When a veteran of the military dies on-Island, the tradition has been for an honor guard from American Legion Post 257 to recognize that man or woman’s service with a flag presented to a family member from a “grateful nation,” and a bugler playing “Taps.”
But that tradition is in serious jeopardy, Woody Williams, junior vice commander of the American Legion in Vineyard Haven, told The Times.
The problem? Essentially, military veterans returning to the Island are not signing up to help out, leaving not enough veterans to fold and present the flag to honor the service of their fellow veterans at funerals, Williams said.
“It’s basically coming to an end,” he told The Times, noting his own health is making it difficult for him to continue his role of donning his dress blues from his service in the U.S. Marines. “We haven’t gotten anyone to replace the guys who died from World War II.”
The tradition was started about 23 years ago, Williams said, for Peter (“Pop”) Moreis’s funeral. Williams joined Jo Ann Murphy, the current Legion commander, and Kevin Nichols. Kevin Devine was also home from the Army, and participated in the honor guard. “It just grew from there, and it grew quickly because all the World War II guys and Korean War guys were veterans, and had a big presence at the Legion and VFW.”
Williams and Murphy have done hundreds of funerals since. Phyllis Williams, Woody’s wife, is a member of the Legion Auxiliary, and is often a presence at funerals as well.
“We do this because when we came home, it was really bad — coming home from Vietnam, it was really bad,” said Woody Williams, who served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam. Protesters would be waiting for Vietnam returning veterans at airports, he said.
That’s why the Legion also makes a big deal of recognizing the return of servicemen and -women to the Island — meeting them at the ferry and hosting welcome home parties at the Legion hall. “Welcoming home is just as important as funerals,” Williams said.
But unless they can convince more of the younger veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to take over the role at funerals and homecomings, the traditions will end, Williams said.
The Legion no longer has any chaplains (they used to have as many as three they could call on), and only retired Fire Chief John Schilling is available to play “Taps.”
“It’s nerve-wracking,” Williams said of trying to organize enough people for a military funeral. “This is like a 911 call for funerals.”
Lenny Verville, funeral director at Chapman Funerals and Cremations in Oak Bluffs, said the funeral home can apply to different branches of the service to send representatives from off-Island, but it’s not the same as what the American Legion provides.
“We send the applications in to the different services, and the application runs the process, and they’ll get a complement of two people to come over and present the flag and play “Taps,” either with a bugler or a sound machine,” Verville said.
Verville said the funeral home has had a long and excellent relationship with the Legion, but he understands the plight. “It’s been great, but I understand everyone is getting up there in age,” he said. “It’s difficult to get out. They need younger people to take over the reins.”
Anyone interested in joining the American Legion honor guard should contact Williams at usmarine0001@gmail.com or Murphy at b.murphy14@comcast.net.
I am glad to see this appeal in the MV Times. Providing military honors is extremely important to the families of deceased veterans who want to remember that important and costly part of their lives. Providing such honors speaks volumes to the community about the value of military service and is naturally anticipated by each of us veterans now living and our loved ones. I had the honor of participating in military burials at Arlington Cemetary and later, as the Legion’s post chaplain, overseeing the military honors portion of the burial ceremony and coordinating volunteers for the honor guards for several years (until I moved to Virginia earlier this year). Over time, many of the veterans who volunteered for honor guard duty got older and physically unable to serve, and more than a few honor guard participants passed away. The need for volunteers has become more acute and desperate and yet the duties are not difficult. If enough veterans will volunteer, honor guard duty won’t be particularly burdensome, either. Martha’s Vineyard has established a well-deserved reputation for cherishing the men and women who donned the uniforms of our nation. I hope that more of the younger, able-bodied veterans will contact Jo Ann Murphy or Woody Willaims so that this tradition can continue.