Indy Honor Guard in need of more veterans

[Keith_Indy]

I'm not a veteran, but I know many on here are.

Indy Honor Guard in need of more veterans to continue performing funeral honors

The group has seen an uptick in military funerals and needs volunteers to give veterans the proper honors as they're buried.

www.wthr.com

The organization that renders those military honors said they are in desperate need of volunteers as the demand continues to increase in the Indianapolis area.

"We were averaging just under 300 funerals a year and now we feel pretty confident that unfortunately, we will eclipse 600 this year," said Commander Ron Montague.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Military Honor Guard (IMMHG) formed in 2014. The nonprofit organization only has 24 members right now and are currently spreading themselves thin in order to fulfill requests from Hoosier families.
"For example, we had five funerals yesterday. I had two teams doing five funerals," he said.

 

[actaeon277]

I'm not a veteran, but I know many on here are.

Indy Honor Guard in need of more veterans to continue performing funeral honors

The group has seen an uptick in military funerals and needs volunteers to give veterans the proper honors as they're buried.

www.wthr.com

There are less veterans today. But the number of veterans being buried is higher.

 

[singlesix]

Thanks for the post, I was looking to give back to my fellow Bothers in Arm, not the way I'd prefer, but a start.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

We are looking for three or four days a week.

Respectfully, that's a hell of an ask for volunteers. Especially if you're looking for younger guys with full time jobs, families, etc.

 

[rooster]

Time is always the issue. The vast majority of vets like myself served in the latest series of wars starting in 01’. Many like me have kids we already don’t have enough time for and jobs that take 50-60 hours a week on a good week.

if my time commitments were less I would be more than happy to do it.Perhaps they should be reaching out to the reserve and national guard units for help. They are full of young people without so many time commitments.

 

[singlesix]

Respectfully, that's a hell of an ask for volunteers. Especially if you're looking for younger guys with full time jobs, families, etc.

Bit concerned about this, but if I can do it on the weekends than giving some relief, I work fulltime so weekdays are out.

 

[cam4usa]

I signed up on their website but put in the comments, “willing to assist with a few services a month” as that’s all I’m able to commit to. If they get enough people doing that hopefully it will allow more Veterans to be laid to rest honorably.

 

[singlesix]

Got a call from Ron, the Cdr of the organization. He said Saturday is their busiest time. So no issues just doing this on weekends. Sound like they need bodies.

 

[04FXSTS]

A lot of honor guard units are having trouble with members. When we moved to Indiana it was only a 15 mile move so I am still a member of the same Illinois legion where I have been an honor guard member for years. I figure it is usually my friends I am burying and at 74 years it wont be long before my slightly younger friends will be burying me.
For us it means 14 people for a full crew, squad leader, seven riflemen, bugler, two ceremonal rifles, two flagmen and the chaplin. Most of the time eleven is good for us, I think recently we only had eight so had to cut the number of riflemen. As in most things it is pretty much the same ones that show up almost every time but there is a bunch when we have the memorial service in the park on Memorial and Veteran's days. Jim.