Post Honor Guard
Our Honor Guard is new. We have started by getting everyone folding the flag properly at the grave site. Syke's Funeral Home has stepped up here in Clarksville, Tennessee allowing us to use their facilities to practice. Sykes has offered to purchase our uniforms and has set aside space at the funeral home for storing all of out equipment in a safe and secure place. Our Honor Guard currently practices every Friday evening at Syke's Funeral Home.
Military Funeral Honors
The rendering of Military Funeral Honors for an eligible veteran, free of charge, is mandated by law.
An honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran consists of not less than two members of the Armed Forces. One member of the detail represents the parent service of the deceased veteran.
The honor detail will, at a minimum, perform a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of taps. When available taps will be played by a bugler, however there are so few buglers available that the military services may choose to provide an electronic recording of taps. The veteran's parent service representative will present the flag.
Funeral Honors Eligibility
How to Verify Eligibility
The preferred method for verifying eligibility is the DD 214. If the DD Form 214 isn't available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD 214 can be obtained by requesting it online from the National Archives.
How do Families Request Military Funeral Honors?
Families of eligible veterans request funeral honors through their funeral director. The funeral director will contact the appropriate military service to arrange for the funeral honors detail. The funeral director will also assist with receiving other federal and state burial benefits.
Our Honor Guard is new. We have started by getting everyone folding the flag properly at the grave site. Syke's Funeral Home has stepped up here in Clarksville, Tennessee allowing us to use their facilities to practice. Sykes has offered to purchase our uniforms and has set aside space at the funeral home for storing all of out equipment in a safe and secure place. Our Honor Guard currently practices every Friday evening at Syke's Funeral Home.
Military Funeral Honors
The rendering of Military Funeral Honors for an eligible veteran, free of charge, is mandated by law.
An honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran consists of not less than two members of the Armed Forces. One member of the detail represents the parent service of the deceased veteran.
The honor detail will, at a minimum, perform a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of taps. When available taps will be played by a bugler, however there are so few buglers available that the military services may choose to provide an electronic recording of taps. The veteran's parent service representative will present the flag.
Funeral Honors Eligibility
- Military members on active duty or in the selected reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the reserves and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
How to Verify Eligibility
The preferred method for verifying eligibility is the DD 214. If the DD Form 214 isn't available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD 214 can be obtained by requesting it online from the National Archives.
How do Families Request Military Funeral Honors?
Families of eligible veterans request funeral honors through their funeral director. The funeral director will contact the appropriate military service to arrange for the funeral honors detail. The funeral director will also assist with receiving other federal and state burial benefits.
We will eventually have a color guard as well. Our first step is to get everyone trained folding the falg correctly. It's important the flag is folded correctly. The flaf is folded in a specific for a reason.