VFW and VFW Auxiliary

I was recently asked what it was like being a member of the VFW Post 8093 Honor Guard. First and foremost, it is an honor being a member of a group of veterans so dedicated to presenting final honors to any veteran’s family who ask. When I say “Honors” I am talking about prayers offered by our Chaplin, folding the American Flag, a military gun salute, playing Taps on the bugle and presentation of the American Flag to the family. Military Honors are offered at funeral homes, gravesides and celebration of life events. While most members of the Guard can perform any function of the ceremony, I can tell you from experience the hardest for me was kneeling in front of a friend’s spouse, thanking her for her husband’s service to our country and presenting her with the American Flag.

While COVID made presenting Honors more difficult, the Honor Guard did what they could including a couple drive-by Honor presentations and socially distanced military gun salutes. The most exciting event for me as an Honor Guard member was in 2018 when we were honored with laying the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. After the ceremony all members of our Honor Guard were invited to meet with the soldiers guarding the tomb to discuss their life as one of the chosen guards.

The Honor Guard does a lot more than just provide final honors for fallen veterans. We have a Color Guard that presents the American Flag at official city meetings, opening day of little league season and various festivals and civic events. The Honor Guard is also responsible for maintaining service Flags at a local veteran park and at the Post. Members of the Honor Guard demonstrate proper Flag etiquette to local school children and area civic groups. Throughout the year we also provide full military honors on holidays such as Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and on special military days such as Pearl Harbor Day, Vietnam War Veterans Day and others. We have even driven by to wish Happy 100th Birthday to several veterans during COVID. Nothing is too small when honoring our brothers and sisters in arms.

Finally, a couple times a year the Honor Guard will provide Final Honors to retired American Flags with a proper Flag disposal ceremony held at our Post or other Posts in the area. These ceremonies allow us to teach others such as the Boy Scouts about proper disposal of the most sacred symbol of our country. Anyone can drop off their retired Flags at their local Post for proper disposal.

Bill O’Connor is retired Chief Machinist Mate who served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He has served as a Trustee, Quartermaster and Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 8093 DeBary and currently serves as a Councilman for the City of Orange City. Bill comes from a military family with his dad being a retire Command Master Chief, brother a retired 1st Class Petty Officer, sister a retired Senior Chief Petty Officer and another brother who served in the US Air Force.