LATHAM, NY (12/25/2011)(readMedia)-- The New York Military Forces Honor Guard performed more military funeral honors in 2011--over 10,500--than at any time since it was created in 1999.

Last year the Honor Guard provided honors at the funerals of 10,415 Soldiers, service members, and veterans. As of Dec. 23, Honor Guard members had participated in funerals for 10,564 veterans, said Don E. Roy, the director of the program since 2003.

He anticipates providing military honors at more than 10,600 funerals across New York by New Years Day, 2012, Roy added.

The bulk of these funerals, more than 90 percent, were for veterans of the Second World War, Roy said.

The 60 New York Army Soldiers who work full-time with the Honor Guard and the 70, who participate in funerals on a part-time basis work out of nine offices located across the state from Long Island to Buffalo.

On average, the New York Honor Guard, which took first place in the most recent nationwide National Guard Honor Guard competition in 2010, conducts 900 funerals each month.

So far in 2011, the breakdown for each regional office is:

?New York City, 1,638;

?Long Island, 3,677;

?Hudson Valley (Newburgh), 853;

?Capital Region, 821;

?Binghamton, 455:

?Buffalo, 1267;

?Rochester, 652;

?Syracuse, 781;

?Finger Lakes (Bath), 420.

The number of funerals conducted on long Island is large because of the presence of two National Veterans Cemeteries there, Roy explained.

While the bulk of funerals have been for World War II veterans, the Honor Guard is now participating in the funerals of more and more Korean War veterans and Vietnam War veterans, Roy said.

The Honor Guard has participated in the funerals of the 32 New York Army National Guard Soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, although there were no funerals for New York National Guard Soldiers in 2011.

However, the Honor Guard did participate in 10 repatriated remains ceremonies in 2011, Roy said. These were cases in which remains from past wars were finally identified and laid to rest.

The reason for the increase in funerals, aside from deaths in an aging population, is that more people are becoming aware that their loved one may be entitled to military honors at their funeral, Roy said.

Any veteran, with an honorable discharge, whether they served during peacetime or wartime, whether they retired or not, is entitled to military honors at their funeral, Roy said.

The Honor Guard has been conducting more than 10,000 funerals annually since 2007. Only California's Honor Guard performs more funerals than New York's, Roy said.

Since the program started in 1999, the New York Military Forces Honor Guard has participated in over 88,000 funerals for serving service members and veterans.

"People are starting to hear about us, and we are proud to honor those who served." Roy said.

Federal law requires that at least two Honor Guard members, from the parent service of the deceased, be present to play taps, fold and present a flag to the next of kin for all former Soldiers when requested the family or a designated representative. For most of those funerals, the Honor Guard sends three members whenever possible. Soldiers killed in action, general officers, retired general officers, retired sergeants major and Medal of Honor holders require many more Soldiers.

The Honor Guard's primary function is to provide military honors at the funerals of Army, Army Reserve, Army Air Corps veterans from World War II, and Army National Guard Veterans, Roy said. The Honor Guard will fill in when the other services cannot provide military honors if time permits, he said.

Honor Guard Soldiers go through a week-long training program before they go out into the community to represent the Army and the Army National Guard.

It's a demanding program. The key is to focus on the drill moves required and attention to detail in uniform appearance, said Specialist Vanessa Banks, an Honor Guard member since 2010.

Banks, a Niagara Falls, New York resident, works with the Honor Guard team based at the Masten Avenue Armory in Buffalo. Her office, one of the busiest offices in the state, does at least two funerals a day every day of the week, she said.

A cook in Company D of the 427th Support Battalion who will deploy to Kuwait in 2012, Banks said it's a real honor to represent the Army and the Army National Guard at military funerals.

"You're the last military representative of the United States Army the family gets to see," she explained. "There is a real sense of satisfaction. It makes you really proud."

Posted Sunday December 25, 2011 at 03:01 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Tuesday January 03, 2012 at 08:28 am