Most lay people wouldn’t know that honor guard work at military grave sites involves more than donning a freshly pressed uniform and white gloves.
But the Meriden Antique Veterans Honor Guard Post #1 members know all the potential pitfalls — including the sinking soil at cemeteries when it’s wet, storing the rifles in the van and how far to be from the family with the rifle salute — and are ready for action when a fellow vet dies.
The Post #1 stands for the only one, group members said. The volunteer military honor guard brings at least a dozen members who make up the rifle squad, two buglers, flag folders and a color guard. They also provide musical selections appropriate for each service branch and have a flag presentation to the family.
“Its a fitting burial ceremony of which every vet would be proud,” according to a description on the city’s website. One member said it was the same as the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
It’s the reason the Meriden Antique Veterans, now called the Meriden Veterans Honor Guard, and its 17 members were honored last month by the Meriden Lion’s Club as Citizen of the Year, in addition to events at nursing homes, schools, parades and fundraising efforts.
“We honor our veterans, we honor the families, and we honor the city of Meriden,” Commander Clark Doehr said. “I still can’t believe they gave that to us. It shows we are appreciated by people outside our organization.”
The Meriden Antique Veterans Honor Guard was founded in March 1996 when veterans noticed the state government cut back on funding military burials. Veterans from all branches can still contact the military for burial service appearances. But while a family might get two service members to show up. The Antique Veterans bring a squad and doesn’t charge.
The group started tracking events in 2001 and report 1,927 burials in Meriden, Southington, Wallingford and Middletown. All proceeds are donations from families and civic groups.
“One name rose to the top,” said City Councilor Michael Zakrzewski, who presented the honor. “Antique Veterans of Meriden Honor Guard is the pride of our city and we can think of no group more deserving of our award.”
Any veteran of any age or gender who is honorably discharged from any military branch is welcome to join the group.
But recruitment has become a challenge after most of the group’s World War II veterans have died in recent years. Henry Muszynski, of Meriden, a World War II veteran who dedicated the later years of his life to paying fellow veterans final respects, was among the last WWII veterans.
According to his obituary, after serving in Europe with the U.S. Army’s 88th Glider Infantry Regiment, Muszynski volunteered for many years with the Meriden Antique Veterans color guard, providing formal honors to veterans at their funerals.
“That’s where he found his passion,” his son, Ray Muszynski, said at the time.
A review of local obituaries for many veterans shared the same sentiment. The families of vets who participated at the solemn events said the affiliation provided the veteran with a sense of purpose and comradery.
Members are hoping a name change might help attract some of the younger veterans to share this sentiment.
Doehr said the group has outgrown the WWII-era “antique” moniker and the word is problematic when recruiting. Doehr said when the group of older vets was forming in 1996 to fill in service gaps, it needed a name. Since they were older they called themselves antiques.
But he and other members said the Vietnam veterans who served in the 1960s and 1970s don’t see themselves as antiques and have declined membership for that reason. There also aren’t any members from the Gulf or Afghanistan wars. Two months ago, the group voted to change the name to Meriden Veterans Honor Guard because there is no age requirement.
“It turned a lot of people off,” Doehr said.
The group is also dropping “antique” from its materials and branded merchandise. Although, there is a push on recruitment, there is no urgency because the numbers of military burials have decreased in recent years. The group also works with civic groups and the American Legion Post #45 on its events and fundraisers for veterans and their families.
© American Military News