Nov 10, 2017 By Mark Soroka for The 3 min read

Although their active duty service ended long ago, the members of the Mon Valley Honor Guard & Firing Squad are as dedicated as ever.

For these veterans, paying tribute to their departed comrades is an honor and a privilege.

“We are called to about 50 military funerals a year,” said Thomas Caudill, firing squad commander for the Mon Valley honor guard. “We also continue to participate in parades and special ceremonies. Wherever we go, we feel that we are doing our duty.”

Currently, the Mon Valley Honor Guard & Firing Squad has 26 members, representing American Legion Posts from Carroll Township, Finleyville and Monongahela. Under the command of John Gulick, the honor guard represents all branches of the service and includes veterans from different eras.

“Most of the members of our honor guard are getting up in age, but they are still strongly committed to being a part of this group,” said Caudill.

Military funerals are a time-honored tradition in America. During a military funeral or flag ceremony, a member of the honor guard presents a folded U.S. flag to the next of kin, then other members of the honor guard detail perform a three-volley salute by firing blank cartridges into the air. This custom began in the mid-17th century during the European Dynastic Wars, when armies paused their fighting to remove the dead and wounded from the battlefield. Fighting would resume after three shots were fired into the air.

“It means a lot to families when they hear the gun salute and the playing of Taps,” said Caudill. “I remember a woman turning to us and giving us a salute during one military funeral. That’s how they want their loved ones to be remembered.”

Caudill, a Monongahela councilman and retired Ringgold School District principal, served as a private first class Marine in Korea during the peace negotiations in the 1950s. It was around 1975 that Caudill answered the call to serve in the Mon Valley Honor Guard & Firing Squad.

“Serving in the honor guard brings back a lot of memories,” said Caudill. “Honoring our departed troops gives me a good feeling.”

Besides serving at military funerals, the honor guard participates in Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades. Last summer, the honor guard also took part in an event honoring veterans at Community Bank Park in North Belle Vernon.

Caudill is proud that so many communities in the Mon Valley hold veterans in such high esteem.

“It is heartwarming to see all the memorials and military banners throughout the area,” he said. “Our veterans are getting the recognition they deserve.”