Peter J. Courcy Post 178 honor guard performs military honors for honorary life member

Peter J. Courcy Post 178 honor guard performs military honors for honorary life member

The Post 178 color guard currently consists of 12 members, six of whom participate in performing military funeral honors for veterans. The color guard has been providing this service since the post was chartered in 2014.
The Post 178 honor guard recently was honored to participate in a worship service celebrating the life of Burnett ”Burnie” Louis Sutter. Near the end of the worship service, his family requested the Post 178 color guard perform the military funeral honors to present a U.S. flag to his only daughter, Sandra Daun Richards.
All eligible veterans, including military retirees, are entitled to military funeral honors. At a minimum, the funeral honors ceremony will consist of the sounding of taps and the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag. At least two uniformed military personnel shall perform the ceremony. If a bugler is not available, an electronic recording will be played. One of the uniformed military personnel will be from the deceased veteran’s parent military service and will present the flag to the next of kin.
Sutter was awarded a Post 178 Honorary Life Membership on April 7, 2021, his 100th birthday. At the time, Sutter was the most senior of the post’s six World War II veterans. He was a U.S. Army World War II veteran and served in the ”Tough Hombres” 90th Division, 358 Regiment, M Company. He landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, France, in June 1944. For his military service in France, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor medal in 2018.