Memorial service for Army vet Ralph Hubert Barger quiet, respectful
Despite predictions of probable violence and a potentially highly dangerous situation by local law enforcement
San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow is warning the public that the founder’s funeral has the capacity to see serious violence.
“I am bringing in substantial resources to protect the safety of the general public from the violence and danger that may result from this event,” Withrow said at a press conference Friday. Yahoo News
an estimated 7,000 participants held a peaceful funeral service for Ralph Hubert Barger, aka “Sonny” Barger, founder of the Oakland chapter of the Hell’s Angels Saturday. Colors from rival gangs were reputedly seen as members of many biker groups gathered to pay their respects, including from other Angels chapters from other states.
About 7,000 people showed up for Barger’s funeral, according to Tony Noceti, the president of the business that operates the speedway. Some came from various parts of California, others sported club colors from New Jersey, Minnesota and Nebraska.
Barger was well-known as the public face of the club, which has chapters across the world and is considered a gang by the Department of Justice. He authored several books and contributed to several films and was a consultant and had a role on the television show “Sons of Anarchy.”
Sonny was a legit Army vet, although he lied about his age to get in: he enlisted in 1955 but was thrown out 14 months later when the Army discovered he had forged his birth certificate to get in.
Although many of his school friends became drug addicts, Barger worked at a grocery store and enlisted in the U.S. Army, aged sixteen in 1955, but was given an honorable discharge fourteen months later when it was discovered that he had forged his birth certificate in order to be able to join.
The man wasn’t a saint. One has to wonder, though, how different his life could have turned out had the Army not discharged that hot-headed kid. At least he volunteered.
RTL/LTR
RIP
Sonny was pretty well respected in life by most all of the 1%ers. There would have had to have been a pretty crazy club to start some shit at his funeral. The SO’s statement probably kept a lot of people away that shouldn’t have been there.
One of his Army pictures as a PVT that he posted on his Facebook.
In a 1979 newspaper article, he claimed that he went to Basic and Infantry Advanced Individual Training in 1955 after he dropped of the 9th grade and received an Honorable Discharge after 13 months.
He also claimed sporting a tattoo of a snake wrapped around a dagger stating it was “his Army tattoo, US Infantry…”Dishonor Before Death.”
Don’t you mean “Death before dishonor” ?
We had to reread the article as well.
From the Washington Post, 26 October 1979:
“His right arm is tattooed with a cross-shaped tombstone marked BARGER — in memory of his first wife, who died at 24, he has said, from a botched abortion. The left arm’s tattoo is a snake around a dagger, deep green.”That’s my army tattoo, U.S. Infantry,” he says. “Dishonor before death.”
“The Case Against Harley’s Angels”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/10/26/the-case-against-harleys-angels/c58e8ea6-8fcf-49c1-b6b8-b3ee5f62ccf3/
Those DBD tats were really popular during my days in the Navy.
It would have to have been a foolish person, indeed, to start some sh^t at that Memorial Service. Take it Easy, Rider.
Lie to serve your Country and get thrown out. Lie to serve your self enrichment and get re-elected. Don’t seem fair somehow.
I wonder if there were any posers that showed up? With all of the claims and biker bling, this might have been tough for a few of the more dedicated ones to avoid.
😉
😎
🤨
😆
🤭
🤣
🥸
🙄
Parade of POSers.
Ya just gotta love those vests.
🤫
🤔
🙄
Ha!
Maybe we should hold a TAH POSer leather vest competition?
We could call it:
TOP VEST
Winner gets a new Karoke Machine. 😎
And an Official TAH Commemorative Tiger Stripe Camo Doo-Rag.
What about those wraparound sunglasses…
How About A New Volleyball…???
😉😎
gabn/gabaf/hbtd/rtr
2nd Place Trophy, ninja. They can pick it up in the Ladies Room. Kelly is keeping it in her “canyon”. I’ll see myself out.
gabn/gabaf/rtr/hbtd 🏃
😂🤣😅😆😂🤣😅😆👍👍👍👏👏
gabn/gabaf/hbtd/rtr
👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍
BRAVO!!!!
(Still can’t believe our beloved Mick used “TOP”…😆😅🤣😂)
We have enough here to start the founding chapter of the All-Points Logistics Poser Posse.
Alaska Bob is such an ass clown. This dude is like the missing smurf: Poser Smurf.
Holed up in some roadside bar drinking up the donation money.
Last I heard about Alaska Bob’s DD-214 was that it was with SGT Preston of the Yukon and his dog King stuck in a snow drift.
Oh yeah!
The False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics).
He just looks the part, does he not? Oozing pseudo-toughness and not-so-much intimidation with his outfit, the smirk and the fake Native American and Navy SEAL claims.
We knew this would bring back wonderful memories, Green Thumb!!!
🤣😂😅
Phildo and the Boys ride again…!
😆😅🤣😂
Heh! Black Widows. My Company’s (188th AHC / C,101 AHB) nickname/call sign in Viet of the Nam.
Our Motto: “Mate and Kill”
Claw:
Thank You for sharing!!!
Does this look familiar?
😉😎
Yes, it does. However, I was never a member of the 188th. It was dissolved (two Lift Platoons and a Gun Platoon nicknamed the Spiders) in the summer of 1968 and became C, 101AHB when the Battalion stood up for duty in the 101st Airborne.
Very Glad there was no issues I thought that Law Enforcement was a little overboard. 81 polices themselves very well. Way back when – when the gulf war launched protestors harassed anyone entering the gates at Alameda NAS. We were going through REFTRA in Hawaii. Dependent’s were having a hard time getting on base to the commissary etc.. The Hells Angels Oakland Chapter came over and made it easier for our dependents to enter the base. Have thanked everyone of them I have ran across since then no matter what chapter. There are good people in every walk of life as well as the bad. The Angels have a reputation but I do admire their commitment to each other.
My grandfather did the same right at the start of WW2. 15 when he joined the Navy.
With everything going on in the Pacific, I think they were more or less inclined to look the other way when they found out later on.
3 Minute Video.
“Hell’s Angels Call out Fake MC Patch!”
“The Real Story Of The Hell’s Angels Biker Gang And The Military”
https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/real-story-of-the-hells-angels-and-the-military/
“The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club’s copyrighted “Death’s Head” logo can even be traced back to two U.S. Army Air Corps patches, from the 85th Fighter Squadron ) and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron.
Who Knew That A Top Gun Existed…🙃
https://topgunstore.com/
Top Gun Store…😉😎
🎶 Highway To The Danger Zone!🎶
In the sixties, I wanted to be like him and mentioned it in a high school year book!
My poor dear departed father tried to have conversations with me about my attraction to hoodlum adventures. Bless his heart, I heard what he said and some of that eventually blossomed.
IIRC, didn’t HA some influence on The Doobie Brothers coming to prominence in that area?
In the redux, I’ll stick with Heaven’s Angels.