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Post by gato on Jan 21, 2023 6:33:11 GMT -5
In a recent thread I talked about getting dressed to attend a funeral service. It was actually a memorial service for an Army vet who died late last year and was cremated.
I can't remember going to one of these before. There were a few aspects that struck me as odd, but maybe it's the way things are now.
It took place at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California, which encompasses a large national cemetery. When we formed up at the site of the service, I noticed six Navy sailors in Dress Whites, standing by with rifles. (remember Army vet).
The uniformed man who who was in charge of the service, wore a uniform that seemed ... generic. It was blue, like that of a Marine officer, but bore no rank or unit designation that I could figure out. Lots of ribbons and braid, scrambled eggs on the visor of the cap.
After the rifle salute, Taps was played by a female in a similar outfit, but without the ribbons and all. These two handled the folding of the flag and presentation to the widow. The vet's ashes were conveyed to a waiting hearse, and I was told they would be interred on the cemetery grounds,
After a presentation by the vet's pastor, a lady dressed like a park ranger (including Smokey Bear hat) thanked the assemblage for choosing this cemetery, and went on to explain its accessibility for visitors.
I dunno ... like I said, this was a first for me. Does my description sound similar to anything you folks have attended?
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Post by Leftee on Jan 21, 2023 9:37:47 GMT -5
The honor guard will come from the nearest military base. Or possibly rotate bases, depending on availability. The service branch might not line up with the deceased’s branch of the service.
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Post by Pinetree on Jan 21, 2023 10:02:57 GMT -5
Yep. The Honor Guard is mostly compromised of veterans here.
All the ones I've attended have been motorcycle centric, as in a large group of bikes riding to the cemetery.
Just be thankful you didn't get a lecture on fire safety.
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Post by RufusTeleStrat on Jan 21, 2023 11:18:49 GMT -5
This lines up to my FIL who is interred at March National Cemetery. My wife's uncle is also there. Both times it was a different rifle group and different honor guard. Further checking indicates that the Honor detail, separate from the 21 gun salute The Riverside National Cemetery Memorial Honor Detail was established in 1996. Here is their home page. rncsc.org/index.php/honor-detail/ |
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Post by Laker on Jan 21, 2023 12:31:51 GMT -5
Yep. The Honor Guard is mostly compromised of veterans here. All the ones I've attended have been motorcycle centric, as in a large group of bikes riding to the cemetery. Just be thankful you didn't get a lecture on fire safety. Many veteran’s funerals will have the Patriot Guard on motorcycles as an escort. Several National cemeteries are controlled by the National Park Service so I think that would be the woman in the Smokey hat. |
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Post by LTB on Jan 22, 2023 6:15:33 GMT -5
Before I retired we regularly saw a group of Honor Guard excort military casket that returned home from overseas after it was unloaded from an aircraft. The group excorted dad at his funeral in 2021 and a group of Navy personel were there to honor him.
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Post by tahitijack on Jan 22, 2023 9:28:45 GMT -5
At the last one I attended the grandsons gathered the shell cases from the rifle area. I'm told that one of the rifleman will usually do this. The trumpet player was live although I've heard there is a shortage so sometimes the trumpet is loaded with a recording and small amp and speaker.
One thing that hasn't changed is the sadness at these services.
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Post by Laker on Jan 25, 2023 14:23:30 GMT -5
At the last one I attended the grandsons gathered the shell cases from the rifle area. I'm told that one of the rifleman will usually do this. The trumpet player was live although I've heard there is a shortage so sometimes the trumpet is loaded with a recording and small amp and speaker. One thing that hasn't changed is the sadness at these services. When I returned from Vietnam I still had five months remaining until I was released from active service so I ended up as a cadre member at Fort Polk, LA in a basic training unit. When we were ”out of cycle” (no trainees) we were assigned to various details like being a “Vietnam aggressor” at North Fort where troops were in AIT for infantry. One of the details I was on was as an honor guard for a Vietnam KIA in Shreveport where I was a rifleman firing the 21 gun salute and the grief of that family made me feel guilty for being there. |
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Post by Rick Knight on Jan 26, 2023 8:51:27 GMT -5
Coming from a rural area, I only remember local American Legion Post members as the military presence at funerals.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jan 26, 2023 14:50:32 GMT -5
Just last week I attended a military funeral held at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. The honor guard was provided by the Air Force; the flag presentation team, rifle team, and bugler were all barely 20 years old and extremely professional and precise. I had a difficult time keeping a dry eye because (1) the departed was important to me, and (2) these were service members who were astonishingly young and 100% sharp, honoring someone they did not personally know--but was a comrade in arms nonetheless.  |
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Post by Pinetree on Jan 26, 2023 14:55:12 GMT -5
I've been to a couple different military cemeteries, Cambridge England, Sturgis South Dakota..
They're beautiful because they're laid out with absolute military precision, yet sad just the same due to the sheer amount of dead soldiers.
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Post by Leftee on Jan 26, 2023 17:11:27 GMT -5
I’ve been to Andersonville and Gettysburg. Very sobering places.
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Post by Laker on Jan 26, 2023 17:34:06 GMT -5
I’ve been to Andersonville and Gettysburg. Very sobering places. I’ve been to Andersonville three times and, I agree, a very sobering experience. |
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Post by markfromhawaii on Jan 26, 2023 17:46:35 GMT -5
Yep. The Honor Guard is mostly compromised of veterans here. All the ones I've attended have been motorcycle centric, as in a large group of bikes riding to the cemetery. Just be thankful you didn't get a lecture on fire safety. Many veteran’s funerals will have the Patriot Guard on motorcycles as an escort. Several National cemeteries are controlled by the National Park Service so I think that would be the woman in the Smokey hat. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific here at Punchbowl is under the administration of the National Cemetery Administration which falls under the VA. I assumed it was the Park Service but this may have changed. It’s probably a good thing. www.cem.va.gov/index.asp |
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