My friends Ed and Mary Ganster started OS91 to serve the military and first responders They wanted to let everyone in these fields to know that they are not forgotten and are appreciated each day. The DrillMaster is blessed to call OS91 a partner!
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”
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Dear Sir,
We will be holding our first Wreaths Across America ceremony this December. We will have a color guard with members of the Army National Guard, Marines, Coast Guard, and possibly Air Force. It depends on who is able to join us that day. We will do a quick walk-through before the ceremony begins, as they have not met nor practiced together.
My thought is to welcome the audience and request that they stand (if able) for the presentation of the colors. We have a soloist for the National Anthem. We then have an invocation followed by remarks about Wreaths Across America.
1. Who should be the Color Guard Commander?
2. At what point does the Color Guard post the colors and go to their seats? Does the emcee give the Commander some sort of signal when it is time? (I am assuming the emcee never commands the Color Guard directly.)
3. There will be wreath stands at the front of the room. A representative from each branch of the service will be asked to place a wreath on the stand in memory of those who served in their particular branch. For those branches without an active duty representative, a veteran from the American Legion will be asked to do the honors. Is it better to have the color guard not be those same individuals? ie: to get the Sheriff's Department or a JROTC to be the color guard?
Once the wreaths are placed, there will be a keynote address and remarks by various groups.
4. At the conclusion of the ceremony, those who placed the wreaths will be asked to take the wreaths outside to be placed on stands where they will remain for the rest of the month. Taps will be played outside by two high school trumpeters to end the ceremony. Is there anything I am forgetting? I want to make sure I am appropriately honoring our veterans and not inadvertently offending anyone.
Thank you so much for your thoughts.
Ms. Sanford,
I have copied and pasted your comment below and my response is preceded by an asterisk.
We will be holding our first Wreaths Across America ceremony this December. We will have a color guard with members of the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
*That's the correct order, just in case.
It depends on who is able to join us that day. We will do a quick walk-through before the ceremony begins, as they have not met nor practiced together.
*I think you'd be much better off with a local JROTC, law enforcement, or firefighter color guard. Just because my brothers- and sisters-in-arms wear a uniform doesn't mean they can handle a colors presentation just showing up. Get a trained team.
My thought is to welcome the audience and request that they stand (if able) for the presentation of the colors. We have a soloist for the National Anthem. We then have an invocation followed by remarks about Wreaths Across America.
1. Who should be the Color Guard Commander?
*If you go with military, the senior service present takes command unless that service member does not know what to do and someone else does. If you go with a JROTC or other that I recommended above, it's taken care of.
2. At what point does the Color Guard post the colors and go to their seats? Does the emcee give the Commander some sort of signal when it is time? (I am assuming the emcee never commands the Color Guard directly.)
*The signal for the colors to advance is the MC stating, "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors." The color guard comes to Attention, Carry, and moves to center and facing the audience. Once the commander gives, "Present, ARMS!" then the Star-Spangled Banner is sung or played. After that, the color guard departs. I suggest that you have at least another American flag posted to the audience's left behind the MC. This event isn't a formal situation where the colors should be posted. It will also be much easier for the color guard.
3. There will be wreath stands at the front of the room. A representative from each branch of the service will be asked to place a wreath on the stand in memory of those who served in their particular branch. For those branches without an active duty representative, a veteran from the American Legion will be asked to do the honors. Is it better to have the color guard not be those same individuals? ie: to get the Sheriff's Department or a JROTC to be the color guard?
*If the color guard is military, the members can also lay a wreath.
Once the wreaths are placed, there will be a keynote address and remarks by various groups.
4. At the conclusion of the ceremony, those who placed the wreaths will be asked to take the wreaths outside to be placed on stands where they will remain for the rest of the month. Taps will be played outside by two high school trumpeters to end the ceremony.
Is there anything I am forgetting? I want to make sure I am appropriately honoring our veterans and not inadvertently offending anyone.
*I think you have everything covered. I wish you the best for your ceremony.
DM