Follow up on: US Army Denies Honor Guard WeaponsU.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, DFL-Chisholm, announced Friday that he has cleared the way for American Legion groups to reinforce their dwindling ranks at veterans' funerals with family auxiliary groups. Oberstar said that after he made a plea to the U.S. Army, the Defense Department reversed a policy that prohibited legion members' spouses, children and grandchildren from firing ceremonial rifles at funerals.
The issue came to light last month after the head of the Duluth Combined Honor Guard objected to the Army's refusal to allow him to supplement his volunteers with the adult children of veterans. The Army had a policy that prohibited nonveteran members from firing theM-1 rifles, which the Defense Department provides. However, Army officials determined this week that the entire American Legion family of organizations, including the Sons of the American Legion and the Ladies Auxiliary, can perform the duty, according to Oberstar's office.
John Marshall, captain of the Duluth honor guard, told the News Tribune in December that the Army considered it a liability issue. Marshall said if something didn't change soon, the Duluth group, which includes the Veterans of Foreign Wars, would run short of volunteers and may be unable to honor the up to a dozen requests they receive each week to perform at veterans' funerals.
Oberstar's staff approached the Army Donations Program with Marshall's concerns. Marshall received a letter Friday from Ed Wolverton, chief of the program, notifying him of the decision. Oberstar said it will have a national impact. In 1999, Congress passed a law requiring all eligible veterans to receive full military honors at their funerals. "As the U.S. population ages, we are faced with the reality that approximately 1,800 American veterans die every day," Oberstar said in a news release. "As a result, American Legion posts are stretched thin to provide enough personnel to give the veterans the time-honored ceremonies that they earned during their lifetime."
Department of Defense officials could not be reached for comment.
The Duluth Combined Honor Guard performed at about 200 funerals in 2005. Only about 20 of the honor guard's 30 members are fully active, and the group tries to get 10 people to each service. "I'm very happy that they came to the right decision," Marshall said Friday evening from the American Legion Post 71 in West Duluth. "The bottom line is, the honor guards and veterans service organizations are the ones picking up the slack yet again. The government makes a lot of promises but doesn't always back them up."
Marshall said he's already received pledges of support from about 20 SAL members. Among them is Don Johnson Jr., 26, of Duluth who said he was discharged from the Army because of a detached retina. "I'd love to do it," Johnson said. "I appreciate the opportunity."