Post 2022 (Olive Branch, Miss.) provided honors for a fallen USAF veteran earlier this year, on Jan. 9. The Air Force would not commit to funeral honors with a pending snow forecast and coming from afar - Little Rock, Ark., to Southaven, Miss. Our post provided live taps, rifle salute and folded/presented the flag. Manning issues are affecting all branches of the military concerning funeral honors. American Legion posts across the entire nation have opportunities to assist and help fill in the gaps for an effective rendering of funeral honors.
Our post has collaborated with great patriots during our travels with funeral honors. James Lindsey is one of those great patriots, and this is his experience with funeral honors.
"My name is James Lindsey, and I had the distinct honor of serving as director of the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery from 2016 to 2020. I oversaw or participated in more than 4,000 military funerals during my tenure - each one a solemn tribute to the courage, sacrifice and enduring spirit of our American heroes. As a strong advocate for the proper rendering of military honors, I have long believed that every servicemember - regardless of rank or branch - deserves a farewell marked by dignity, precision and heartfelt respect. While our military branches have upheld this sacred duty with pride and tradition, we now find ourselves at a critical juncture. The time has come to raise our expectations and improve the quality of the honors being given. Our veterans and their families deserve nothing less than excellence - a tribute worthy of their sacrifice and service. I wish I could say that every military funeral service I have witnessed was perfectly rendered, but I cannot. I have seen a flag folded upside down and presented to a grieving family. I have seen foldings so imprecise that there was not enough flag left to tuck in and complete the ceremonial triangle. Most heartbreakingly, I have witnessed a flag dropped entirely on the ground during a folding - right in front of the family. In all these instances, there was one common factor: a lack of proper training.
"Will you serve and honor the fallen after serving your country? Step up in your post, form a team and assist in honoring the fallen at funerals, not just Memorial Day. We need the next generation to continue this time-honored duty. The Vietnam veteran generation is looking to hand off the baton. Will you step up?"