United Veterans of Flathead needs help

Jim Hiebert, commander of the United Veterans of the Flathead, has put out a call for volunteers to participate in the organization’s honor guard duties.

“We are dreadfully in need of dedicated, patriotic veterans and auxiliaries,” he said.

Hiebert, who has served 16 years, said United Veterans of the Flathead perform military honors at about eight funerals a month, plus provide flag honors at a huge number of community events.

“We do flag raisings and retirement, flag presentations to Eagle Scouts, Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs,” he said. “We also do parades.”

United Veterans of the Flathead was formed as a way to share the responsibility of military honors among all the services and the various organizations representing them. Any honorably discharged veteran or auxiliary member is eligible to join and help with ceremonial duties.

Hiebert said the veterans performing military honors find their donated time very rewarding.

“You can see how the grieving family and friends appreciate us being there,” he said. “We’re really doing something positive.”

Honor guard members provide their own black pants and white shirts. United Veterans of the Flathead supplies jackets with embroidery, white gloves and red ascots. Hiebert said he takes the time to bring new people up to speed on the ceremonies.

Members decide how much time they have to donate.

“It’s all volunteer — however much time their schedule and health allows,” he said.

Hiebert hopes to develop a large pool of honor guard volunteers to spread out the hours of service. He now is critically short of people in the face of growing demand for funeral military honors and participation in community events.

Anyone interested in serving or who wants more information may contact Hiebert at 250-3287 or 862-3507.