Commanders Message 2022

Commander’s Call 

Fellow Legionnaires, Happy New Year to you and yours. As the new year approaches, new opportunities emerge. At the annual Honor Guard Christmas dinner, Fred Chrastil announced that he was stepping down as the Post 3 Honor Guard Commander at the end of the year. He would, however, remain a member of the Honor Guard. Fred has been a loyal member of the Honor Guard for 13 years and its Commander for the last 11 years. We will certainly miss his knowledge, leadership, and devotion to duty. As Fred steps down from his duties, a new Commander needed to be appointed. In a meeting with Post 3 leadership, it was decided that I should become the interim Post 3 Honor Guard Commander and serve as such until my term of duty as Post 3 Commander is completed. At that time, the newly elected Post 3 Commander could appoint a permanent Honor Guard Commander. As a result, effective January 1st, I will assume the duties as the interim Post 3 Honor Guard Commander. You might ask, “Who are the Post 3 Honor Guard members and what do they do?” The Honor Guard is made up of 18 dedicated, patriotic, American Legion members who range in age from a 91-year-old Korean War Veteran to a 41-year-old veteran who served in the Global War on Terror. However, the average age of its members is 78 years old. The Honor Guard’s primary responsibility is to augment the Military Honors teams in rendering “Honors” to deceased military veterans. Under federal law, the Department of Defense is responsible for providing military funeral “Honors” to eligible veterans when asked to do so. It requires an Honor Guard detail of at least two uniformed (currently serving) military persons (at least one from the veteran's parent service) and a bugler, if available. There must also be the playing of Taps, folding of the U.S. flag, and presentation of the flag to the veteran's family. The military Honor Guard detail may be augmented with volunteers who are military veterans, including retirees; members of veterans' service organizations (e.g., the American Legion); or other approved organizations. This augmentation (Post 3 Honor Guard) includes the 3 shot volley and the playing of “Taps” by a live bugler supplied by the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. If the family of a deceased veteran can’t locate the veteran’s discharge papers, (DD214), the military “Honors” teams are not authorized to perform the honor ceremony. In that case, if requested, your Post 3 Honor Guard team will fold and present the Flag to the next of kin, perform the 3 shot volley and play “Taps” by a live bugler. The Honor Guard is also available to participate in patriotic civic functions. Patriotic functions could be a Flag raising, a school visit, talks to students or other organizations, or possibly a visit to a retirement home to honor veterans living there. I am using this forum to offer more men and women the opportunity to join our Honor Guard. In an average year, we will perform 150-175 military funerals and attend 25-50 civic functions. Your uniform will be furnished, with the exception of the Legion cap. We cover the most basic manual of arms. We use the M1 Garand rifles for the 3 shot volley and Springfield ’03 rifles for Flag guard rifles. The average funeral will take 2 hours of your time and we will render “Honors” in all kinds of weather. You would not be required to do every funeral – only those for which you are able or available. As stated earlier, the average age of our members is 78 years. How much longer these men will be able to help with “Honors” is uncertain. Wouldn’t it be a shame if these “Oldtimers” were not replaced as they step down and the Honor Guard should disappear? We need to make sure that never happens. If you are interested in joining the Honor Guard, contact me, Gerry Wolf, @ 402-417-8230 or Gerrywolf@aol.com or call our office 402-466-3958, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00-12:00. 

For God and Country, Gerry Wolf Post 3 Commander