud parents of Terry L.K. Warner and and Seniz Warner. While in the service, Brant received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Information Technology through online education.

 

Brant joined the US ARMY right after graduating from Susquehanna High School. He then served two tours in Germany. That service was followed by tours in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Brant also served in Bosnia and Kosovo, Operation Joint Endeavor. He has been stationed in Colorado Springs CO and Ft. Drum NY. He served as a regular Army recruiter in New York, Levittown Pa. and Lakehurst NJ. He has also served as a medical recruiter, stationed in Cherry Hill NJ.

 

Brant is a volunteer firefighter with the Lower Southampton Fire Department Station 6 where he also dives with the Fire Department Dive and Rescue team. He is the President of the Veterans Advisory Council in Lower Southampton Township. In his spare time Brant likes to hunt and fish as well as ride his recumbent bike.

 

Warriors’ Watch Riders along with A Hero’s Welcome rallied at Brian’s HD at 7:15PM. After our ride briefing we took the short ride through Langhorne, down Rt 213 and onto Bristol road. Lee, George and Jeff (Huggy) blocked the intersections to ensure our safety. We proceed to the Hilltop AA where we entered the parking lot with horns honking and engines revving. We circled the lot and pulled up right in front of the main entrance where Brant, Derya and their invited family and guests had come out to see what all of the NOISE was about.

 

Brant looked a little surprised!! After receiving greetings from all of the WWR and AHW members, Vietnam Veteran Lee Cannon presented Brant with our WWR Honor coin and thanked him for his long and dedicated service to our country. Jane Thomas came forward and read the certificate from A Hero’s Welcome giving Staff Sergeant Brant Warner thanks from a grateful nation. JD

then came to the front and presented Brant a coin from the Combat Veterans Association and saluted Brant’s service. Brant was then presented a string of beads by Dutch and the significance of the colors in the string were explained. As always, we asked the honoree to say a few words. He said it felt strange being on the other side of a WWR presentation, but he was proud to have served his country and he thanked his family and friends for coming together to help celebrate this occasion with him.

 

In true WWR tradition we then formed for a group picture with our retiree joined by his very proud family and friends standing on the steps of the banquet hall.

 

Warriors’ Watch Riders would like to thank Derya, Terry, Seniz and the entire Warner family for inviting us to be part of this celebration for Brant. Thank you to A Hero’s Welcome for your energetic and unending support and recognition of our HERO’s.

 

Most of all, THANK YOU Staff Sergeant Brant Warner for your service, sacrifice and dedication for the past twenty-three years and for keeping us all free and safe back here at home

 

ARMY STRONG !!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Respectfully submitted by RC HowardK

Pictures courtesy of Jeff (Bikerider)