When a military veteran passes away, the funeral home contacts the Funeral Honors Commission in Jefferson City to request a funeral honors detail to attend and honor the veteran’s service.
The veteran’s own service branch sends two active-duty members in dress-uniform to fold the U.S. flag that drapes the casket. The rifle squad, and sometimes a Color Guard, are provided by a local veterans organization. For the last couple of years, that duty has fallen to American Legion Post 41 in Houston. During that time, our Post has participated in 80 funerals in Texas County, Pulaski County and Shannon County.
By the way, there is one more use for a veteran’s DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty): To verify the veteran’s service and eligibility for military funeral honors. Families of veterans should ensure that the DD-214 is available for the funeral home. A copy of the veteran’s DD-214 can be obtained from the National Archives; it might take up to six weeks to process the request, so prepare now.
Texas County veterans organizations:
•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 473 meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month at their Post Meeting Hall on Highway 63 north of Cabool.
•American Legion Post 559 will meet at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the VFW Post 6337 meeting hall in Licking. Post 559 has been revitalized by past members and will be looking for new ones.
•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6337 in Licking meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at its Meeting Hall on Main Street just south of Highway 32.
•Fleet Reserve Association Branch 364 meets at 2:30 p.m. every fourth Sunday of each month at the American Legion Post 41 meeting hall in Houston. The FRA exists to serve all veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.
•American Legion Post 41 meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at its meeting hall on the west end of Chilton Oil Company in Houston, (just north of Pizza Hut.) Changes to membership eligibility now allow U.S. veterans of all branches and periods of service to join the American Legion.
Houston resident Robert E. Simpson is a retired U.S. Navy chief electronics technician who served from 1969 to 1990. Email gfjjkaa@gmail.com.
