And still they serve

Color guard keeps memories alive

 

You see them at football and baseball games. They’re always in the lead at local parades. They’re the color guard – veterans still serving their country in little ways, reminding us of the men and women who paid the ultimate price. 

As commander of American Legion Post 131 in Valley Springs, Rick Larsen is a color guard regular. 

“We all kind of jump in, wherever we can do one, whenever we’re asked,” said Larsen, who retired from military service in 2000 after a combined 30 years in the Air National Guard and Vietnam War.

“We gotta show our colors,” added Ken Bodewitz.

The color guard is minimum four-member formation of veterans who carry the American flag and the flag of their American Legion or VFW posts. In parades the guard often marches with the POW and MIA flag, too. 

“Remembering the fallen – we always try to keep that in the foreground of people’s minds,” Larsen said. 

Local vets will bring out the blazers for color guard duties Thursday at Brandon Valley schools. The Brandon American Legion will preside over a Veterans Day program at Fred Assam Elementary Nov. 9, and the Three Rivers VFW Post 4726 color guard will take part in programs at Brandon Elementary and Robert Bennis Elementary.

“We’ve done our service to our country; now it’s time to do our service to our community,” said Brandon VFW commander Troy Zimmerman.

 “To do the color guard is always an honor,” echoed Brandon American Legion Post 318 commander Gene Renschler. “You feel good about representing your service, whatever area you served in. And the color guard does more than just football games. Firing squads go to funerals to present the colors. It’s touching when one of your brothers or sisters has fallen.”

Taking part in color guard is hard to describe unless you’ve done it, Renschler said.

“When you’re actually doing it out there, it’s different,” he said.

The Brandon Legion is looking to start a Sons of the American Legion chapter, which would be open to all descendants of members. 

 

Veterans Day area events

 

Veterans Day dinner

 

Charles R. Doman American Legion Post 131 in Valley Springs will host a Veterans Day dinner and program 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, at the legion hall. Tony’s Catering will provide a roast beef dinner at a cost of $10 per person. The guest speaker is Pastor Craig Werling, an Army veteran and West Point graduate.

 

VFW ‘Meat & Greet'

Brandon will celebrate Veterans Day Saturday, Nov. 11, with a hog roast and potluck from 2-7 p.m. at the VFW on Main Avenue. The event is open to all veterans and their families.

 

Veterans Day school programs

Veterans Day programs will be held Thursday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at Brandon Elementary, 9 a.m. at Robert Bennis Elementary and 8:30 a.m. at Fred Assam Elementary, with color guard presentation by the Brandon American Legion and VFW. Schools will be closed Friday, Nov. 10.