A group of veterans who perform military honors at funerals are seeking more members to help give local veterans their final farewell.
When a veteran dies in Johnson County, the Greenwood and New Whiteland Honor Guard provide the final tribute with a service at the funeral. A service includes firing rifles in unison, playing of “Taps” and active members of the military folding the American flag.
The honor guard is made up of members from the Greenwood American Legion Post 252, the Greenwood Veterans of Foreign War Post 5864 and the New Whiteland Veterans of Foreign War Post 6978, and they have been providing these services since 1948.
The guard is currently facing a shortage, with many members unable to perform the service due to getting older and having more medical needs, Commander Bob Tuttle said.
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Tuttle said the guard is lucky to have dedicated members who have served a long time. Many members, including Al Kessinger of Greenwood, have been in the honor guard for about 20 years. Kessinger said he originally joined because he wanted to honor the veterans who have passed.
“My sister asked, ‘Why do you do this? Because it’s so depressing,'” he said. “It’s not depressing, it’s an honor to give them their last goodbye.”
The service is not only to honor the veterans, but also their families. The families appreciate the service the honor guard provides, said Steve Sowder, a member of the guard.
“It’s to show their family that they were respected and we’re honoring that respect,” Sowder said.
This is also an opportunity for veterans to be in uniform again as the guard wears matching white shirts, black pants and black ties, Tuttle said. He would like to have a team of 30 to 40 veterans available to perform services. The guard currently has 18 members.
The team needs at least 11 people, with seven on rifle, to perform a service, but Tuttle said they will still perform even if they don’t have enough people.
“We can do it with three people,” Tuttle said.
Interested veterans will already have learned much of what the guard does through military training, including how to hold a rifle and fire in unison, Tuttle said. He added that members must be able to stand and wait for extended periods in the heat, cold, rain or snow during a service.
“It’s important to the veterans,” Tuttle said. “Veterans are entitled to have this final farewell at their funeral.”
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The Greenwood and New Whiteland Honor Guard is seeking the help of local veterans to help them perform services at area veterans’ funerals.
Who can join: Volunteers must be a member of the Greenwood American Legion Post 252, the Greenwood Veterans of Foreign War Post 5864 or the New Whiteland Veterans of Foreign War Post 6978.
Veterans can register for membership at one of the posts. Attending post meetings is not required to remain in the honor guard.
What is required:Â Must meet requirements to join American Legion or Veterans of Foreign War and pay post dues, which are $35 to $43.
Contact: Commander Bob Tuttle at 317-888-5617 or [email protected]
Greenwood American Legion: 317-881-1752
Greenwood Veterans of Foreign War: 317-888-2488
New Whiteland Veterans of Foreign War: 317-535-4041
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