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By Ayanna Eckblad

For residents of Freeborn County, seeing a small crowd of uniformed veterans at a cemetery or public event may seem like a regular occurrence. However, for the men and women who make these events possible, getting the chance to honor their friends and comrades means the world.

Honor Guard is an organization of military veterans who volunteer their time to honor fellow military service members through dignified representation at veteran funeral services, ceremonies, parades and other civic engagements, according to the American Legion Post 56 website.

This year, the American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard have collectively done over 40 funerals in Freeborn County and a few surrounding towns. This, the members explained, is a low number, as they have experienced years with over 80 veteran funerals.

“We’ve all sweat outside. We’ve all frozen in the rain, just like anything, we do it rain or shine,” said Honor Guard member Greg Sundholm.

The American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard have also attended football and baseball games, elementary school education events, the Freeborn-Mower County Relay for Life and, of course, they led the city’s annual Third of July Parade.

Members of the Honor Guard have served in many different branches of the military. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard are all represented.

“The Honor Guard [is] made up of different organizations who are all veterans,” said Robert Sharp, commander of Freeborn County’s Disabled American Veterans.

The foundation of the military is tradition, Sundholm explained. Everything from the folding of the flag to the 21-gun volley serves a specific purpose in honoring service members and helping their families through the difficult time of losing their loved one.

“Honor them, honor their family. That’s really what this is all about,” said Albert Allen, another member. “Show honor to a fallen comrade and to his family.”

Any veteran who was honorably discharged is eligible to have the Honor Guard present at his or her funeral. Sundholm said people may not realize they have the option of honoring their loved ones in this way. They also may not know the Honor Guard performs this service at no cost to the families of veterans. Arrangements for having the Honor Guard at a veteran’s funeral can be made through the funeral home the family is working with.

“We don’t get paid for this,” member Chris Christianson said. “This is not a rewarding job except for the feelings that you get … One of the things I really like about being in the Honor Guard is we show up to these funerals, and we’re there half an hour, 45 minutes before the funeral, waiting for the families to get there.”

Many of the people in the American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard are retirement age. Christianson explained one reason for this is because veterans who are working during the week have less availability to attend funerals that take place during the traditional work day.

Many members of the American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard are Vietnam War veterans.

When they returned home, several said they remember feeling unwelcome and made to feel ashamed of their role in the war. For many years, they did not mention their service at all.

“Personally for me, I didn’t want to talk about where I’d been and what I’d done or even that I’d served,” Honor Guard member Sidney Troutner said. He added that, since he became involved with the organization, he has been able to gain more respect for the way he sees himself.

After 9/11, Troutner said he remembers a resurgence of American patriotism led to people coming up to him and fellow service members and saying “Thank you for your service.”
It caught him off guard, he said, and initially, he did not know how to respond.

Sundholm said he had a different experience as he served in the 1980s and ’90s. However, he too, recalls being surprised when people thanked him.

“When somebody says, ‘Thank you for your service,’ I say ‘You’re welcome, you’re worth it,’” he said.

Sharp explained that sometimes, a veteran will say they do not feel like a veteran because they never fought in a war.

He replied, “You know what an army is? An army takes everybody from the clerks to the cooks, the guys that clean the guns … the guys that drive the boats, or the trucks or whatever. It takes everybody to fight a war. It’s not just the guys in the front pulling the trigger. It takes everyone to fight a war.”

Appreciation from civilians has continued through the years and is still present today, Sharp said.

Members of the American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard experience this in a big way during Albert Lea’s annual Third of July Parade.

Sharp said it always blows him away to see children of all backgrounds and ethnicities come to show their support during the parade.

“How many little kids, in this old retirement town. How many little kids are just lining the streets,” he said. “It’s just amazing that, you know, the patriotism … And it always makes me feel good to see this wave of people who stand up when the American flag goes by.”

The American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and the VFW Post 447 Honor Guard are always looking for members to join them in their mission to honor veterans. All veterans, both men and women, who have served in any branch of the military and were honorably discharged, are welcome.

“It’s not just a bunch of guys sitting around drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and telling war stories,” Sharp said. “It’s a bunch of veterans doing service for their comrades.”