Surely some active-duty and retired volunteers could be found?
Our American Legion Post will do it.
Our American Legion Post will do it.
The son of my quilting friend regularly volunteers to do this at vets’ funerals. He’ll travel 100+ miles to do it, he’s happy to do it, and sometimes it’ll be several times in a month. That’s here in Tennessee, the Volunteer State, and I don’t know how other places handle it.
As an aside, having lived here for six years, we’re so impressed by the generosity and charity of the Tennessee folks, and their willing to step up and help others. I ring bells for Salvation Army and it seems that the less fortunate passers-by are more apt to donate than those with the better clothes, cars, etc. Anyhow, FWIW...
My dad passed away two years ago and since it was in the middle of the government “shutdown”, Keesler couldn’t do it; the American Legion did and they did a wonderful job.
When my late husband died, he was USAF, Viet Nam Era Vet of a massive heart attack. They had to get the Air Force out of Little Rock to come to Millington, TN. Music was on CD. They were so out of practice, took 3 tries to fold the Flag right.
I’d just have been happy to have the Navy do it as Millington is a Naval Base.
What does it matter what branch does it, or if Ret. Or VFW, AM. Legion members do it. They all deserve a PROPER MILITARY BURIAL.
Many VFW and American Legion Poss have Honor Guards to perform this function. For my local VFW Post,I am the Honor Guard Captain and we perform on average 6 military funerals a month. Some we perform the entire protocol, but others, the Active Duty service members perform the flag folding and presentation.
I have about 15 or 16 members that I call, but because of age (I am the 2nd youngest at 72), we can only get 8. We give the family three rifle volleys, an electronic bugle - sorry - I forgot how to play the trumpet and my Mom got rid of it when I went to college.
In most funerals that we perform the full protocol, I present the flag after the rifle salute leader places three fired rounds (previously polished) into the folded flag. If active duty perform the flag folding and presentation, I have to wait until after the flag is presented to request permission to place the three rounds in the flag - always given.
Our goal is no veteran within 45 miles will get military honors.