Special to the Star-Herald
AUGUSTA – Military funeral honors have been on the rise in Maine since more people have become aware that all qualified veterans are entitled to such a service, not just those who died in action, according to retired Master Sgt. Frank Norwood, the Maine Military Funeral Honors coordinator in Augusta. “I strongly encourage all veterans in Maine to allow these dedicated members of the United States Military to perform this ceremony and to simply express our appreciation for their dedicated service to our country,” Norwood said in a statement.
Section 578 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 requires the Department of Defense to provide, upon request, military funeral honors to all eligible veterans. Any person who completed at least one enlistment of military service and received an honorable discharge is entitled to the appropriate military funeral honors ceremony.
Norwood also explained in an interview that before the law passed, many veterans did not receive the appropriate honors, so the Maine Military Funeral Honors program will perform the appropriate honors for any family who should request such a service.
“All they have to do is ask,” Norwood added.
Since its inception in late 2004, the Maine Military Funeral Honors program has performed over 2,300 ceremonies from Fort Kent to Kittery, and even covers eastern Canada for American veterans who have relocated.
Sgt. David A. Carpenter non-commissioned officer in charge of the Maine Military Funeral Honors team for northern Maine, which serves all of Aroostook County and south to Bangor and Calais. The northern Maine team is based at the Houlton Armory.
“We are required to uphold the most stringent standards in the military, our uniform and appearance must set the example for all soldiers,” Carpenter said in a statement.
All Military funerals are strictly standardized, and all teams performing such honors must attend a two-week course in Little Rock, Arkansas to learn the national standards.
The Maine Military Funeral Honors team performed a full honors ceremony for Sfc. Jonathan Lowery in Houlton this winter; full honors consists of 21 service members, including one officer-in-charge, six pallbearers, a firing party, a bugler, a four-person color guard and a chaplain. Full honors are reserved for soldiers who have fallen in action or are Medal of Honor recipients.
The other military funeral honors details are a three-person detail, for veterans defined as former service members who received an honorable discharge, and a seven-person detail for retired military service members, currently-serving National Guard and Reserve service members not killed in action and other active duty service members not killed in action.
Carpenter works closely with area funeral directors and stays in close contact with organizations such as the VFW, the American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans. Families who would like to request military funeral honors for a deceased veteran can make the request through their funeral director.
For more information on Maine Military Funeral Honors, families or veterans can visit their Web site at www.funeralhonors.org or call the state coordinator in Augusta at 626-7822 or 1-800-958-5967 toll free.
