I attended my brother Doug’s funeral on February 4, 2009 in Ohio. He received a rifle salute. He had never paid much attention to the honor guard and what they did in the past. But at my brother’s funeral I focused on every little detail because this ceremony was important.
Seven men stood in a row, the watch commander called the list “Sergeant Baxter.”
Sergeant Baxter replied, “Here, sir.”
“Gunner’s mate, Morris,” replied Morris, “Here, sir.”
“Private Zimmerman,” he replied, “Here, sir.”
Airman Jones. “Here sir.”
Cape Myers. “Here sir.”
The commander called out, “Private Martin,” “Here, sir.”
So the commander called, “Sailor Jackson.” There was no answer. “Sailor Jackson”. Still, no answer. “Sailor Douglas Jackson” Again there was no answer.
One of the guardsmen called out to the commander: “Seaman Douglas Jackson is not here, sir.”
The seven men raised their rifles and fired three quick shots each in honor of the fallen sailor, my brother, Seaman Douglas Jackson. Then a bugler played taps. The anxiety of not hearing my brother respond, “Here sir,” was strong. Emotional tension was high as mourners sobbed and hugged each other. Faces that had previously shown no grievance at the funeral now twisted in pain and tears welled up.
Two members of the guard stepped forward and removed the American flag from my brother’s casket. They folded the flag neatly, then turned and knelt before our mother and said, “Another veteran, Seaman Douglas Jackson, has been called to higher command. As a grateful nation, I present to you a flag of our country.” He then stood up and gave our mother a slow, deliberate wave.
As I sat there taking it all in, I noticed that the guard members were in their 60s and 70s.
When I returned home to Arcadia, Florida, I asked the commander of the DeSoto County Veterans Honor Guard why the honor guard was made up predominantly of older men.
He explained that fewer military members are joining service organizations like the VFW, American Legion, Am Vets, DAV, etc., that help provide members for the honor guard. One reason is that people are still working and busy with their careers, and they can’t always attend funerals during the day. Ninety percent of the honor guard members are retired.
The commander also stated that the local American Legion, which had 250 members after World War II, has been reduced to 125 members, with only a few regularly attending meetings.
As of this writing, the DeSoto County Veterans Honor Guard has performed at over 300 funerals since 1992. They also perform at parades, school and civic functions.
Honor guards across the country are always looking for volunteers to fill the ranks. You don’t have to be a member of one of the service organizations to join. You just need prior service in the armed forces. They will provide the training and uniforms.
It is a wonderful service that they provide. I will always remember how special you made my brother’s funeral. Let us always strive to remember our fallen, They are the reason we are free.