Honor Guard Members Provide Dignity & Comfort to Grieving Families
By Craig Reed
When a military veteran is laid to rest, the Honor Guard is there to recognize, thank, and honor the person’s service and life.
The Honor Guard of the Vietnam Veterans of America Umpqua Valley Chapter 805 participated in 207 services in 2024. Most were held at the Committal Shelter on Roseburg’s Veterans Affairs campus, and a few at private cemeteries.
The Umpqua Valley Honor Guard has 18 members, who take turns attending services. Officials estimate the group is on pace to participate in more than 200 services in 2025.
“It’s all about honoring the veterans and helping the families with closure,” says Lonnie Shields, an Air Force veteran and an Honor Guard member since 2019.
“I feel it’s an honor to remember the fallen veteran and to show respect for the family,” Army veteran Tom Beckley says. “Occasionally, you get to hold a family member and cry with them. That means a whole lot to me.”
Army veteran Frank Escalante says getting to honor families of veterans helps him deal with his own post-traumatic stress disorder.
Tom served from 1969 to 1972, and Frank served from 1970 to 1973. The 2 Douglas Electric Cooperative members have been Honor Guard members since 2016. Lonnie served from 1965 to 1969.
All 3 were in the military during the Vietnam War. Tom was a crew chief on a Huey helicopter, maintaining it for flight, and also served as a door gunner.
Frank was also a Huey crew chief, but after 3 months, he transferred to a medevac helicopter for his last 9 months in Vietnam.
Lonnie was a jet engine mechanic based in Guam who flew on B-52 bomber missions to Vietnam.
Most of the services the trio attends as Honor Guard members are for others who served in the Vietnam War.
The role of the guard includes lining the sidewalk and saluting when the veteran’s cremation urn or casket arrives at the service site, reading a message of recognition, saying a prayer, and firing a rifle salute. A bugler plays taps, and the guard members present the rifle’s spent bullet casings to a family member. They shake hands with family members while saying, “We’re sorry for your loss.”
When needed, Honor Guard members fill in as pallbearers.
Honor Guard members recently attended a service for Duane Holtzclaw, an Air Force veteran who served during the Korean War. His son, Sean, says his family was deeply moved by the guard’s presence.
“He had a profound respect for God and those who serve,” Sean says. “I believe he would have been both humbled and proud to be recognized in such a dignified way. The precision, respect, and solemnity of the guard carried a message that his life and his service mattered.
“For our family, the rifle salute felt like a final ‘Well done,’ not only from those present, but also echoing the words of our Lord, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ It was more than a ceremony; it was a tribute to dad’s character, his sacrifices, his faith, and the legacy he left behind. Having the Honor Guard there gave us a sense of closure and pride, and we know it was exactly the kind of sendoff he deserved.”
Tom, Frank, and Lonnie say helping recognize and celebrate the lives of veterans is therapeutic for them as well. They relate to each other regarding their military service, and they understand the sacrifices made by military members, so an Honor Guard sendoff is appropriate.
Frank says an Honor Guard will always be present at a service if requested. Honor Guard members also participate in the annual Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 through downtown Roseburg. “We’re there to recognize veterans and their service,” Tom says.