SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-8
The Republican
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Hendricks County Honor Guard Pays Tribute New Executive Director for
Leadership Hendricks County
The Hendricks County Honor Guard’s goal is to pay tribute and respect towards fallen brothers and sisters. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Honor Guard also serves at various community events like parades, sporting events and more. _____________________________________________
By Melissa Gibson If you’ve ever attended the funeral of a veteran, you may have seen the 21-gun salute, heard “Taps” played and watched the American flag folded and presented to the veteran’s spouse. What you may not have known at the time, was those that perform the ceremony are volunteers. Mike Ries is the Communication Officer for the Hendricks County Honor Guard and says the group is actively recruiting members at this time. “Members can be prior military or a non-military person that is just willing to give back to their community,” Ries said. “We currently have 28 members. Once you get in contact, we ask that you attend three funerals so you can see what exactly it is that we do to be sure you are interested. You are given two short sleeve shirts, two long sleeve shirts, slacks, a winter coat, a raincoat and shoes for free.” In fact, members of the Hendricks County Honor Guard do not have monthly dues at all; everything is free to the volunteer. The Honor Guard was formed in 1999 when the family of a deceased prisoner of war wanted to find someone to perform the 21-gun salute and “Taps,” prompting a group from the VFW to get together and give the veteran a funeral with honors. Today, the volunteer organization is the only one in the local area. They perform at funerals of any person honorably discharged and has some connection to Hendricks County, taking them as far away as Putnam County, Boone County and surrounding areas. Funeral homes are aware of the group and know who to call when they’ve been contacted for a veteran funeral but its not just funerals that the men and women attend.
“We do other events,” Ries said. “For instance, we were just recently in Danville, presenting colors at the basketball game. We’ve presented colors at our County Fair, at the Quakers Day Parade and at Night Out Against Crime activities.” They also support groups like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts wanting to earn their flag badge and they’ve taught many how to properly fold the American flag. The Honor Guard meets twice per month in Pittsboro to hold a business meeting and practice their presentation. They stay busy – attending nine funerals in one week this past September, among other events. Participation may be something many don’t understand, but those that have served or have a family member that has served, understand it all-too-well. “For a lot of us, myself included, it’s a way to honor those men and women who have served prior to me. They gave me the freedom to join the military and it’s my way of giving back to them,” Ries said. They also understand the meaning behind each symbolic portion of the ceremony. “It’s like saying goodbye to your fallen brothers and sisters. These are symbols of sacrifice; these guys were fighting for freedom and being able to fly their flag and live free. There are many that don’t know the history, don’t know how the American flag came about and what these symbols mean,” Ries said. If interested in joining the Hendricks County Honor Guard, reach out to Commander Mike Letournaeu at 317514-4662 or Vice Commander Andy Eldred at 317-7266701.
Jana Morrison is joining Leadership Hendricks County as our the Executive Director. Her appointment follows an exhaustive search and a strong recommendation by a hiring committee made up of representatives from the LHC Board and other LHC alumni. While Jana may be new to LHC, she’s very familiar JANA MORRISON with their programs. Hus- ________________________ band Ryan was a member of the LHC Class of 2016 and son Hayes was in the 201617 Youth Leadership class. During the interview process, Jana noted that the impact the program had on them played a big part in her decision to apply for the Executive Director’s position. Jana has been an invested member of Brownsburg and the greater Hendricks County community since moving to the area in 2005. For the past seven years, Jana has served the Director of THE WELL Community Center in Brownsburg. In that span of leadership, the Center has grown to welcome over 20,000 people from the Hendricks County community for open play hours for families, private events, corporate training, outreach, seasonal activities and various local business meetings. In addition, Jana was the facility manager of THE WELL’s 40,000+ square foot facility, managing multiple tenants, overseeing day-to-day operations and handling on-site issues. Jana’s education in wellness (BS in Kinesiology from the University of Arkansas; MS in Exercise Science, MS in Sports Medicine from United States Sports Academy, Mobile, AL) have equipped her to work with individuals and organizations to improve work/life balance and overall health. Her past experience includes being the Wellness Director at Wise Regional Health in Decatur, Texas, a Community Wellness Instructor for Brownsburg Parks, and a Wellness Coach for Salesforce. Jana’s heart to volunteer and give back have led her to serve on local boards and community service organizations. Jana is the mother of three (Hayes, Youth LHC Class of 2017, Evan, Abigail) and wife of Ryan (23 years), LHC Class of 2016. In her free time, she loves the outdoors, hanging with her family, listening to a good book while drinking a great cup of coffee. She loves to workout, give back to her church, share a laugh with friends and be inspired by local heroes. Her first day with LHC will be December 1. She’ll work closely with Susan Rozzi and Program Director Dani Smith to become familiar with the workings of LHC and get to know the program’s key stakeholders. ______________________________________________
Hendricks Symphony Presents Sounds of The Season Concert
Presenting colors at school and community events is another way of honoring those that have served.
Final Tribute What does the 21-gun salute symbolize? The 21-gun salute is an old battlefield custom. The two waring sides would cease to fight, allowing time for troops to retrieve their fallen brothers and sisters from the battlefield. The three volleys from seven rifles signified that the dead were cleared and properly cared for. Spent cartridges are often presented to a family member, representing duty, honor and sacrifice. What is the significance of the folding of the American flag? Members of the Honor Guard or members of the deceased military branch will carefully fold the casket flag, with the blue field of stars facing up. The flag is then presented to the next of kin as a symbol of gratitude for the veteran’s service. What is the significance of “Taps” being played at military funerals? During the Civil War, General Butterfield was not pleased with the call for ‘lights out’ to signify the end of each day at war. He enlisted bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton and together, they wrote the well-known tune to honor the men at the end of the day. The trumpet call eventually came to signify the end of a soldier’s day. _______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Republican Receives Certificate from DAR Chapter
The Wa-Pe-Ke-Way Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution presented The Republican Newspaper with a Certificate of Award on behalf of the DAR Public Relations and Media Committee. The award was presented to Republican owner Jerry Vornholt and Editor Betty Bartley by Chapter Regent Carey Wilson and Public Relations and Media Chapter Chair in appreciation and recognition of their continued support of the missions of Wa-Pe-Ke-Way Chapter, NSDAR of patriotism, education and historic preservation through publication and promotion of events and activities for the residents of Hendricks County.
The Hendricks Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Benjamin G. Del Vecchio presents “Sounds of the Season, a concert, on Friday, December 10, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 3 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church (575 W. Northfield Drive, Brownsburg.) This concert is the annual holiday concert that will be comprised of familiar holiday songs and the opportunity to sing along to some familiar carols with the chorus. Tickets for Sounds of the Season are available at the door for $18 adult, $15 senior and $7 student (with I.D.) Discounted tickets may be purchased online at HendricksSymphony.org/season-outlook or at the following locations: Brownsburg, Clayton and Danville Public Libraries, Hendricks County Bank, Hendricks County Branches of the State Bank, and Hendricks County Branches of North Salem State Bank. The discounted ticket price is $15 adults, $12 seniors and $5 for students with I.D. In an effort to ensure the safety of our patrons, all Hendricks Symphony musicians and support staff are fully vaccinated. The Symphony is obligated to follow the church’s guidelines, and to inform our patrons that we intend to do so. ______________________________________________
A Part of Our Community We would like to thank
FTIC – Fukai Toyotetsu Indiana Corporation
for choosing to spend some of their advertising dollars with us. Have you noticed the ads for FTIC, located in Jamestown, Indiana over the last month? The Republican wants to thank FTIC for placing their classified advertising dollars with our newspaper. If you are looking for a job in Robotic Welding, Stamping, and Material Handlers Stop in or Call HR at 765-676-4800. They are hiring. A local newspaper is a reflection of its community and is composed of many parts, among them local businesses that advertise in it. These businesses pay the taxes, keep up the schools, build the roads and offer services that contribute to making our community worthwhile. Let our advertisers know your appreciate their support of
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